When visiting a new city, I feel like I'm always caught in the that strange middle ground of wanting to sample the iconic local food specialties, while simultaneously avoiding the kind of restaurants that prey on my naivety and take all my money. These are the places that that offer an unmistakable glimpse at Chicago, while also dishing out great food. More
In a crowd of tortas featuring fillings like pork carnitas, chorizo, braised short ribs, and the like, the woodland mushrooms and vegetarian black beans manage to more than hold their own. Every Xoco fan—herbivore or otherwise—should give this torta a spin. More
Put an Egg on It was born out of a very simple question: do all foods taste better with an egg on them? As far as savory courses are concerned, the answer seems to be almost a definite yes. (Very unscientific calculations were in the 99 percent range.) It doesn't matter if the egg is fried, poached, or cooked in a thousand dollar sous vide machine, that plump yolk—which should slowly erupt like molten lava—improves just about everything it touches. More
Like any mortal, I occasionally crave a fat slice of chocolate cake, but most of the time, I like to seek out all the wonderful cuisines that so happen to also be free of gluten. Here's a tour of some of my favorite places. More
A half bolillo roll spread with ranchero salsa subs in for crust and sauce. It's slid into a wood-fired oven, where it remains until everything is crisp and bubbling. More
Here are the ten most popular A Sandwich a Day posts from out short stint here in 2011. Turns out I completely underestimated Chicago's sandwich scene, as there are great sandwiches in just about every neighborhood. The diversity was also striking. Sandwiches were overloaded and excessive, or sleek and minimal. More
From silky gourmet Valhrona cocoa to complex Mexican spices, there are more variations on hot chocolate in Chicago than you can shake a candy cane at. Here are some of our favorites. More
With salty chips and gooey toppings, chilaquiles are just about the perfect hangover food. And the chilaquiles from Xoco in Chicago, Rick Bayless's casual operation, are just about the best I've ever had. More
If you're looking for churros in Chicago and want to go straight to the fried source, you'll end up at Don Churro, the churro factory. They're only $1, served hot, about a foot long, and you won't have to wait forever in line for them. More
