@chitribfood
Explore variety of Indian vegetarian recipes from authentic South Indian recipes to North Indian dishes, global cuisine and eggless baking. Enjoy healthy, restaurant style recipes with easy step-by-step pictures, videos to make cooking fun and effortless.
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It’s been more than two years since we’ve held the Critic’s Choice Food Awards. A lot has changed since then. As your food critic, Louisa Kung Liu Chu chose this year’s Critic’s Choice recipients from businesses that opened after our last awards in March 2023 until the end of 2024 — with a couple of outstanding exceptions. Delicious food and drink is a given. But they’re not simply one critic's choice. You should recognize that they represent our taste at this moment in time and beyond. Each person and place has built a wondrous world that exceeded expectations. Tap on our bio link to read more about this year’s winners. —— Photo 1: Critic's Choice winners are, clockwise from top left, the lobster salad at John’s Food & Wine, chef-owners Oliver Poilevey, Marcos Ascensio and Antonio Incandela of Mariscos San Pedro, chef/owner Maya-Camille Broussard of Justice of the Pies, the ample offerings at Sanders BBQ Supply Co. and executive pastry chef and partner Leigh Omilinsky of Daisies. Photo 2: Best Barbecue Restaurant: Sanders BBQ Supply Co. (@sandersbbqsupplyco) Photo 3: Best Weekly Tavern-Style Pizzeria: Bungalow by Middle Brow (@middle__brow) Photo 4: Best Taco Program: Mariscos San Pedro (@mariscossanpedro) Photo 5: Best Pastry Chef: Leigh Omilinsky of Daisies (@leighomilinsky) Photo 6: Best Bakery: Justice of the Pies (@justiceofthepies) Photo 7: Best Chefs: Adam McFarland and Tom Rogers of John’s Food & Wine (@johnsfoodandwine) Photo 8: Best New Restaurant: Maxwells Trading (@maxwellstrading) Photo 9: Outstanding Chicago Classic: Calumet Fisheries (@calumetfisheries) Photo 10: Outstanding Community Food Initiative: Kitchen Possible (@kitchenpossiblechi)
The rising profile of women in the wine business has done much to reshape an industry long considered a boys club. While statistics on women in the American wine industry are scarce, in recent generations women have flourished as winemakers and sommeliers, top executives and critics, educators and more. According to UC Davis, a top incubator for American wine professionals, since the 1990s, roughly half of the graduates of the school’s viticulture and oenology program have been women. In the past decade, the number of women undergraduates enrolled in the program has consistently, albeit slightly, surpassed that of men. The Tribune spoke with four prominent women in Chicago about some of the challenges they’ve faced and how they’ve navigated their careers in wine. Tap on our bio link to read more. ----- Photo 1: Alpana Singh, a former master sommelier, is seen at her restaurant Alpana in Chicago on March 14, 2025. Photo 2: Regine Rousseau, a veteran wine educator and sommelier, tries a sample of a 2024 Gassier Côtes de Provence Rosé before appearing on WGN-TV Daytime Chicago for a segment titled “The Rise of Women In Wine” on March 13, 2025. Photo 3: Maverick Beverage Company portfolio manager Rachel Driver Speckan stands for a portrait before hosting a wine dinner at El Che Steakhouse and Bar in Chicago on March 12, 2025. Photo 4: Master sommelier and adjunct professor Jill Zimorski, left, shows Marvin Gibson, 21, right, and Carter Wideman, 22, center, how to open a bottle of brut rosé sparkling wine while teaching a course on wine and beverage management at DePaul University in the Loop on March 11, 2025. ? Anna Lee Iijima / Chicago Tribune ?️ Chris Sweda, Audrey Richardson and Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune / @mandophotos
You never really know what to expect at a chai cafe open until 4 a.m. on a busier-than-usual street in Lombard during Ramadan when Muslims in need of both caffeine and something to munch on are hopping from place to place, almost on stolen time in between Isha and Fajr prayers. Nimra Irfan opened Cafe Bethak (@cafe.bethak) with her husband Ibad Ali just over a month ago and extended the cafe’s hours to 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays during the month of Ramadan for the early morning meal known as suhoor, or as it’s referred to in Urdu, sehri. She said the crowds are expected on weekends, but sometimes it’s families with children and older adults and other times, it’s largely young men in prayer thobes prolonging their evening before suhoor. During the few hours Tribune reporter Zareen Syed spent at the Pakistani chai cafe on a recent Saturday night, she watched these scenes unfold and heard conversations she thought were lost to social media scrolling. “Sehri scenes at Cafe Bethak,” Irfan likes to call it. Tap on our bio link to read more. —— Photo 1: Hassan Javed pours chai for his friends, including Hasan Mohiuddin, left, in the early morning hours at Cafe Bethak in Lombard. Photo 2: Ayden Malik, 3, laughs with his father, Usman Malik, right. Photo 3: A group hangs out in the early morning hours at Cafe Bethak. Photo 4: A customer digs into a plate of chana chaat. Photo 5: People hang out among friends and family. Photo 6: A small group plays the card game UNO. Photo 7: A large group converses outside of Cafe Bethak in Lombard. Photo 8: License plates representing different regions of Pakistan adorn a wall. Photo 9: Danish Mohiuddin, from left, his brother Daniyal Mohiuddin, Maaz Kasiri and Saad Siraj play Jenga. Photo 10: A neon sign is seen lit up in the early morning hours at Cafe Bethak in Lombard on March 16, 2025. ? Zareen Syed / Chicago Tribune ?️ Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune
Jerry García, co-founder of the band Grateful Dead and certified cultural icon, dreamt of one day owning a place where he and other musicians and guests could hang out when not on the road. His vision was an oasis of easy vibes with plenty of opportunities to jam. Although Casa García never materialized in the musician’s lifetime, something very much like it is scheduled to open on March 21 at 1001 W. Washington Blvd. in the West Loop, in the building formerly occupied by the restaurant Wishbone. García’s Chicago will be a 300-capacity concert venue and restaurant inspired by the legendary musician in its dining, décor, and musical entertainment. It’s a collaboration between the Jerry García family and Dayglo Presents, the live concert and media company headed by independent music veteran Peter Shapiro. Tap on our bio link to read more. —— Photo 1: Workers continue preparations for the opening of García’s Chicago (@garcias_chicago) a 350-capacity concert venue and restaurant celebrating Jerry García and the Grateful Dead, in the West Loop on March 4, 2025. Photo 2: Violet Oliphant, of Brooklyn, paints a mural at García’s Chicago. Photo 3: The bar area at García’s Chicago. ? Robert M. Marovich / for the Chicago Tribune ? Eileen T. Meslar / Chicago Tribune / @emeslar
Three chefs from Chicago will compete in Season 22 of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” one of TV’s most well-regarded reality cooking competition shows. Viewers can root for Zubair Mohajir (founder and executive chef of Lilac Tiger, Coach House and Mirra), César Murillo (executive chef at North Pond) and Bailey Sullivan (executive chef at Monteverde) when the season premieres March 13. Tap on our bio link to read more. —— Photo: Local Chicago chefs Zubair Mohajir of Lilac Tiger, Coach House and Mirra, left, and Bailey Sullivan of Monteverde are photographed during the filming for “Top Chef.” ? Ahmed Ali Akbar / Chicago Tribune ? David Moir / Bravo
India Jenkins makes a signature sandwich at The Corned Beef Hideout packed with meat, heat and history. The chef, owner and solo operator of the sandwich shop calls her creation That Jerk. The hot spice mix infuses not only the meat, but a house-made jerk sauce too. Louisa Kung Liu Chu’s memory still burns from that first taste, despite dozens of sandwiches over the years on the corned beef beat. Its intensity will surprise you, given the dramatic draping of layers made with the care of a couturier. Bold yet elegant, it is a statement piece in sandwich form. When you go in search of that sandwich, prepare for a bit of a quest, which will take you about 35 miles southwest of Chicago to the village of Romeoville, through the winding roads of a residential complex, to a community center, and finally a stand hidden within, where you’ll find the shop. Tap on our bio link for 29 more of the best corned beef sandwiches around Chicago. —— Photo 1: That Jerk, a sliced jerk-infused corned beef sandwich on rye bread, at The Corned Beef Hideout (@thecornedbeefhideout) in Romeoville on March 7, 2025. Photo 2: The Classic One corned beef on rye sandwich with mustard. Photo 3: Two Faced Reuben, a corned beef and pastrami sandwich on rye bread. ? Louisa Kung Liu Chu / Chicago Tribune ? Audrey Richardson / Chicago Tribune
Like in years past, the 13th edition of our Readers’ Choice Food Awards was full of delightful surprises. Hundreds of readers nominated their favorite coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants and more. We loved poring over the submissions and reading the excited comments supporting your favorite places. We selected five finalists in each of the 10 categories to move onto the final round, which saw thousands readers cast more their votes. Tap on our bio link to read of our 10 winning restaurants, bars and more. —— Photo 1: Co-owner Audrey Borden delivers a coffee flight for customers at Coffee Shop of the Year October Cafe in Chicago on Feb. 22, 2025. Photo 2: Coffee Shop of the Year: October Cafe (@octobercafechicago) Photo 3: Bakery of the Year: Toni Patisserie & Café (@tonipatisseriecafe) Photo 4: Pop-up Series of the Year: Tripping Billy (@therealbillyz) Photo 5: Family-run Restaurant of the Year: The Italian Village (@thevillage_chi) Photo 6: Family-friendly Restaurant of the Year: Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba (@cafebabareeba) Photo 7: Neighborhood Bar of the Year: Rock Island Public House (@rockislandpublichouse) Photo 8: Late-night Spot of the Year: The Owl (@theowlchicago) Photo 9: Inspiring Story of the Year: Beach Avenue BBQ owner facing cancer (@beachavebbq) Photo 10: Suburban Restaurant of the Year: Indus (@eatindushp) Photo 11: New Restaurant of the Year: Petite Vie (@petiteviebrasserie)
The James Beard Foundation on Wednesday named the recipients of its America’s Classics Awards, meant to recognize “locally and independently owned restaurants with timeless appeal.” Among the six honorees from across the country is the oldest Black-owned barbecue restaurant in Chicago, Lem’s Bar-B-Q. The South Side family-owned staple opened in 1954 when brothers Bruce and Myles Lemons opened shop on 59th and State streets. In 1968, they added the now-iconic location in the Chatham neighborhood, which was run by their younger brother, James Lemons. His daughter, Carmen Lemons, is now the owner of Lem’s Bar-B-Q and has continued the tradition with help from longtime friends and her nephews. “Lem’s Bar-B-Q is truly honored and grateful,” Carmen said, celebrating the restaurant’s win in the Great Lakes category for the America’s Classics award. For the award, the James Beard Foundation looks for restaurants that are beloved in their region for “food that reflects the character and cultural traditions of its community.” Lem’s Bar-B-Q is the fifth Chicago restaurant to win the award. Previous winners were Sun Wah in 2018, Calumet Fisheries in 2010, Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap in 2008 and The Berghoff in 1999. Tap on our bio link to read more. —— Photo 1: Lem’s Bar-B-Q, in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood. Photo 2: Rib tips at Lem’s Bar-B-Q. Photo 3: The aquarium smoker at Lem’s Bar-B-Q. ? Zareen Syed / Chicago Tribune ?️ E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune
The sweet, stuffed pastries known as paczki were once cooked as a way to get rid of any extra eggs, sugar and lard ahead of Lent. They’ve become a decadent tradition throughout Polish communities, and you should go out of your way to seek some out. These local bakeries are celebrating Fat Thursday and Fat Tuesday by serving up a mix of classic and novel spins on the treat. At the city’s most popular and longest-running bakeries, preorders often sell out and walk-ins can involve waiting in lines that snake around the block. It’s best to pick your paczki well in advance from this list of 20 spots. Tap on our bio link to read more. —— Photo 1: Employees keep busy as customers flock to Weber’s Bakery on Archer Avenue in Chicago, to pick up their boxes of Paczki for Fat Tuesday on Feb. 13, 2024. Photo 2: Paczki at Daisies. Photo 3: Paczki from Firecakes. Photo 4: Stan’s Donuts chocolate pastry cream paczki. ? Samantha Nelson / for the Chicago Tribune ? Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune / @apereztribune ? MADN Agency, Philip Dembinski and Hannah Hornacek
In a room full of Pakistanis, “I love nihari” is as obvious a statement as “I like pizza” is to some people. So last March, when “Deli Boys” actor Saagar Shaikh announced during dinner at Ali’s Nihari & BBQ that it was his “absolute favorite dish,” he wasn’t trying to sell creator and Executive Producer Abdullah Saeed, co-star Asif Ali or myself on nihari. We knew, writes Tribune food reporter Ahmed Ali Akbar. And the rest of the cast of “Deli Boys” knew, because Shaikh kept bringing them to eat it at table 13 at Ali’s Nihari, up front by the glass overlooking the hustle and bustle of Devon Avenue. Nihari is nihari and it is worthy of obsession. Shaikh was explaining the lunacy that kept him coming back to this particular restaurant, to eat this particular nihari, sometimes traveling an hour from a long day of work on set. Tap on our bio link to read more. —— Photo 1: Saagar Shaikh (left) chats with Deli Boys Abdullah Saeed (center) and co-star Asif Ali (right) during a dinner at Ali’s Nihari & BBQ in the West Ridge neighborhood March, 31, 2024. Photo 2: Saagar Shaikh, left, eats dinner with “Deli Boys” creator and Executive Producer Abdullah Saeed as he scoops vegetables onto his plate during a dinner at Ali’s Nihari & BBQ in the West Ridge neighborhood on March 31, 2024. ? Ahmed Ali Akbar / Chicago Tribune ? Talia Sprague / for the Chicago Tribune
A Mexican restaurant founded 50 years ago specializing in “little meats” finally has a big new flagship. Carnitas Uruapan opened its largest location in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago on Jan. 27. “We are a very traditional carnitas-focused taqueria,” said second-generation owner Marcos Carbajal, a James Beard Awards semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur this year. “My dad started our original restaurant in 1975.” Tap on our bio link to read more. —— Photo 1: The main dining room at the restaurant Las Carnitas Uruapan on Feb. 18, 2025. Photo 2: The Carnitas Especial meal. Photo 3: Inocencio Carbajal, left, founder of Las Carnitas Uruapan, and his son Marcos Carbajal, who runs the business now, at their new flagship location in Little Village neighborhood on Feb. 18, 2025. Photo 4: The Las Carnitas Uruapan at 3801 W. 26th St. on Feb. 18, 2025. The owners replaced the existing vertical sign to pay tribute to “La Villita,” the Little Village neighborhood. ? Louisa Kung Liu Chu / Chicago Tribune ? Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune
Petite Vie, the newest restaurant by award-winning chef Paul Virant, who’s made Western Springs a culinary destination for 21 years, dares to offer market priced potatoes on a simple yet inventive menu that explores France by way of the Midwest. Virant, also the chef and owner of Gaijin okonomiyaki shop in the West Loop and Vistro Prime steakhouse in suburban Hinsdale, describes his latest establishment as a brasserie. “It’s a gathering place that’s got good energy, and food that’s well prepared,” he said. “Not super complicated, a lot of which is based on traditional French food.” Tap on our bio link to read more. —— Photo 1: Pithivier at Petite Vie (@petiteviebrasserie). Photo 2: Beef bourguignon. Photo 3: Petite Vie at 909 Burlington Ave in Western Springs. Photo 4: Quiche at Petite Vie. Photo 5: Nougat Glacé. ? Louisa Kung Liu Chu / Chicago Tribune ? E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune / @ejwamb
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