Chicago
Family-owned Sarajevo serves homemade Bosnian cuisine with Italian, Greek, Turkish and Mediterranean influences. Specialties include ćevapčići – skinless…
Must-see restaurants in The Great Lakes
Detroit
Ima’s sophisticated dishes belie its fast-casual, pay at the counter ambience. Yaki udon noodles smothered in sesame-butter sauce and forest udon with…
Chicago
Ike Sewell supposedly invented Chicago-style pizza here in 1943, although his claim to fame is hotly contested. A light, flaky crust holds piles of cheese…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
Weighing in at more than a pound, the carne asada burrito with cheese is not just one of the city’s best food values, it’s one of the city’s best foods…
Michigan
This mod-industrial cafe is perfect for a healthy breakfast or lunch. The chefs are hard-core believers in organic, locally sourced ingredients. The menu…
Gold Coast
Fill up on fresh fruit pies made from regional bounty at this locally owned cafe. Our favorite? The ABC Crumb, made from a mix of Michigan blueberries,…
Illinois
This fourth generation, old-fashioned soda fountain–style confectionary was opened by Italian immigrants in 1908 – the founder originally purchased his…
Chicago
Jin Ju throws a culinary curveball by tempering Korean food to Western tastes. The minimalist candlelit interior echoes softly with downbeat techno, and…
Illinois
This Serbian–American venture offers a lovely, dimly lit bar and restaurant serving a melange of Mediterranean and Balkan-influenced fare. The beet and…
Gold Coast
Chandler’s delivers sophisticated meat and fish dishes to white-clothed tables, but in a casual, knotty-pine-paneled room. The menu changes based on what…
Chicago
This sprawling, sunny-orange restaurant beloved by South Loop college students brings eco-conscious fast-food eaters the goods they crave: burgers made…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
All hail the oddball masterpieces on this little shop's ever-changing menu. Will it be the goat's cheese cashew caramel flavor or the sassafras rum raisin…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
Entirely plant-based versions of comfort-food classics beckon at this sunny corner fast-casual spot right on Wicker Park's main shopping strip. Plow into…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
This high-energy restaurant has a higher-energy saki lounge upstairs; both are packed with young locals enjoying some of Wicker Park's freshest sushi…
Illinois
This colorful and welcoming family-run Mexican cafe serves a long list of daybreak delicacies, but it's all about homeland specialties such as chilaquiles…
Chicago
This ramshackle cafe will make you feel like a regular as soon as you step through the door. It serves excellent hot focaccia sandwiches, baked goods and…
Ohio
Simple wood tables, white panel walls and mismatched china plates set the mod-rustic tone at Corner Kitchen, a bustling diner-meets-French-cafe. Enjoy…
Chicago
Diners quickly fill up the room at this family run Italian bistro (part of a local chain) and energy swirls among the closely spaced tables, topped with…
Chicago
There's not much to look at inside this 24-hour joint, but the window at the end of the long dining room frames a stunning scene of the Willis Tower over…
Chicago
The name doesn't lie: Bang Bang serves pie, both sweet and savory, but even better are the biscuits – fluffy masses that come with bacon, avocado or other…
Illinois
This packed, food-focused brewpub straddling Evanston's border with Chicago calls on a Liverpudlian chef for its oft-Brit-leaning pub grub, so you can't…
Chicago
Even though it can get packed on weekends, this neighborhood tavern does everything well: food, drink and atmosphere. The kitchen turns out great…
Ohio
Neighborhood families, hungover hipsters and old timers clamber into the booths at this traditional-looking diner in Grandview, 4 miles northwest of…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
Perch yourself at the long, high wooden tables and delve into a giant bowl of ramen, made with vegetable, chicken, pork or spicy beef broth and stuffed…
Chicago
Wicker Park favorite Big Star branched out into the Wrigleyville madness with this two-story restaurant across from the ballpark. While it's not quite on…
Milwaukee
Don't mind the scruffy exterior here deep in Milwaukee's Fifth Ward. Inside you'll find a colorful spot specializing in inventive tapas combinations that…
Chicago
Beatrix buzzes with business types, ladies who lunch and tourists staying at the attached hotel. Light-wood tables and mason jars full of seeds form the…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
This spartan cafe attached to the headquarters of mock-meat magicians Upton's Naturals offers sandwiches, salads, sides and more that feature the company…
Upper Peninsula
A small community of bearded, black-robed monks from Holy Transfiguration Skete, a Byzantine Catholic monastery, sell their wares on the grounds. Jam is…
Wisconsin
Old-style speakeasy meets UK pub at the Weary Traveler. The low lighting, dark-wood decor, art-filled walls and myriad board games complement the menu of…
Ohio
A bit off the beaten path, Mrs Yoder’s is a swell choice for well-made Amish fare in simple environs. Order mains like wedding steak (browned beef baked…
Illinois
This gourmet taqueria is part of a three-for-one project that includes Lulu's (Asian fusion) and Five & Dime (pub grub and a wildly popular rooftop bar in…
Wisconsin
The tagline of this retro-inspired downtown breakfast joint is 'we love breakfast, '80s music and John Hughes' movies,' and who are we to argue with that?…
Indiana
Nashville's most popular restaurant is a simple but fine spot to dig into wholesome, home-cooked Hoosier fare. The wonderful pot roast – juicy, tender and…
Chicago
You might walk by this plain-looking restaurant and wonder why so many families, older couples and millennials are thronging it. The answer: Neapolitan…
Chicago
Plates groan under massive portions of Jewish-diner meals while subway tiles and giant menu signs evoke the spirit of a classic New York deli. There's all…
Chicago
This space right on the river is a knockout: an airy room of exposed concrete, glittery chandeliers and chunky wood tables with water views. The motto is …
Carver 47 Juice & Experiment Bar
Chicago
Located in the Little Black Pearl arts center, this plant-adorned, farmhouse-chic cafe nourishes the spirit with buttermilk biscuits for breakfast and…
Michigan
Sheeba provides a terrific immersion into Yemeni cuisine. Try the seltah (root vegetables with whipped fenugreek) or fahsah (shredded lamb and potatoes),…
Door County
They take their Swedish heritage seriously at Al's, so expect to find Swedish favorites like meatballs and pickled herring alongside the usual breakfast…
