Mentioned by Fodor’s Travel
Top Restaurants in Chicago
"Following the wild success of her flagship restaurant, the Girl & the Goat, Top Chef alum Stephanie Izard switches gears with this all...Read More"
"Following the wild success of her flagship restaurant, the Girl & the Goat, Top Chef alum Stephanie Izard switches gears with this all...Read More"
"Located on the Northside in Lincoln Park, Summer House Santa Monica comes from our friends at the ever-growing Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant group. There’s a front patio, but the whole vibe is like you’re outdoors. With whitewashed wood walls, gauzy white curtains, and a huge atrium in the middle open to clouds and sun, there is so much natural light in here, it truly feels like you are in Santa Monica."
"When the nickname for a hometown is The Windy City, it’s great to go somewhere that brings the summer vibes all year 'round. The Summer House employs bright décor and greenery to p..."
"American , Bakery/Cafe"
"Source: Photo by Flickr user Richie Diesterheft used under CC BY 2.0. Touted as a ‘bakery heaven’ by many of its regulars, is Sweet Mandy B’s, one of the best confectionery stores offering delicious desserts in Chicago. The toasty aroma of baked sweetmeats, tantalizing smell of coffee, airy atmosphere of sugary joy, and picturesque interiors – Sweet Mandy B’s hits all the right spots."
"In 2002, Sweet Mandy B’s opened its doors to sprinkle some magic into the community. This nostalgic cake shop in Chicago features old fashioned vibes and pastel colors. From Adult Cakes and Holiday Cakes to Special Occasion Cakes and a never ending selection of cupcakes, there’s something for everyone at Mandy B’s!"
"As one of Chicago's overall go-to bakeries, Sweet Mandy B's gives us the classics we need. Their chocolate chip and confetti flavors puts comfort back into the best cookies in Chicago."
"In addition to a wide array of donuts (everything from Glazed to Nutella Banana Pockets), Stan’s Donuts also serves up gelato, shakes and Intelligentsia coffee. Stop by to take in the fun, retro vibe and order one of their most popular creations – Lemon Pistachio Old Fashioned."
"Stan’s Donuts are next on our list of the best desserts in Chicago. Stan’s Donuts is a classic choice for desserts in Chicago, and they’re seriously delicious too!. In fact, if you ask any local Chicagoans they’ll probably have heard of Stan’s Donuts!"
"It’s the foodie’s food court, offering a little something for everyone. Aster Hall includes 16 one-of-a-kind menus from the likes of Small Cheval, Doughnut Vault, Sushi Station, Green Street Smoked Meats, Chicago Char-Dogs and more. Order your food from the touch screens on the fifth floor and then head up to the welcoming, trendy décor of the sixth floor."
"It likes to keep things simple when it comes to its macarons, for one, which come in six usual flavors: raspberry, salted caramel, pistachio, vanilla, chocolate, and Nutella. The bakery and cafe also offer a gift-wrapping service, both in boxes of 5, 10 and 20 or party favors: clear cubes with 2 macarons, or cellophane bags with 2 or 3 choices. We also love that although the macarons sold here are priced at $2.25 each, the price goes down with the more you buy."
"Paris may not be a car ride away, but Sugar Fixé is the next best thing. If you’re a major macaron enthusiast, you’ll love the macaron cake that resembles a mega macaron. Dreams really do come true."
"If you don’t want to bake, or fry in this case too, then decorate with DIY cookie and doughnut kits ($14) starring colorful icing and sprinkles. You may find inspiration in the bakery’s smiley face cookies and Easter lamb cakes, wearing icing medical masks. Owner Can Lao, who revived the historic bakery in the Bridgeport neighborhood back in February, recently added Chinese egg tarts, plus a few staple items like paper towels, gloves, milk and Yakult, the yogurt-like drink."
"Restaurants Bakeries Bridgeport. This iconic Polish bakery closed in October 2019 after decades of serving pączki, doughnuts, cookies and other candy-colored sweets to its fans. Thankfully, new ownership swept in and restored the spot to its former glory."
"If you’re wondering what happened to Bridgeport Bakery 1.0, it closed. But thankfully version 2.0 has the same delicious treats as the original. And while they have a lot of baked goods besides donuts, we like coming here for their long johns and bismarks."
"Among the 26 different gardens here are the three-island Malott Japanese Garden, the 5-acre Evening Island, and the Grunsfeld Children's…"
"Two chefs used their life savings to start this gourmet fast-food restaurant, with beer-battered burgers, fish tacos and combinations like foie gras with fries. Po' Boys include medium-rare ahi tuna, soft-shell crab and shrimp banh mi, but the fried pork belly with maple mayo is Guy's pick, described as "chicharrones meets pulled pork.". Watch the Video: Fish and Chips"
"BIG & little’s has been on the national radar since Food Network host Guy Fieri featured it on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Fans come for its fish tacos and soft-shell crab po’ boys. While some items on the menu are a little pricier, quite a bit of the diner’s choices are $5 or less. Pro tip: Try the truffle fries!"
"A photo posted by Eater Chicago (@eater_chicago) on Jul 27, 2016 at 9:50am PDT. BIG & little's is Guy Fieri-approved, so you know it's good. Definitely go for one of their po' boy sandwiches (the softshell crab is EPIC) or any of the tacos, most of which range between $3-$5."
"Located in the heart of Chicago, just a block of the Magnificent Mile, Upstairs at the Gwen comes with both an indoor lounge and a stylish, open-air terrace. Luxurious and trendy in decoration, the rooftop bar offers a great selection of seasonal, inventive and well-crafted cocktails, a fine selection of wines, beers on draft and a set of sharable small plates. A great spot for stylish and sunny cocktails during summer, but also available during the colder months, when the terrace turns into a winter wonderland with both a curling rink and a cosy cabin."
"Rooftop brunch Chicago at Upstairs at the Gwen - Photo: www.thegwenchicago.com/. A swanky and stylish rooftop cocktail bar, found on the 5th floor of the fantastic hotel The Gwen in the heart of Chicago. A year-round destination, not only because it mixes indoor lounge with a lovely outdoor terrace, but also beacause the rooftop turns into a winter wonderland during the colder months, with fire-pits, curling rink and a cosy cabin."
"The fifth-floor rooftop features an iceless curling rink, where guests can play for up to 45 minutes while enjoying a signature curling cocktail. The rooftop terrace is also decked out with fire pits, where diners can cozy up and enjoy Upstairs at The Gwen’s full food and drink menu. Make your curling reservations."
"It lacks the popularity of Chicago’s other famed foods but the jibarito certainly deserves attention. Though the Puerto Rican sandwich is traditionally made with steak, vegetarians can get a non-meat variant at this Logan Square spot. Here, housemade seitan is topped with poblano, onion, garlic, greens, tomato, garlic mayo, and American cheese in between slices of fried plantain."
"We all know the feeling: somebody wants Thai, someone wants Italian, and another person just wants a few fries, but no one wants to pay their own delivery fee. Ground Control in Chicago is where it’s at!. Their menu features dishes inspired by cuisines from all over the world, so there’s something that surely everyone will love."
"Logan Square’s favorite vegetarian spot does not disappoint. Like Handlebar, it’s a relaxed space with a wealth of vegan options. It’s not lavish, it’s not luxurious, it’s laid-back and low-key, offering a down-to-earth vibe and more magical seitan-based creations."