After I downed my second glass of cider, reckless thoughts fired through my mind. Had I made a mistake by skipping the escalivada pinxto? What about the meatballs with hazelnut romesco? And considering there were fresh oysters being shucked nearby, wasn't it my duty to try them? Which is to say, Barcito isn't a traditional stand—or at least not one that I'm used to visiting for this column. More

If you want a glimpse of what Chicago could look like with relaxed food truck laws, you don't have to fly to Portland or even take the Purple Line up north to Evanston. Just head west to Humboldt Park, the gorgeous 207-acre park by the neighborhood of the same name. That's where you'll find Isla de Cafe in a silver Airstream truck, which on bright and sunny days, shines like a beacon from across the park. More

List off the usual clichés that plague corporate cafeterias, and the Urban Market in the Chase Tower in the Loop probably has them all covered. But quietly over the past few months, a number of chef-branded stalls have quietly replaced the no-name eateries here, transforming the cafeteria into something that everyone might actually be interested in checking out. That includes Jimmy Bannos's Big Easy. More

Every baseball team deserves to have at least one great hot dog stand nearby. The White Sox have two. 35th Street Red Hots is one, but the other is Morrie O'Malley's, a cheery and well lit space, that featuring a menu absolutely brimming with delicious possibilities. More

Whenever I'm feeling down about life or the prospects of the Cubs, I visit Murphy's Red Hots. I mean, just look at the place. Isn't your heart swelling with patriotic pride at this very moment? More

The short history of Felony Franks has everything you'd ever want in a gripping news story: politics, race, class, and hot dogs (or is that just me?). It all started back in 2009 when Jim Andrews opened a stand on the West Side and advertised the fact that he was employing only ex-convicts. what's been completely missing from the discussion of Felony Franks has been any examination of the food. And after two visits, I realized why. More

A little over a year ago chef John Des Rosiers opened Wisma, a grab-and-go food outlet next to Inovasi, his acclaimed fine dining restaurant in suburban Lake Bluff. Never one to make a small plans, Des Rosiers declared from the beginning that other locations were in the works, and that he wanted to "change the way we all eat at home." More

Meatloaf is not cool. Never has been, and, hopefully, never will be. Satisfying and filling? Sure. But cupcakes... Well, that's a different story. So what happens when you combine cutest/most overblown dessert trend of the millennium with a very unsexy diner stalwart? More

Byron's is famous for topping its dogs with a literal salad. Along with the traditional seven toppings (mustard, onion, relish, dill pickle, tomato slices, sport peppers, and celery salt) that you'll find on a classic Chicago dog, lettuce, green pepper, and cucumber are also added. So, if you already thought that the Chicago dog was a tad too unwieldy, look away now. More

The first thing you see when you walk into Phil's Last Stand on Chicago Avenue is Phil, or as he likes to refer to himself online, Fat Phil. Like Doug Sohn (Hot Doug's) and Eddie Lankin (Edzo's) before him, Phil always stands guard, taking every order, and making as many jokes as possible. While that obviously ensures a fun and freewheeling vibe, it's main advantage is quality control. Nothing gets by Phil without his approval. That turns out to be a very good thing. More