High Steaks
Smoque Steak bets big on techy sous vide, but where the restaurant shines is with its old-fashioned hospitality.
Custom Placements: Dining Lead
Why Restaurants Still Add Surcharges
Why are restaurants still adding surcharges? I feel your pain. The extra fees can make it hard to swing a casual Tuesday dinner out. I’m not talking about set service charges like the 25 percent at Daisies or the 20 percent at Lula Cafe. Those are revealed upfront and are in lieu of a tip. … Read more
The 10 Hottest Restaurants in Chicago: November 2023
The city’s most buzzed-about restaurants this month
The Chicago Pizza Playoffs
We ranked our 25 favorites. Now you get to tell us what you think.
The Best Pizza in Town
Homegrown styles have evolved thanks to a new crop of chefs putting their twist on pan, deep dish, and tavern. Here are our 25 favorite pizza joints, ranked.
Bakery Rising
For years, a perk of going to my doctor in Lake View was that Loba Pastry + Coffee was a few blocks away. Afterward, I’d stop in for owner Valeria Socorro Velazquez Lindsten’s treats, which draw on her fine-dining pastry skills and Mexican heritage. In 2021, with the lease up, Lindsten announced she was moving … Read more
Fine Dining for the People: Real Prices for Real Chicagoans
Our dining critic explores the affordable fine dining trend, makes a few lunch stops, and finds a great Indian catering option.
A Very Chinese Cookbook Celebrates Food and Family
Jeffrey and Kevin Pang’s book, out October 24, features Chinese and Chinese-American recipes.
This Month’s Obsession: Aushak at Helmand
When I was growing up in Washington, D.C., my family often dined at the Afghan restaurant Khyber Pass, where we fell hard for aushak. Each of us got our own platter of the dumplings, which were stuffed with slivered green onions and splashed with two sauces: minced meat in tomato gravy and warm yogurt with … Read more
Zoe Schor’s Grown-Up Mac and Cheese
Want to stave off the culinary doldrums once the Midwestern growing season has faded? Do like chef Zoe Schor and tap into Calabrian chiles. “They’re spicy, salty, and umami-rich,” she says of the peppers, which are imported from southern Italy and usually sold chopped and packed in oil. “I recommend keeping some on hand all … Read more