Veda Kilaru

Nov 26, 2024 | theinfatuation.com | John Ringor |Veda Kilaru |Nick Allen |Adrian Kane

Most of the food at Christkindlmarket is “good for a pop-up holiday market in the middle of downtown.” But DönerMen is flat-out tasty. The currywurst has an excellent tangy sauce and a hefty dusting of curry powder. And the juicy chicken doner is well-seasoned, complemented by tart tzatziki. Get both over fries—they’re the ideal sponge for all the sauce. Helmut’s flaky strudel pastry is stuffed with lightly spiced apple chunks and studded with raisins.

Nov 18, 2024 | theinfatuation.com | John Ringor |Veda Kilaru |Nick Allen

This Bridgeport spot uses thin slices of tender meat that practically disintegrate in your mouth, leaving behind the pleasant tingling of sichuan peppers in their Chinese-Chicagoan version of a beef. The spice is amped up even more by the chili oil-soaked giardiniera and a side of hot pot broth in place of jus. Sure, it’s not traditional. But like opposable thumbs and Roombas, the hot pot beef at 3 Little Pigs Chi is an evolutionary marvel we didn’t know we needed, and now can’t live without.

Nov 18, 2024 | theinfatuation.com | John Ringor |Nick Allen |Veda Kilaru

2024 brought caviar on fried appetizers, bakeries popping up citywide, and tasting menu spots that fired up Chicago's love of omakase. Not everything new worked—we're looking at you, super-sized restaurants with NYC and London bona fides that left us underwhelmed. Regardless, we were there, eating and paying attention all along. Looking back on our 12 months of restaurant visits, these are the five biggest trends we noticed.

Nov 18, 2024 | theinfatuation.com | Nick Allen |Veda Kilaru |John Ringor

THE MOMENT WE KNEW WE LOVED ITA bite of the hibiscus-and-beet-cured scallop aguachile that simultaneously made us sweat and cry pineapple brothy tears of joy. A PERFECT ORDER FOR IMPRESSING THE HARD-TO-IMPRESSThe scallop aguachile, any of the tacos, an octopus Sonoran dog, a huitlacoche quesadilla, and at least one blue corn macaron. GO IF YOU LIKE... Seafood, bold flavors, chatting with chefs at the counter, Obelix, and Taqueria Chingon. Actually, you should go even if you don’t like those things.

Oct 30, 2024 | theinfatuation.com | Veda Kilaru

You might know Pierrot Gourmet as the unusually laidback French cafe connected to the Peninsula Hotel—home to fancy Chinese food, fancy afternoon tea, and a fancy rooftop with a great view. It’s also a bakery that’s quietly making some of the best baked goods in the city. On weekends, tables are filled with a casual, touristy crowd drinking cappuccinos and eating brunchy things like egg white frittatas and brioche french toast bites.