From Le Perroquet to STREET
Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival premiers an intimate documentary of a former Chicago chef’s rise.
Monday Night Foodball
Dive Bistro creates a Waffle House à la campagne at the next Monday Night Foodball
Check out the veteran chefs’ sauce-soaked, soigné menu for the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Ludlow Liquors
At La Maison de la Gaufre in the tiny French village of Pourriture, they serve boudin noir Big Macs with pork blood Special Sauce until the sun comes up. It was a life-changing, late-night hangover helper at this mythical oasis that inspired chefs Kevin Ealey, Joy Kirkland, and John Dahlstrom to unite under the banner of Dive Bistro to serve…
Mike Sula
Local food books you might have missed—and some you shouldn’t
Seven newish and soon-to-be-new takes on coffee, midwestern food supremacy, Lula Cafe, and more
Publican Quality Meats butcher Rob Levitt returns to the kitchen—but don’t call it a comeback
Even after closing the legendary Mado, his cooking never stopped evolving.
We all know Chicago is a food town! But senior writer Mike Sula, with decades of Reader eats under his fingertips, brings depth whether writing about Chicago faves or hidden gastro gems. Every Friday he delivers exclusive highlights and reviews of some of Chicago’s best restaurants and chefs. This free weekly newsletter comes hot off the grill with coveted Chicago food coverage you won’t want to miss.
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The Melanin Martha celebrates the sweets of the south at the next Monday Night Foodball
Jordan Wimby gives love to the Black bake sale at the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Ludlow Liquors.
Behold, a brand-new pumpkin spice-flavored Monday Night Foodball schedule
It’s decorative gourd season for the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Ludlow Liquors.
Diaspora weaves together the threads of the Black culinary experience at the next Monday Night Foodball
Check out former Vie cook Rob Carter’s menu for the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Ludlow Liquors.
It’s breakfast for dinner with Vargo Brother Ferments at the next Monday Night Foodball
Taylor Hanna and Sebastian Vargo serve up the most important meal of the day—hell, the year—at the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Ludlow Liquors.
Immortal Milk summons a bizarro seaside fry shack at the next Monday Night Foodball
Alisha Norris Jones and Nick Jirasek share their psychedelic summer fever dream on the second anniversary of the Reader’’s weekly chef pop-up.
It’s Dhuaan BBQ’s greatest hits at the next Monday Night Foodball
The desi pitmaster returns to the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Ludlow Liquors.
Punks love waffles
Deglazed is an online cooking show that invites local musicians to flex their food skills.
Schneider Deli returns to the next Monday Night Foodball—just because it can
Check out Jake Schneider’s sandwich troika for the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Ludlow Liquors.
Bow before the Hot Dog Box at the next Monday Night Foodball
Father-daughter sausage royalty returns to the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Ludlow Liquors.
Maman Zari has the only fine-dining Persian tasting menu in the country
Check out what a former flight attendant and an Italian chef have in mind for the future of this ancient cuisine.
It’s West African street food with Dozzy’s Grill at the next Monday Night Foodball
Preview his forthcoming Bronzeville brick-and-mortar at the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Ludlow Liquors.
More: Previous posts in Food & Drink »
Restaurant Reviews
Dawn Lewis of D’s Roti & Trini Cuisine has a sweet hand
A self-taught home cook opens the city’s second Trinidadian restaurant.
A Viagra Triangle dive rises under chef Amanda Barnes
After nearly a half century, Pippin’s Tavern embraces crafty, chef-driven, farm-centric food.
Agenda: Things to do
Hecho En Arts & Craft Fair, Mothers of Murdered Transpeople annual picnic, and more
The To-Do: a curated list of things to do and events to check out in Chicago
Something magic’s growing at Back of the Yards Algae Sciences
An unlikely team of bioprospectors is experimenting with the green stuff, psychedelic mushrooms, and toxic toads.
The Food Issue 2022
The tastes of home
Reader staffers recount some of their most memorable food experiences from Chicago summers past.
If you teach a girl to pickle
She might also learn to process love, grief, and hope through food.
Sugar and snacks and everything nice
What would you do with 22.4 pounds of treats?
Drink less, party more
Local spirit-free drinks brands and community platforms are creating a booming sober curious movement in Chicago.
The Pride Issue 2022
Where the bars are
Has LGBTQ+ acceptance resulted in losing valuable community spaces?
Where the bars (actually) are
Some Chicago LGBTQ+ friendly bars to check out during Pride Month and beyond
Neo: where misfits fit in
The Lincoln Park club closed in 2015, after providing a sanctuary for generations of night crawlers—but its subcultural legacy continues to reverberate.
The Drinks Issue 2021
Drinking and surviving it
On sharing a genetic predisposition to alcoholism
Drinks with drama, cocktails for comedy
A Theater Wit bartender on creating show-themed beverages
The flood that birthed Love Cork Screw wines
Négociant Chrishon Lampley turned a business loss into a trailblazing brand.
Overgrown Orchard makes the best wine in Gary, Indiana
Their wild-fermented dry apple cider is fruity, funky, and very food-friendly.
Social and sober
Eli Tea Bar provides a place to gather without the booze.