Al Bawadi Grill — Middle Eastern
Must-have dish: Makdous, aka oil-cured baby eggplants stuffed with crushed walnuts, red pepper, and garlic. 10 AM-11 PM. 7216 W. 87th, Bridgeview, 708-599-1999, albawadigrill.com, estimated cost per person $25
Andies Restaurant— Mediterranean
Must-have dish: Grand buffet, which includes traditional holiday dishes and desserts. 11 AM-8 PM. 5253 N. Clark, 773-784-8616, andieschicago.com, buffet $27.95 per person, a la carte menu also available
Ba Le Sandwich Shop — Vietnamese
Must-have dish: House-special banh mi with paté, ham, headcheese, and pork roll. 7:30 AM-6 PM (may close earlier if it’s slow). 5014 N. Broadway, 773-561-4424, balesandwich.com, estimated cost per person $10 or less
Chengdu Impression — Chinese
Must-have dishes: Cumin lamb, smoked tea duck. 4-10 PM. 2545 N. Halsted, 773-477-6256, chengduimpression.com, estimated cost per person $25-$30
City Mouse — American
Must-have dishes: Pork cheek, steak frites. 7 AM-10 PM. 311 N. Morgan, 312-764-1968, citymousechicago.com, estimated cost per person $60
Daley’s Restaurant — American, Soul food
Must-have dishes: Liver and onions or a classic breakfast. 7 AM-3 PM. 6257 S. Cottage Grove, 773-643-6670, daleysrestaurant.com, estimated cost per person $15
Diner Grill — American
Must-have dishes: Gypsy, Mexican, or hobo skillets with hash browns and toast. Open 24 hours. 1635 W. Irving Park, 773-248-2030, orderdinergrill.com, estimated cost per person $15
Dolo — Chinese
Must-have dish: Lobster. 9 AM-midnight. 2222 S. Archer, 312-877-5117, dolorestaurant.com, estimated cost per person $24
Eleven City Diner— Old-school diner and delicatessen
Must-have dishes: Latke plate, milk shakes. 9 AM-3 PM. 1112 S. Wabash, 312-212-1112, elevencitydiner.com, estimated cost per person $30
Evergreen Restaurant— Chinese
Must-have dish: Oysters with black bean sauce. 11 AM-10:30 PM. 2411 S. Wentworth, 312-225-8898, orderevergreenrestaurant.com,
estimated cost per person $24
Grand Palace — Chinese
Must-have dish: Five Taste Duck. 11 AM-9 PM. 225 W. 26th, 312-225-3888, estimated cost per person $22
Lawry’s the Prime Rib— Steak house
Must-have dishes: Prime rib carved tableside, Yorkshire pudding. Call to confirm Christmas Day hours. 100 E. Ontario, 312-787-5000, lawrysonline.com/lawrys-the-prime-rib-chicago, estimated cost per person $50
Longman & Eagle— Special Chinese Christmas dinner
Must-have dishes: Family-style preorder meals. 5 PM to 10 PM (or until the food runs out). 2657 N. Kedzie, 773-276-7110, longmanandeagle.com, estimated cost per person $15 and up
Pearl’s Place Restaurant — Southern comfort food
Must-have dish: Smothered pork chops and biscuits. 8 AM-4 PM (by reservation only). 3901 S. Michigan, 877) 275-5852, pearlsplacerestaurant.com, estimated cost per person $25
Sabri Nihari — Pakistani
Must-have dishes: Palak paneer (vegetarian), sabri nihari (carnivorous). 12 PM-11 PM. 2502 W. Devon, 773-465-3272, sabrinihari.com, estimated cost per person $30
Sun Wah BBQ — Chinese
Must-have dish: Peking duck. Call to confirm Christmas Day hours. 5041 N. Broadway, 773-769-1254, sunwahbbq.com, estimated cost per person $8 and up
Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine— Ethiopian
Must-have dish: Key sir alicha (red beets). 9:30 AM-10 PM. 1023 W. Wilson, 312-698-4481, tesfacuisine.com, estimated cost per person $15
The Hopleaf— Bar specializing in Belgian beers
Must-haves: In the winter, the bar’s tap list often includes two inimitable Belgian classics, St. Bernardus Abt 12 and Brasserie Lefebvre Barbãr. 6 PM-2 AM, kitchen closed. 5148 N. Clark, 773-334-9851, hopleafbar.com, estimated cost per person $12
Uru Swati — Indian
Must-have dish: Ras puri with undhiyu, which is yams, potatoes, and mixed vegetables served with mango pulp and puffy fry bread. 11:30 AM-9:30 PM (may close earlier if it’s slow). 2629 W. Devon, 773-262-5280, uruswatichicago.com, estimated cost per person $20
Weber Grill Restaurant — American, BBQ, steak house
Must-have dish: Tomahawk rib eye for two. 11 AM-9 PM. 539 N. State, 312-467-9696, webergrillrestaurant.com, estimated cost per person $50
Yassa African Restaurant— Sengalese, Pan-African
Must-have dish: Yassa lamb. 11 AM-10 PM. 3511 S. King Drive, 773-488-5599, yassarestaurant.com, estimated cost per person $20 v