1. BAGELING NEWS
I’ve had this week’s image for a few weeks, but this seems just the week for it. We’re getting all these new bagel joints and I have not tried that many of them, but I’ve been distinctly unwhelmed by most of them. The only bagel not named New York Bagel and Bialy that I’ve thought was very good was the one I tried recently at Bagel Miller, the former Baker Miller. It had a nice chewy texture that recalled ones I’ve liked in New York and Montreal, a rare one that wasn’t once-is-enough for me.
Anyway, I bring this up because Louisa Chu has a review in the Trib of Rosca, a Mexican bagel joint in Pilsen that sounds like it has more to offer than weirdass flavors that don’t really belong on a bagel (I don’t ever ever need cacio e pepe in a bagel, thank you very much):
“We don’t want to just be known as a bagel shop,” said chef and owner Felix Zepeda. The business’s other half, he said, is his general manager and girlfriend, Ariana Cabral. “We want to be known for a full immersive cafe vibe.”
Rosca celebrated its grand opening in Pilsen on Nov. 5.
His Mexican everything bagel has become the savory bestseller.
“Instead of things like Mediterranean oregano, we use Mexican oregano,” Zepeda said. “Instead of red chile flakes, we use ancho chile flakes, and we also throw in little things like dehydrated lime zest and some cumin seed, so it’s a lot of bold flavors that really scream Mexico.”
Not going to say I’m totally sold, but I’m Mexican bagel-curious. Oh, and speaking of bagels being everywhere—that’s item #1 on John Kessler’s list of 2025 food trends, and like me he’s a little weary of having to make bagel appointments.
2. OMAKASE BOSS
Omakase Box, from the former co-owner of Jinsei Motto, Andrew Choi, hits the spot and the price point for John Kessler:
Choi now brings this approach to Omakase Box, which he opened in late July in Logan Square with sushi chef Timmy Chen and house manager Jane Yim, both of whom he met while working at Sushi Dokku in the West Loop. The three began with an idea that almost seemed a dare: Could they craft a quality omakase experience for less than $100? They priced a 15-course menu at $98 and opened the restaurant to a receptive audience.
Since then the 10-seat chef’s counter has become one of the toughest reservations in town. Nowhere else can you sample so many types of wild and responsibly farm-raised Pacific fish, each presented with a thoughtful garnish atop warm seasoned rice. A few small plates, both hot and cold, give the meal some structure, and a few luxuries give it pizzazz. Boss-level omakase unlocked.
3. WHEN YOU’RE ALONE AND LIFE IS MAKING YOU HUNGRY
Titus Ruscitti goes… Downtown! It seems funny to have him trying out the least exotic neighborhoods in town, including a visit to the inevitable Oasis Cafe in the back of the Jeweler’s Mart, which he seems a little baffled by (check out my explanation of why it’s beloved by some of us, without being anything objectively special). Anyway, among other things he finds a jianbing place in Block 37:
Jian serves a bunch of different varieties which can include bacon, ham, spam or even fried chicken but I’m a fan of the original version which doesn’t include any meat but is known for its contrasting texture of a soft and eggy exterior with a crispy and savory interior. Jian has been packed both times I’ve gone which was in the morning so be prepared for a short wait as these are made to order.
4. SEEPING OUT
What’s going on in the group that had Sepia and Proxi? Owner Emanuel Nony announced his retirement, and since then the announcements have been that Proxi was closing and now that chef Andrew Zimmerman has left Sepia. Just in time for The Infatuation’s review:
As the limits of “fancy” shift, the question becomes, can a relatively straightforward New American restaurant that opened in 2007 keep up?
When it comes to Sepia in the West Loop, we say it doesn’t have to. The aughts-born restaurant is a little like the first bite of their tasting menu, a cheese-stuffed corn doughnut with a tiny prosciutto blanket: crowd-pleasing with just a hint of kookiness. The usual “caviar-topped this” and “truffle-topped that” show up plenty on the menu, but so do a handful of more playful dishes like carpaccio tartlets that taste like cheeseburgers or a souped-up Wendy’s frosty.
I’ve always liked Sepia, but don’t remember it being that playful. Oh well, it’s going to be something else now!
5. MONADNOCK IF YOU HAVEN’T TRIED IT
Nick Kindelsperger goes to Bistro Monadnock, the French restaurant in the historic Monadnock building:
I don’t want to belabor this, but few places in the Loop offer a scene as seductive as Bistro Monadnock. The light is dim and warm, while the decor expertly avoids tacky French kitsch. It’s also confident and timeless, more like a seasoned neighborhood gem, even though it’s only three years old. For the past month, it’s the only place I’ve wanted to go.
There’s only one rule when visiting: If you don’t order the frites, you’re doing it wrong. Fried in beef fat, each fry is delicately crisp, flawlessly creamy, and sneakily savory. I’ve yet to find a better version in the Loop.
6. THE SHRIMP HUNTER
Dennis Lee considers the Chicago shrimp shack:
Yep, Chicago’s got its own style of fried shrimp. It’s not a super common item, but if you find a stand that specializes in shrimp, chances are, it’ll serve this version. A few notable joints that serve it are Goose Island Shrimp House, Lawrence’s Fish and Shrimp, even Calumet Fisheries, just to name a few.
It’s a very distinct type of fried shrimp, too. The shellfish itself is usually jumbo-sized, but the real signature is in the casing. That’s because Chicago-style fried shrimp comes enrobed in a distinctly thick crust, flecked with cornmeal. One surprising place you can try it is at Chicago’s beloved Redhot Ranch, where they serve a pretty damn good version, alongside their famous burgers and hot dogs. Everyone sleeps on the shrimp there, and if you’ve never had it, you should really give it a shot sometime.
I have fried shrimp but rarely, but yes to Red Hot Ranch, and if I’m up for an epic drive south, Haire’s on Vincennes (though I see they have a South Loop location now as well; and also that they call it “Louisiana style,” but I don’t know enough to tell you why).
7. MICHAELMAS
Michael Nagrant has a pretty good list of interesting food stuff and foodstuffs to make into last-minute gifts, like this pistachio spread from Zingerman’s, which, dammit, I read about just after placing a Zingerman’s order:
Do I always have a copy of the latest Zingerman’s newsletter in my bathroom? I do. And have I ordered something on my phone while pausing to read said newsletter during a bio break? I have. And it was one of the better decisions I have made.
You could make a pistachio and jelly sandwich or just spoon this straight from the jar with your finger, but the surprising killer app is dropping a teaspoon in your morning coffee. Game changer, way better than butter or whatever else is trending on coffee TikTok.
8. DAVID KRINGLE
At WTTW, David Hammond talks about Chicago’s favorite Wisconsin taste—kringles:
During the winter, the kringle reaches hungry customers far and wide thanks to its availability in Trader Joe’s and ALDI stores, but the origin of all those pastries is Racine, where bakeries like O&H Danish Bakery and Racine Danish Kringles turn them out for grocery stores nationwide, in addition to supplying devoted local customers. (A few minutes in a warm oven will definitely bring out the flavors of this classic indulgence, no matter where you buy it.) It was in Racine – the most Danish city outside Denmark a century ago – where bakers adopted the oval shape that now defines the North American kringle, unwinding the loops of the classic pretzel shape in order to allow softer fruit fillings to be evenly distributed, according to Peter Oleson, the fourth generation Oleson to run O&H Danish Bakery.
9. SLAVA SYRNYKY
Nice piece at Eater from Lisa Shames about three recently opened Ukrainian restaurants (including Kazka, which I reviewed a few months back):
At Kazka, like at the other places featured here, making as much in-house as possible is a priority. That includes the variety of croissants and macarons as well as specialty cakes and cookies. Savory items include shakshuka, eggs Benedict, and egg bowls. Kazka collaborated with Chicago’s Metric Coffee for its coffee program. “For us, it’s very important to focus on the ingredients we use,” Roman Semeniv says. “This is the concept we created and that’s the concept we believe in.” One of Kazka’s top-sellers is syrnyky, a Ukrainian-style pancake crafted from farmer cheese custom-cultured by a local Ukrainian-owned dairy. About 50 percent of those sold are to non-Ukrainians, a pleasant surprise for Roman.
10. HOW TO COOK A BOOK
WBEZ and/or the Sun-Times has a nice roundup of cookbooks for gift-giving season—with a twist: they actually cook from them all, and a few get dinged for frankly erroneous instructions.
11. LISTEN UP
Joiners talks to Chase Bracamontes, of the bar at Chef’s Special.
Supper With Sylvia talk to Adrian Kane of The Infatuation (has anyone there done media before? I don’t remember, and I never see them at PR events).
At The Chef’s Cut, co-host Joe Flamm gets interviewed by co-host Adrienne Cheatham about sourcing for his new spot, Bar Totto.