As the weather changes, we’re all looking to transition from barbecues in parks and patio hangouts to more indoor dining options. And what’s better than trying something new? Luckily the food scene in Chicago is always moving forward, so we’ve compiled eight great new restaurants in both Downtown CHI and the suburbs to check out this winter.
Taco Boom Chicago
Have you ever had birria-style stewed beef? It’s Taco Boom’s specialty. They have both ‘quesabirria’ which is beef and melted cheese, and also a wild ‘birria ‘pizzadilla.’ Both are as good as they sound. Catch them either at their food truck on 47th and Keating or their actual restaurant in Lincoln Square.
Listening Room At The Exchange
Yes, the name sounds weird. It’s not a lecture hall, but a food spot influenced by Japan’s culture of high-quality bars built around high-quality sound systems. In this case, it means you can hear really cool music from a nice sound system while eating really good mac and cheese. If you’re particular about music, check out online to see what tunes are on tap the night you plan to come by.
A lot of us learned about sourdough bread over the last year or so, and it seems to be the secret ingredient in George’s Deep Dish pizzas! They use a 24-hour cold-fermented sourdough as a base for their pies, and the other ingredients are just as top-notch. We gotta’ support more good deep dish in the area, and George’s definitely makes the cut.
Wrigleyville isn’t just all bars for young guys and baseball fans; there’s a few great eateries tucked in among all the places blaring ‘SportsCenter.’ One of these is Diver At The Park, a spot tucked into the Wheelhouse Hotel. DATP’s ‘thing’ is that it’s Tulum-inspired. Think margs and decent fish tacos.
This is another member of the Weird Name Club; It’s not a culinary school, but maybe the best place to get good barbecue in Chicago. Also not 100% ‘new,’ but if you had this ‘cue pre-COVID, it meant you found one of the proprietors smoking or slinging meats somewhere random on weekends. Now, they finally have a proper restaurant; out in Palatine. Make the trek if you like Southern-style ‘cue. 773 N. Quentin Rd., and on Insta as (what else!) @chibbqking.
We’ll say it right out in front; Esme is a fancy place for people who feel like being fancy. Or, it’s for foodies who don’t mind dropping more than a couple of bucks on some food. But everyone likes to dress up and get adventurous sometimes, so we’ll recommend it here. Just bring an adventurous palate and your wallet, and maybe also plan to hit up a hot dog or pizza spot on the way home if you need large portions.
Are you a meat-and-cheese plate person? Do you like appetizers more than the main course sometimes? This is a lot of what Lardon is about, though the owners might word it differently than we do here. It’s a classic European-style cafe/bistro, so they have coffee in the AM, sandwiches during the day, and some dinner entrees at nights and weekends. And they do it all well.
Okay, so this isn’t really 100% a restaurant, but it’s so cool we had to include it. Also, they sell pierogies, so it’s technically a place that sells food! But let’s be real; this is a new place in Roger’s Park that has a ton of classic arcade games and a bar. All we needed to hear. Enjoy.
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