Amelia Levin

It’s easy to miss A Mano on the street despite the restaurant’s name hanging above the front door in bright in bright red lettering—because it's tucked under Bin 36 like a secret clubhouse. Owner Dan Sachs and Chef Jon Caputo opened up the new rustic/authentic Italian eatery under their original... continue reading on Chicagoist

You know what today is, don’t you? It’s golden beer’s 165th birthday! Yes, 165 years ago today, on Oct. 5, 1842, Joseph Groll, a young brewmaster in Plzen, Czech Republic, discovered a technique for brewing golden beer, otherwise known as the pilsner, or Pilsner Urquell, which is the brand name... continue reading on Chicagoist

October is National Seafood Month! That's exciting enough on its own, but we're especially pumped because a bunch of restaurants in the city are cooking up some tasty fish specials to kick off the fall season. Who's serving what?... continue reading on Chicagoist

We were stoked (yes, stoked) when Southport Grocery and Café opened a few years back. The fresh sandwiches on artisan bread, the tasty cupcakes and cookies, the savory omelets — the spot has become a great place for brunch, lunch and takeout. So when we heard that our favorite... continue reading on Chicagoist

Have you been to SushiSamba Rio on a Wednesday for “Favela Night?” Then again, have you even been there lately? The downtown Japanese/Brazilian/Peruvian hotspot has been open for some time now, but the weekday dinners definitely haven’t lost any hype. Chicagoist tried out the new fall menu, and boy,... continue reading on Chicagoist

When Moto’s Homaro Cantu said he’s worked with NASA to develop space food for astronauts because, “One day we’ll all have to start thinking about Mars,” it was a pretty “out there” comment. But statements like these come from Cantu, a modest, hospitable and friendly person, because, well, he’s borderline... continue reading on Chicagoist

If “d-bag” or other words relating to female cleansing products came to your head when you first heard about English opening in the Clark/LaSalle/Ontario corridor, you’re not too far off. The weekends are a sure bet for sceney types and well, so is a Monday after work apparently. So... continue reading on Chicagoist

Great. Another bar/restaurant with a funky name, overpriced menu, and hipster vibe in the Bucktown/Wicker Park corridor. That’s probably your first impression when you heard of the recently opened Bluebird Bistro and Winebar on Damen in Bucktown. In actuality, though, this casual, rustic spot from owner Tom MacDonald of... continue reading on Chicagoist

If you haven’t been to Sweets & Savories on a Wednesday night for $10 Kobe beef burgers, boy are you missing out on this sweet..er..rich deal. The whopper of a burger, no pun intended, comes in 1/2-pound form (we think it might be more though), seared on the outside... continue reading on Chicagoist

Let’s just get one thing straight: unless you have your own personal money tree, you don’t go to Martini Park to get rollicking drunk. And it’s easy, from one step in the door, or from reading all the recent hub and bub about the place, to assume it’s just... continue reading on Chicagoist

John Bubala, chef/owner of the popular Timo restaurant on an industrial strip along Halsted Street near Milwaukee Avenue gets it right there. And now, with his recently opened Baccala in Wicker Park, he gets it right again. Shocker. When you use super-fresh ingredients, many from local farmers and ranchers,... continue reading on Chicagoist

The name says lounge, it looks like a lounge, it smells like a lounge—well, actually it doesn’t really despite that smoking’s allowed in certain areas--but who would have thought Ole Lounge would have great food in addition to drinks? We didn’t at first, but after trying a few tapas... continue reading on Chicagoist

For those of you who work in the suburbs, this Chicagoist writer shares your pain. For those of you downtown, you might find this enlightening. Amusing, even. Brood update: the west suburbs (Oak Brook, Lombard, Elmhurst, Hinsdale and beyond) are under attack. They’re big. They’re black. They’re bumbling. And they’re... continue reading on Chicagoist

Here we go again. Another cute and trendy breakfast/lunch/brunch spot in the Logan Square/Bucktown corridor serving some good, but also some majorly mediocre food. Before we get too down on the newly opened Vella Cafe, however, let’s make one thing clear: the one-room eatery under the Blue Line Station... continue reading on Chicagoist

Treat is a treat for the eyes thanks to a colorful, funky atmosphere. The food, unfortunately, was not such a treat. The Humboldt Park breakfast-lunch-dinner eatery had everything set up to be just right — happy, bright yellow walls lined with black-and-white photos picturing urban people and scenes; a... continue reading on Chicagoist

Just a quick disclaimer before we get started here. If you’re going to Azucar Tapas on a weekend night and or even on some week nights, don’t go if you’re in a rush, and expect to wait, both for a table and food, at least for the next few... continue reading on Chicagoist

Apparently, Simon Cowell is a big supporter of the fight against hunger. Shocking, we know. But it just goes to show that just one day of working alongside volunteers of America’s Second Harvest, as shown on the "American Idol" show a couple weeks ago, can soften even the hardest of... continue reading on Chicagoist

This ain’t your ordinary brown sack lunch. When your Reuben comes with butter-sherry sautéed onions and the sloppy Joe hails from New Mexico with jalapeños and chilies, you know you’re not going to have just an ordinary sandwich at this charming lunch spot in Logan Square. Maybe that’s because the... continue reading on Chicagoist

We hate to admit it, but the décor at this popular Colombian eatery tucked in Albany Park is a little bit on the tacky side. Paper mobiles hanging from the ceiling and mismatched wall art that’s a little outdated give the “no frills” description a new meaning. But that... continue reading on Chicagoist

Your day will brighten at Tre Kronor. Well, at least ours did. Enter the bright, white and yellow exterior with European-style front windows, and you’ll feel like you’re walking into someone’s home. Well you are, sort of. The charming, breakfast-lunch-dinner café nestled on the outskirts of Albany Park appears... continue reading on Chicagoist