2nd time foodie visiting Chicago for a 2nd time. (Lincoln: appointed, neighborhoods)

[Popfizz]

I am staying in a hostel in Wicker Park.. .I enjoy just strolling around... looking at different neighborhoods and am a big FOODIE.

Not like high-brow foodie but ethnic , hole in the wall deliciousness.

Other than the chicago pizza, hot dog, beef sandwich I would like to try ethnic foods that are unique to Chicago...

any suggestiong ?? I will be traveling by train since its the best way to get to know a place.

Any local spots ????

[eating while walking]

Man, too many to list. Chicago is a great city to eat and get fat in. A few of my favorites:

Rainbow Thai - 4825 N Western Ave - Chicago has surprisingly a lot of good Thai places and this is the best in my opinion. It's in Lincoln Square which is a nice residential neighborhood to walk around. I love the enoki mushroom salad and the crispy rice (nam kow tod), but really anything off the Thai language menu is worth a try.

Smoque BBQ - 3800 N Pulaski Rd - I've had a lot of BBQ and I smoke up my own ribs on the regular, but Smoque still has some of the best BBQ I've ever had. They are consistent too; I've never had a bad meal here. Their best items are the sliced brisket and spare ribs.

Al's Beef - 1079 W Taylor S - I know you already know about Italian beef sandwiches, but Al's has the best of the best in my opinion. They cook their meat with spices like nutmeg and star anise (I think) which gives the sandwich a unique flavor. The neighborhood is what used to be Chicago's Little Italy; these days it's no longer Italian but it's still a very pretty place to stroll around.

[quigboto]

I'd say (since OP mentioned a love of ethnic food) try grabbing some Polish food while here too. Like at Kasias, or maybe someone can recommend a good mom and pop hole in the wall Polish joint in the relative vicinity.

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by quigboto

...maybe someone can recommend a good mom and pop hole in the wall Polish joint in the relative vicinity.

You will not be disappointed...

Podhalanka - 131 Photos - Polish - West Town - Chicago, IL - Reviews - Menu - Yelp

[emathias]

Ethnic food is, by definition, not unique, but it is more common is some cities than others.

I like Greek food a lot, and there are several Greek places on Halsted between Monroe and VanBuren.

I also like the Swedish food at Tre Kroner on Foster Ave. near Kimball St.

There are several good Ethiopian places on north Broadway St, between about Lawrence and Devon, I'd probably recommend Ethiopian Diamond on Broadway just south of Granville St.

You could also try Peruvian, either fancy Peruvian at Tanta on Grand Ave in River North, or maybe Machu Picchu on Ashland Ave a block south of Irving Park Rd.

You could try Salvadoran food (which is also popular in Honduras), at Pupuseria on Lawrence Ave a block east of Kedzie St.

Tank Noodle at the corner of Argyle and Broadway is popular for Vietnamese food. Another, fancier, option for French-Vietnamese food would be Le Colonial on Rush Street just south of Oak Street.

For Indian, Hema's Kitchen on Devon Ave is a good choice if you want to visit Devon Ave, Chicago's "Little India" area. Otherwise, Cumin in Wicker Park on Milwaukee Ave has good Indian-Nepalese food, too.

A mile or two west on Devon and you'll run into some interesting Arab and Middle-Eastern places, perhaps check out Taza Bakery or just take 30 minutes and wander from Hema's west until you get to Kedzie Street near the river. You'll pass a lot of interesting shops and can Uber from there to your next place (or to the nearest Brown Line or Blue Line or Red Line station if you want to keep your travel costs down).

For Polish I'd probably recommend Staropolska on Milwaukee Ave in the Avondale neighborhood.

For Puerto Rican, head to the Humbolt Park area, maybe to El Nuevo Borinquen restaurant on California a couple blocks north of North Ave.

Chinatown does have good Chinese food - not as good or as varied as New York or the major West Coast cities, but otherwise holding its own. Go to any of the restaurants with "Lao" in the title and you'll do well.

Chicago also has some great soul food restaurants. For the best balance of authenticity, quality, and easy-to-get-to-itness, I'd probably recommend Pearl's Place in the Bronzeville neighborhood at S. Michigan Ave and 39th Street.

[VA All Day]

I concur with Smoque (brisket sandwich especially) and the Ethiopian places on north Broadway.

A few others that come to mind:

Italian - Sapori Trattoria (LP/LV? It's all the same to me, just look it up on google) or Calo in Andersonville.

Korean - Jin Ju in Andersonville (wings). Also TaKorea on Belmont for Korean tacos similar to Kogi in LA or other places.

Filipino - Isla Filipina on Lawrence.

Mexican - I've always been partial to Taqueria Los Comales on 18th but there's good places everywhere it seems.

Greek - Hella's on Bryn Mawr. Sort of generic greasy spoon fare for the most part but I'm a big fan of their gyros.

Viet - Ba Le for banh mi at Argyle and Broadway, though I think there's one downtown somewhere also. Also Little Vietnam on Bryn Mawr is a good, though a little expensive.

Chinese - Sun Wah on north Broadway. Great for meats, especially the duck.

Wings from Wingz Around the World on 75th. If you like wings, this place is crucial.

That;s all I can think of off top but obviously this is just scratching the surface...

[MillennialUrbanist]

Jibek Jolu at 5047 N. Lincoln Ave. (That's "Silk Road" in Kyrgyz.)

This is a Kyrgyz restaurant, serving Central Asian dishes; it's very popular among Chicago's Russian community. Think of it as a combination of Russian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern food. Examples: manti, lagman, chebureki, and plov. The food is filling (one entree plus a side is enough for 2 people), and the prices are reasonable.