Last night Spiaggia's executive chef and Top Chef: Texas runner-up, Sarah Grueneberg, faced off against her Houston-based mentor Chris Shepherd, in what was called the H-Town vs. Chi-Town Quickfire Challenge. Though not exactly the most serious competition we've ever seen, it was a great chance to sample Grueneberg's food and to see what Shepherd is currently cooking up in Texas. More

Chain restaurants typically go easy on the spice to appeal to the lowest common denominator, but then again, Big Bowl traffics in cuisines—namely Chinese and Thai—that are known for turning up the heat. Maybe my spice-hunting wouldn't be ill-fated, after all, I thought. More

The Whole Foods Market on Huron Street in River North does a brisk lunch business, thanks to a big soup and salad bar, a prepared-food department, and a station serving pizza by the slice and made-to-order sandwiches. It was there, at the sandwich station, that I encountered the delicious vegetarian bánh mi ($5.99). More

I think we've all been in this situation: a thick, steaming chicken parmesan sandwich lands at the table, the smell enchanting in its familiarity. Tomato sauce has already completely soaked the bottom slice of bread and is slowly rappelling down the sides of a once-crusty piece of fried chicken. To put it mildly, you know this is going to be a messy situation. More

Chicago Q may be known for serving excellent barbeque, but their brunch menu is not to be ignored. The real standout dish among the five, though, is the Kobe Brisket Hash ($10.50), which is served with two eggs any style (I got mine scrambled) and two crumbly cheddar-chive biscuits. More

I may never get to afford to dine at Alinea, but I can now say that I know what $24 fried chicken and waffles tastes like. Yes, that's right, at chef Art Smith's Table Fifty-Two in the Gold Coast, the fried chicken and waffles brunch specialty is a whopping $24. More

Though there's nothing particularly exciting about grilled chicken breast, I'd argue it gets an unfair wrap for being overly bland and, let's face it, the meat of choice for picky eaters. But accompanied by the right garnishes, vegetables and seasonings, chicken breast can be a subtle compliment to other, more robust flavors in some dishes. More

Much has been made of the gelato from Tony Mantuano's recently-opened Bar Toma and for good reason. But don't let the rainbow of 14 flavors keep you from ordering a second dessert: the mamalucchi. These lemon curd-filled puffs have all the soft crunch of a properly-cooked zeppole, but the tang of citrus keeps it from tasting too doughy. More

In some ways, the challenge of eating vegetarian is hardest when doing it in a fast-food context. Enter Wow Bao—Lettuce Entertain You's chain of Asian bun stands, which in the past few years has expanded to include five locations in Chicago and the Bao Mobile, a roving bun truck. More

If you've had your eye on the Vegetarian Option column thus far, you'll know that SE Chicago editor Nick Kindelsperger has gotten off to a promising start, but I'll be taking over for him in the search for delicious vegetarian eats here in Chicago. Nick and I held the torch-passing ceremony in suitably swank digs: the dining room of the recently refurbished and reopened Pump Room, in the Gold Coast's Public Hotel. More

Tony Mantuano's Bar Toma opens today in the Gold Coast. But don't let the "bar" in the title confuse you; this place is massive, feeling like every bar experience Mantuano loved in Italy jammed into one space. He did, after all, write a book on the subject. In fact, there are numerous different bars here, including an espresso bar, mozzarella bar, pizza bar, and a regular bar with cocktails and wine. More

Pizano's Pizza & Pasta is required eating for anyone looking to sample the best deep dish pizza in Chicago. That pizza, made with a very restrained hand for the style, is my go to introductory pie for out of towners who might be overwhelmed by some of the other favorites in town. Making Pizano's even more impressive is that it's the only place that puts out stellar deep dish pizza and a thin crust that might be even better. More

Serious Eats Chicago contributor Daniel Zemans checks in with another piece of intel on the Windy City pizza scene. —The Mgmt. [Photographs: Daniel Zemans] Castel Gandolfo 800 N. Dearborn, Chicago IL 60610 (map); 773-394-6900; castelgandolfopizzeria.com Getting There: Red Line to... More

[Photograph: Michael Nagrant] Though we are surrounded by the azure majesty of Lake Michigan, Chicago is generally not a seafood kind of town. Fed-Ex and dry ice have done wonders for the scene, but it's still pretty rare to find... More

Serious Eats contributor Daniel Zemans checks in with another piece of intel on the Windy City pizza scene. Daniel also blogs about Chicagoland pizza with his friends on the Chicago Pizza Club blog. --The Mgmt. Fred's Chicago 15 E. Oak... More