Where to Eat in Chicago
Abby Mallett will travel for food.
We met Abby Mallett at our first Chicago Supper in 2025, where her infectious energy immediately captured our attention. She is an optician by day, a writer, an editor of the Land, Food, and Freedom Journal from the National Black Food & Justice Alliance, and a big fan of a side quest. In her own words, “I will travel for food, at any time. That’s my love language: making people feel like they are nurtured in some way, by eating.”
We called up this Chicago native for her perspective on the famous food city. “No other place really feels like this,” she says, “there are beautiful landmarks and our architecture is unmatched, but what we do here is eat. ”
Abby is hard pressed to find other places that have better food than Chicago, even in her extensive travels. There is a robust collection of Michelin stars; signature dishes like deep dish pizza, peanut butter egg rolls, and Italian Beef (we won’t give you a recommendation for that here. “I love Italian Beef,” says Abby, “it’s such a Chicago thing. I don’t know that I’d recommend it, because it’s just so specific. You have to like wet bread.” (But, if you really want to know, Johnny’s is the best.)), and proud, no-fuss neighborhood staples.
Abby shared a few of her favorite spots with us, from fine dining mainstays to hidden sandwich shops and underground bars. Whether it’s your first time in the Windy City or you’ve been there before, we hope you find a new dining experience to make you feel nurtured, body and soul.
“If I want to immediately knock your socks off, we’re going to Kasama,” says Abby. This Michelin-starred restaurant is now famous from its feature on The Bear, but production chose it for good reason. Dinner is transcendent, but you can also go during the morning hours for something a bit more casual. The breakfast sandwich and pastries are just as phenomenal.
Stop by this lovely Roscoe Village cafe for a creative coffee. “The guava espresso tonic is great for summer, specifically,” Abby suggests. While you’re there, check out the rotating work on display from their Artist Series.
photo by Kristen Mendiola
This Italian Village cafe “feels like I’m sitting in my grandma’s kitchen,” says Abby. This is a restaurant that will feed both your belly and soul. If you’re there on a Friday, get the catfish special, or go for breakfast and order cinnamon roll pancakes for the table.
This lounge nestled inside the Hoxton Hotel has live jazz playing or vinyl spinning every night. After exploring the Fulton Market neighborhood, stop in for a craft cocktail in the plush surroundings designed to look like your friend’s upscale living room.
photo by Nick Podraza
Stephanie Izard has become a heavy-hitter in the Chicago restaurant scene, and you can’t go wrong with any of her restaurants. Abby puts this Chinese-American inspired spot at the top of her list because of her favorite dish, the duck fried rice.
Chicago Architecture Tour
Some things are popular for a reason. Our team got off the plane and onto the boat for an architecture tour before our Chicago Supper last year, and felt immediately connected to the beauty and history of the city. Grab a coffee or a cocktail on board and gain your bearings for the rest of your Chicago visit.
This Southern restaurant in Hyde Park strikes the perfect balance of upscale but not pretentious. It has the best mac and cheese Abby’s ever had, even up against her mom and grandma’s. You’re guaranteed to have a lovely dining experience and leave feeling nurtured, but also like you’ve been transported. Abby offers, “this is where I’d take someone near and dear to me.”
photo by Clay Williams
Hidden in the basement of Thalia Hall, this bar looks like your grandpa’s basement, if he had a world-class vinyl selection. Come with a crowd and share a carefully crafted drink served in an actual crystal punch bowl.
photo by Kristen Mendiola
This lively district is chock full of amazing places to eat. You can walk in anywhere and it will be good. Abby’s favorite Italian sub in town is at Nonna’s, a sandwich shop hidden behind Formento’s classic Italian steakhouse. If you’re more interested in a delicious wander than a fully planned itinerary, or if you’re looking for a fun date night while in town, this is the neighborhood to check out.