Rosca is a great Pilsen spot for thick, heavily seasoned bagels with Mexican flavors. Since this cafe is located inside a large event space, there’s plenty of room to savor every bite of your Mexican everything that has a nice chile ancho kick, or the punchy mango and pepita with Tajín. And the just-sweet-enough churro bagel pairs perfectly with their café de olla cold brew. Just know that Rosca’s cream cheese is pretty standard—and these flavorful newbies don’t need it.

Crying Tiger is a Southeast Asian spot that's great for a group-thread meetup with excellent pad thai, and it comes from the people behind solid, styled-not-gimmicky River North neighbors like Gus' Sip & Dip and Three Dots & A Dash. Here, the fun theme is nighttime alfresco in the tropics. The curries are rich and complex, like with a crispy duck confit that we have trouble sharing. Start looking for reservations a week or two in advance.

After closing and relocating, this tasting menu restaurant has reopened in Lincoln Square—“very softly,” as our server put it. Though their multi-course menu is still loading, this American spot's new à la carte line-up is less of a whisper and more an exclamatory, “We’re Back.” The upgraded space is bigger, with a front bar area and dining room by the open kitchen. Atelier’s tasting menu and beverage program will return soon (they’re BYOB), but the current bar menu already warrants a visit.

Daeji Dough Company started out as a farmers' market stand, but has found a permanent Lakeview home for their excellent baked goods with Korean flavors. Like a flaky seaweed croissant topped with sweet and spicy tteokbokki, or a focaccia full of shimeji mushrooms and glazed with bulgogi sauce. And if you like your sweet and savory all together, their fantastic pastry pockets with Green Street Smoked Meats brisket and raspberry gochujam is a great balance of meaty and fruity.

Pilsen has a great new low-key spot to get fueled by ramen before a Thalia Hall show. Whether or not your plans involve standing for three bands, the garlic-sweet balance of Takumi Ramen’s namesake tonkotsu is worth the visit. And the pork belly yakitori is the kind that makes you go quiet mid-bite. If you do have a show to get to, Takumi won't make you late—there are buttons on the side of the table to order food and request the check.

Former pop-up, Smash Jibarito, now has a permanent home for their great smashburger-jibarito hybrids. The menu at this Humboldt Park spot only has three burgers, chips, and a pica-puff, and the space is equally compact with just a few counter seats. But it’s perfect for a quick lunch or dinner with one of the city’s most unique burgers. Our favorite is the Estilo Animal with tangy Animal-style sauce, LT (no O), and pickles—all sandwiched between fried sweet plantain discs.

Le Mistral is the closest most people will get to drinking great Aligoté in a secret cave. But even if you’ve got nothing to hide, it’s a candlelit wine bar—just past the kitchen of sister restaurant S.K.Y.—that’s worth knowing about. And like its sibling, Le Mistral in Lincoln Park has an impressive wine list. Except here, every bottle is available by the glass (or half glass if you want to try a bunch without risking a hangover). Don’t neglect the short food menu.

Bocadillo Market’s delicious namesake Spanish sandwiches have made their way to West Town’s Sandwich Row, steps away from Bari, D’amato’s, and Tempesta Market. The bocadillos at this cafe are packed with flavor—like the crispy calamari, fried squash blossom with goat cheese, or smoked lamb with zesty mojo aioli—all sandwiched between crackly yet squishy bread. We like stopping by for a quick lunch, but we’ll be back for one of their weekend-only, multi-course communal dinners.

This eight-seat omakase spot from the Boka team is tucked away in the former Milk Room space in the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, and is ideal for omakase fanatics looking for more variety than a typical nigiri marathon. In fact, nigiri is absent from the $195, 11-course meal. Despite the hefty price tag, a dinner at Midōsuji doesn’t feel stiff, thanks to the friendly chitchat with the chefs about where they like to eat.

Sho’s music-themed mash-up of omakase and kaiseki brings a fresh, laidback take on Japanese fine dining to Old Town. The 10 courses (or “tracks,” as their CD-insert-looking menu calls them) go beyond the expected nigiri or sashimi, with spicy corn croquettes with jalapeño and yuzu that taste like fancy jalapeño poppers, or tonkotsu ramen with Iberico ham. But our favorite part is the DIY handrolls with sweet trout, duck, and sukiyaki-inspired kobe beef.

Coffee nerds have been buzzing about Metric for years, and with Milli, the local roaster expands beyond beans and brewing and makes a strong all-day cafe debut. The high-quality drip coffee and specialty espresso drinks remain, but don't neglect their excellent pastries. There’s a good mix of straightforward chocolate chip cookies and plain croissants, plus interesting creations, like a laminated bun loaded with a creamy tea-infused ganache and sweet fig or a fantastic Cubano-esque ham suisse.

With Little Lark’s perfectly charred and chewy Neapolitan-ish pies, the team behind Union, Lardon, and Meadowlark makes a strong Avondale debut in Chicago’s crowded pizza scene. The straightforward fennel-packed sausage and red onion pie is great, but we like showing up for the more creative options. The sweet corn pizza complemented by creamy scamorza and caramelized onions keeps things summery, especially if it’s eaten on their massive patio with a fire pit.

Creepies is a tasty and whimsical good time—right down to their plates covered in cartoony shifty-eyed faces. This French-ish spot blends bistro charm with Midwestern quirk, perfect for family dinners or funky-wine nights with friends. And as the sister of the excellent West Loop restaurant, Elske, it proves that great shared plates run in the family. Make sure their sweet and savory brie cream puffs make it to the table—no visit to Creepies is complete without them.

Dimmi Dimmi is Chicago’s 748th pizza place to open this year, and it’s also the most charming. This small, busy-but-not-hectic, Lincoln Park spot is perfect for nights out with a bottle of pinot, crunchy mozzarella sticks, and the occasional highchair. It’s the kind of place that’s full of big booths and longtime brownstone owners from up the street. Dimmi Dimmi’s Italian dishes are good, but the tavern-style pizzas are why this spot is more than just a nice addition to the neighborhood.

Trino is a cut above your usual West Loop red-meat-and-potatoes spot—this intimate Latin steakhouse from the Diego chef doesn’t just serve perfectly cooked pieces of beef, it has an arsenal of accompanying dishes that are even better. Trino still has classic steakhouse aesthetics, like low lighting and cozy banquettes that make it perfect for a date. But the dishes and drinks give it more personality than some meat palaces combined.

Cerdito Muerto is a charming tavern-like spot for excellent Mexican cocktails, small plates, and a little Pilsen history. It used to be a family home that survived the Great Chicago Fire, but now it’s a candlelit bar-restaurant that’s perfect for catching up over palomas. The food warrants a visit as much as the drinks, like spicy chicken tinga tacos made with chewy housemade tortillas, and nachos that stack individual chips with duck carnitas, cheese, and a little mint.

When the chef behind Lilac Tiger, The Coach House, and Mirra announced they were opening a cafe in Wicker Park, we had fairly high expectations. But Sarima delivers, with exciting pastries that pack Filipino and Indian flavors and breakfast dishes that make us want to kick-start every morning here.

The American restaurant has returned n Lincoln Park’s luxurious Belden-Stratford building. Like the previous location, S.K.Y.'s industrial-chic design and moody lighting make it a great date night spot when you're ready to step up from "spontaneous casual." Those incredible dumplings are back. Some tasty newcomers also appear on the menu, like juicy tikka masala lamb meatballs, a take on mapo tofu with whipped ricotta as a soybean stand-in, and a tropical pavlova.

Laotian food makes a resounding comeback in Chicago at this small Irving Park spot, the first permanent Laotian restaurant in 15 years. What its wooden space lacks in size, it makes up for with flavors that’ll put any conversation on pause. The nam khao is a maximalist spicy, tangy, and herbaceous ground pork salad with plenty of crispy rice and crunchy peanuts that’s fan service for all texture obsessives. And the khao piek sen is a top-tier chicken noodle soup.

Wrigleyville’s most impressive new line-up isn’t on the Cubs, but at this Indonesian spot with a few tables and a small counter. Juicy coconut buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches have a podcast-worthy crunch. Duck Inn chicken hot dogs painted with sambal aioli and zippy acar acar relish could make a beef frank loyalist question their fidelity. And the namesake rendang plates with shrimp chips, spicy sambal, and collard greens are an excellent mix of bold and rich flavors.

Nadu crams over ten distinct regions in India into one room with two giant glass chandeliers. This Lincoln Park spot focuses on dishes from specific areas, like crab milagu fry from Kerala or goat curry from Odisha. And it's from the team behind tasting menu spot Indienne, but it's more casual while still being nice enough to celebrate a birthday. Make sure your party includes the crab stir-fry.

YooYee’s Sichuan-style dishes are an exciting, fiery addition to Uptown. Anything with tingly peppercorns is a hit, whether it’s a refreshing smashed cucumber salad, sweet and nutty dandan noodles, or a bubbling green broth with fish filet that flakes apart at the sight of a chopstick. Some sweating may occur, but the bright space has enough calming piano renditions of Miyazaki movie scores to make it feel more like a relaxing sauna experience.

On our original visit to this tiny Filipino-Hawaiian spot in Ravenswood, we were greeted with heartbreaking news that their viral musubis with longanisa and tamarind shrimp were sold out. This isn't a surprise, considering this place has consistently been busy since opening. But we were able to get the very tasty tomato jam and egg musubi and found redemption in a tub of their banana pudding—a single purple spoonful dissolved any musubi FOMO.

This Japanese handroll spot lives in the basement of Perilla Fare, complete with a glowing bar surrounded by mirrors and an electronic playlist that could fuel a Zara shopping spree. Though they’re booked out for weeks, it’s worth calling to try and grab a last-minute reservation for their nori-wrapped fatty tuna, baked scallop, or wagyu topped with uni that’s a fantastic surf and turf butter bomb. Noriko only has 20 seats, but they're perfect for a date night with a side of toro.

The West Town corner of Grand and May has seen plenty of turnover, but Mister Tiger is bringing fresh energy to the block. All the recipes originate from home—specifically the owners’ childhood homes. And after trying the galbijjim with juicy short rib, crispy chive pancakes, or umami-packed kimchi jjigae, we wish we could transport it all back in time so that our own younger selves could’ve grown up with this food, too.

Pizz’amici’s pizza is what every young tavern-style pie aspires to be. It's charred and razor-thin, with a tangy sauce and salty cheese that drapes over the edges like someone coloring past the lines. This isn’t imperfection, it’s pizza worth planning your week around. And planning is necessary. Friends and families escorting pizza-rabid children are all vying for reservations or walk-in spots in the West Town restaurant's small, checker-floored dining room. Be one of them.