Restaurants

Chicago has been home to one of the largest diasporas of Czech citizens outside of central Europe, but there aren't many Czech restaurants left here. What's the cuisine like?

The old-school bakery and soda fountain Spinning J is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a podcast going behind the scenes of the struggles independent restaurants face.

Petite Edith is the third new restaurant opened by husband-and-wife team Jenner Tomaska and Katrina Bravo in the past year. It's a lower price-point successor to their artistic tasting menu spot Esmé.

The legendary and influential Alinea went from three stars to two, but another restaurant was promoted to two stars while a new restaurant featured in a new show about Michelin won its first.

Eagleman and Ozzie Guillén both appear in new commercials for Mr. Submarine that draw on a history of hokey spots, in honor of 50 years in business.

Private chef Emani Roberts is opening Brûlée, a Southern brunch restaurant blocks from McCormick Center, to serve South Loop residents and convention-goers. 

As the cult favorite inside the hospitality industry podcast "Joiners" soldiers on, its two hosts are considering whether to try to keep expanding – or just keep doing what they're doing.

Zeitlin's Delicatessen and Rosca are opening brick-and-mortar locations on back-to-back days in November, the latest in Chicago's bagel boom. 

Chicago restaurateurs say business is down and workers are afraid to come in as ICE and CBP conduct raids across the city. "We're feeling it," said one. 

A new short documentary shows Kruszewski's charming and relaxed approach to tending an orchard of Asian pears, persimmons, and pawpaws, a fruit native to North America that has similarities to tropical fruit. 

Growing up in Bronzeville, Chloe Gould didn't know that a being a chef was a career or what ginger root was. Now she's opening a restaurant that combines the Southeast Asian flavors of her time in Singapore with her American Southern heritage. 

The nominations for the 2026 Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence have been announced in 12 categories recognizing chefs, restaurants, designers, and bartenders from fine dining jewels to counter service gems. 

César Murillo was a semifinalist on Top Chef season 22 and is the executive chef at Chicago's North Pond Restaurant. He shares his favorite places to eat, drink, and shop in the city. 

Crying Tiger ranges as far afield as Hong Kong and the Philippines, with a core focus on Thai and Vietnamese dishes, including ones you might be surprised to find in touristed River North. 

Pequod’s Pizza has been named the best pizza in America on Yelp and appeared on The Bear, and continues to draw both tourists and locals for its pan pizza, a subcategory of deep dish.