John Kessler

In Mexico, it’s not uncommon to find a convenience store that has set up a few tables for folks who want to sit down for a quick plate of tacos....

The geographic region most likely to have a profound effect on world dining culture in coming years is — hear me out — Eastern Europe. Yes, its culinary character has been informed by uncompromising...

This restaurant’s name — inherited along with its sign from previous ownership — is the very definition of serendipity. Every day is a festive gathering in the color-saturated storefront where chef-owner Aomjai Phumpardit (pictured...

Carrie Nahabedian (pictured above, on the right), a star chef from the early aughts, spends five nights a week in the kitchen at this French restaurant she owns with her...

Much like a Japanese izakaya, a Korean pocha is essentially a watering hole, but one where the drinks are basic (think draft beer and shots) and the food is the...

This restaurant has been around long enough that it goes through phases. It’s reliable until it’s perfectly fine, then suddenly — like now — it’s great again. Brothers Oliver and Nicolas Poilevey have turned...

Avec, which means “with” in French, was originally conceived as a casual sidekick to Blackbird, Paul Kahan’s now-closed influential fine-dining spot next door in the West Loop. From the outset,...

Rare is the fine-dining restaurant that works this hard to appeal to all guests, no matter what their tastes or dietary restrictions demand. Every night, Sujan Sarkar proposes four distinct...

If you follow many Chicago food social-media accounts, you’ll always know when Creepies introduces a new dish. Avid local diners love being the first to post images of, say, the...

As a student in Japan 16 years ago, Mike Satinover became a ramen otaku, the Japanese word for a geek, a fanatic, an obsessive — a person looking for the differences that...