The year 2024 in food brought us plenty of trends to relish, and one or two to (hopefully) forget. Plant-based cooking has reached a golden age in Chicago, as has the cheffy breakfast sandwich (‘bout time on both, we say). Nor can we collectively get enough of posh remakes of childhood food, from grown-up SpaghettiOs and fancy corn dogs to gourmet soft-serve ice cream. High-end snacking took on greater prominence too, reflected in plumper and often pricier appetizer menus all over town.
Though you’ll no doubt find one or two tasty fads represented among our favorite bites of the year, this list isn’t to document the hottest thing in dining. Instead, we’re reflecting on the countless edible delights that make up our big-shouldered city of neighborhoods — some tastes new, others very tried and true.
From fried crickets at a pair of Mexican restaurants on the North Side to a logic-defying pasta with tomato sauce in Lincoln Square to a soul-warming vegan sloppy joe in South Shore, here are the best bites our intrepid dining team unearthed across Chicago (and beyond) this year.
Brisket Sandwich at Sanders BBQ Supply Co.
$15; 1742 W. 99th St.. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday or until they sell out; closed Monday through Wednesday
The just-opened Sanders attracts a lot of attention with its South Side flair meets Texas BBQ. Meats are slow-cooked over wood-burning fires. Chef James Sanders often works until 1 a.m., minding the flames to ensure his customers get the charred, velvety carnivorous delicacies that are quickly making his restaurant one of the best BBQ spots in the city right now. Despite the line, the attentive staff helps customers navigate the menu, steering them toward peach tea–smoked wings, rib tips and a Sunday-only turkey leg. Pair your main dish with a sweet potato cornbread drizzled in a caramel glaze, a mixed green salad or a smooth and peppery mac and cheese. But for the purposes of this list, the star of the show is the classic brisket sandwich. The tender slivers of meat with their smoky crust make for a delicious slice of Southern cooking. Added fun is alternating between all of the homemade Sanders sauces (mustard, spicy, vinegar and sweet BBQ) and finding a favorite. —Ximena Beltran Quan-Kiu
Chapulines from Kie-Gol-Lanee
$14; 5004 N. Sheridan Road and 2901 W. Diversey Ave. Open 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; closed on Tuesday
I knew it was a risky move ordering the chapulines — fried crickets, for the uninitiated — after 7 p.m. on a Friday at this magnetic regional Mexican restaurant. Kie-Gol-Lanee’s chapulines are fatter than those I snacked on all over Oaxaca. Fried till crisp on the edges, they’re seasoned with lime and a generous dose of fiery dried chili, then tossed with chopped tomato, which supercharges their umami. Each tangy, fiery, salty bite all but begs for another sip of mezcal margarita. And just like that, I’m transported to cobblestoned Oaxaca beneath the fluttering, colorful papel picado. —Maggie Hennessy
Chicken Rice Bowl at Pimento Nyam
$17; 330 E. 51st St. Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, closed Sunday through Tuesday
If you haven’t yet visited Boxville, the bustling marketplace of shipping containers housing Bronzeville entrepreneurs, here’s a reason to hurry over: Pimento Nyam brings a new perspective to an already beloved food category. Chef Prep Tyler says his modern spin on jerk/Caribbean elevates his true mission: a quick service counter “created to provide a nutrient-dense food option in the Bronzeville community.” His signature rice bowl is served up with a choice of grilled protein (I chose chicken, which came well seasoned and smoked all the way through) and served on a bed of red beans, rice, candied sweet potato mash, fried plantains and escovitch cabbage slaw and drizzled with a cilantro aioli and jerk ranch (a combo of a curry-BBQ jerk sauce and ranch dressing). One bite of the salty, savory mix and I was hooked. —Ximena
Gordita de Frijoles con Queso at Carniceria Aguascalientes
$5.50; 3132 W. 26th St. Open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day
Steps away from the arch in Little Village, you’ll find the epicenter of some of the city’s best Mexican food. Your mind might jump to tacos, but the real treat is a fat patty of masa known as a gordita, stuffed with creamy beans and buttery cheese. The dough is so thick, it doesn’t crumble when you bite into the slightly toasted exterior, giving way to a soft, pliable interior. Sliced lengthwise down the middle, the round patty accommodates a gooey mix of cheese and beans. Top it with green tomatillo or red chile salsa and nibble on the tableside escabeche (pickled veggies) while you wait. Pair it with a tart agua fresca de jamaica (hibiscus) to balance the gordita’s richness. —Ximena
Homemade Baked Cavatelli and Stuffed Artichoke at Gio’s
$21.95; 2724 S. Lowe Ave. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday
At 40 years old, this tiny Italian eatery — equal parts restaurant and grocery store — knows what it’s doing. The food comes out piping hot, the pasta is always al dente and the portions are huge. You can’t go wrong with the baked cavatelli, where noodles swim in a savory bed of marinara, ricotta and mozzarella cheese and every bite is the perfect mix of all three. Come for the pasta but stay for the stuffed artichoke. I’ve been on the hunt for that sweet combo of tender artichoke leaves topped with toasted garlic bread crumbs and soaked in lemon juice since I first tried some at a now-shuttered Chicagoland restaurant at age 12; Gio’s is the closest I’ve gotten to that memory. —Ximena
Pappardelle ‘Bice’ at Il Milanese Ristorante
$22; 2201 W. Montrose Ave. Open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday; closed on Monday
In many home kitchens, pasta with tomato sauce and cheese may represent the prosaic stuff of weeknight sustenance. At this charming northern Italian restaurant with reliably outstanding service in Lincoln Square, the dish catapults into culinary alchemy. Pappardelle “Bice” (a nickname for Beatrice in Italian) indeed looks like simple ribbon pasta with creamy tomato sauce. Then, as you twirl and lift that first thick noodle with your fork, the pinkish sauce stretches like a stringy fondue trail on an impaled bread cube. This is thanks to a timely addition of melted mozzarella, which lends milky saltiness to the tangy-sweet tomato-basil sauce. — M.H.
Pho Vegetable at Green Apple PHOever
$14.45; 105 W. Madison St. B1 (Basement). Open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday; closed Sunday
It’s hard to find a healthy, satisfying meal that doesn’t break the bank in the Loop. Green Apple PHOever is the hidden spot that satisfies with both price and taste. Enter on Madison and stroll past the clerk at the desk, then veer left for a hidden staircase that leads you into the basement. There you’ll find Korean staples such as japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), bibimbab (a rice mix of veggies and protein) and bulgogi (thin-sliced marinated beef) served alongside Vietnamese pho (soup) and báhn mi (sandwich). Go for the pho vegetable during the city’s cold winter months to fill up without any bloat. This hefty meal offers heaps of vegetables (broccoli, tofu, mushroom, carrot, bok choy and kale) with a perfect garnish bag full of bean sprouts, cilantro and lime, for under $15. —Ximena
Popcorn Chicken at Taipei Cafe
$11.95; 2609 S. Halsted St. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday
Taiwanese food isn’t easy to find in Chicago, but Taipei Cafe in Chinatown delivers the goods. Located in a mini strip mall below residential units, this restaurant offers an extensive menu of hot pot, bento boxes, rolls and an assortment of appetizers from Taiwan. Don’t waste any time getting your order in; the popcorn chicken is the way to go. Made with a sweet potato flour (ideal for gluten-free diners), the exterior offers a huge crunch that’s flavorful and anchored by tender, juicy chicken. Eat it there fresh and bring a friend (the portions are huge). While you’re at it, order the brown sugar pearl milk tea with sesame crème. Expect a sweet, rich and malty flavor — the sesame crème offers savory notes and gets you as close as you can get to Taiwan without hopping on a flight. —Ximena
Potato Chip Cookie at Give Me Some Sugah
$3 per cookie or $18/lb; 2234 E. 71st St. Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday
Pull up too late to this old-school bakery like I once did and it’s likely that crowd favorites like the sweet potato muffins, pineapple upside-down cake and red velvet cake have already sold out. Luckily, the butter pecan potato chip cookie — my favorite — usually lasts into the afternoon, since it’s one of the cozy bakery’s most popular treats and made in large quantities. This crunchy, coaster-sized treat melts in your mouth with a perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors. —Ximena
Quesadilla Huitlacoche at Rubi’s Tacos
$7; 1316 W. 18th St. Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday; closed Monday through Wednesday
Huitlacoche, a fungus that grows on corn and has become a Mexican delicacy, is still pretty hard to find in Chicago restaurants. Not at Rubi’s, though: It appears on the menu as a taco and a quesadilla. The kernels are smaller than what you might find south of the border, but they share the same earthy, smoky flavor profile. The quesadilla comes with cilantro and onion, but I prefer to ask for it without the two, in order to really savor the taste of the huitlacoche. Another reason to love Rubi’s? You can choose between a yellow or blue maize tortilla. Pair it with another hard-to-find ingredient: the guava (and jamaica!) agua fresca. —Ximena
Salted vanilla soft-serve at Bar Parisette
$12 (serves two); 2829 W. Armitage Ave. Open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. through 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. through 9 p.m. on Sunday; closed on Monday
The salted vanilla soft-serve at Logan Square’s Bar Parisette is confoundingly smooth, tangy and rich — so much so that I found myself in a heated, if silly, debate about its contents with executive chef and partner Madalyn Durrant a few months ago.
“Are you sure you don’t put buttermilk in there?” I cried, to which she calmly repeated, “No, not a drop.” (She should know, right?) In fact, all Durrant’s team adds to a commercial gelato base are milk, cream and milk powder, “then good, high-quality vanilla paste and sea salt,” she said. It’s delicious on its own or swirled with whatever seasonal flavor the team has whipped up that week (currently spiced cocoa). Perhaps my favorite way to eat it is as a sweet, cold dunker for Durrant’s shatteringly crunchy fries (a.k.a. “shake-frites” on the happy hour menu, $7). — M.H.
Shrimp scampi toast at Void
$25; 2937 N. Milwaukee Ave. Open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday
I initially sought out this cheffy new red-sauce joint with a laid-back vibe and exceptionally drippy candles for its Spaghetti Uh-Os in vodka sauce, a deliciously grown-up take on Campbell’s canned pasta rings. But what hooked me for life was the shrimp scampi toast, which injects saucy Italian-American flavors into shrimp toast, the Cantonese dim sum classic. Void co-chef and co-owner Dani Kaplan smears housemade slices of Pullman bread with shrimp mousse and sears them until they resemble garlicky, sea-funky French toast with a satisfying crunch and fine hit of tang from lemony vermouth sauce. I dare you not to suck every delicious drop of flavor from the head-on prawns that garnish this buttery, brilliant dish. — M.H.
Sloppy Joe Sandwich at Majani Soulful Vegan Cuisine
$17.20; 7167 S. Exchange Ave. Open noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday; closed on Monday
This vegan spot proves that plant-based dining is far from bland. Popular dishes include a jerk tofu soul bowl with firm, smoky tofu and dairy-free mac and cheese; crispy oyster mushroom tacos that crunch with every bite; and BBQ cauliflower bites. The standout, however, is the sloppy joe — a nostalgic treat reimagined with ground lentils, soy garlic and BBQ sauce. Served with fried sweet potato chunks that are crunchy outside and creamy inside, it’s a healthier twist on a classic, while not skimping on a rich finish that tastes decadent. Owners Tsadakeeyah and Nasya Emmanuel craft each dish from scratch, using local ingredients and farmers as an homage to their roots in African and rural traditions. A mission statement hanging behind the counter reads, “We believe every community should have access to healthy eating options.” It’s a commitment reflected in every bite. —Ximena
Suadero taco at Cariño’s Taco Omakase
$125 per person for the late-night taco omakase; 4662 N. Broadway. Open 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday (omakase starts at 10 p.m.); closed Monday and Tuesday
Chicago’s only newly minted Michelin star of 2024, Cariño has turned plenty of heads this year with its knockout Latin American tasting menu ($190 for 12 to 14 courses, $210 for 14 to 16 courses at the chef’s counter), in which executive chef and owner Norman Fenton and company transform micheladas into foamy oyster shooters and infuse lush lamb tartare with the flavors of al pastor. I like Cariño best after hours, specifically 10 p.m., when the vibe relaxes to welcome the eight-course taco omakase ($125, plus two drinks). Each masa-focused bite sings, but my favorite takes the simple form of a suadero taco. I’ve only experienced this lean beef cut (from between the belly and leg) in silky, braised form; here, it’s more akin to carnitas, cooking in its own luscious fat till the edges singe and crackle. A bracing glob of salsa verde cuts through the richness. It’s a perfect two-biter, really — up there with the best tacos I’ve ever eaten in Mexico. — M.H.
Swadesi breakfast sandwich at Swadesi Cafe
$12; 328 S. Jefferson St. Open 8 a.m. through 3 p.m. everyday
There’s beautiful precision in each detail of this airy, well-appointed cafe from chefs Sujan Sarkar, of Michelin-starred Indienne, and pastry chef Yash Kishinchand, whose family runs the Indian mini-chain Rooh. Swadesi’s namesake breakfast sandwich is an impeccably ratioed assemblage tinged with Indian flavors. Tender bun halves smeared with spicy garlic mayo house a custardy omelet, melted American cheese square and a crunchy disk of potato tikki laced with fragrant spices. It comes with one little packet of Heinz ketchup, which I like dabbing onto every other bite. — M.H.
Thum Thai and pu (green papaya salad with crab) at Tuk Tuk Thai Isan Street Food
$16; 2852 N. Clark St. Open 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday (BYO)
The Thai menu staple green papaya salad doesn’t often get its due beyond providing a bright, fresh counterpart to warming dishes like fiery green curry and sticky pad thai. But at this colorful slip of a restaurant along a busy stretch of Clark Street, I’d consider it essential ordering. Tuk Tuk hints as much too, offering up an entire section of green papaya salad variations on its menu, which showcases the funky, fiery cooking of Northeast Thailand. You can’t go wrong with any of them, assuming you like heat, citrus and salty, oceanic funk. Toothsome shreds of the fruit are pummeled with Thai chile rings, piquant raw garlic, miniscule dried shrimps, peanuts, crunchy green beans, tomato and lime juice, then heaped into a juicy tangle. The addition of the intensely brackish salted crab (pu) doubles down on the salad’s savory funk. — M.H.
Wagyu Beef and Onion at Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings
$21.99; 2002 S. Wentworth Ave. #103 and Time Out Market in West Loop. Open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day
QXY Dumplings has built a cult following among locals and out-of-towners thanks to a 300-year-old family recipe. A good dumpling offers craftsmanship, fresh ingredients and a juicy (but not soggy!) bite that’s bursting with flavor. QXY delivers on all three fronts, plus the restaurant setting is beautiful to boot. If you’re curious whether it’s enough food to fill, these little pockets carry various hot proteins, vegetables and herbs and provide a hearty meal. Don’t sleep on the wagyu beef and onion option, which delivers a warm and mild buttery flavor perfect during the upcoming cold weeks. Order it steamed, unless you’re new to dumplings. If that’s the case, opt for the pan-fried, which provides a crispy and tender combo that’s universally loved. When in season, the truffle and wagyu dumplings are a wise add to any order. —Ximena