Lynette Smith 
John Meyer’s catfish was an instant hit when he introduced it at his first restaurant, the Retreat, in the historic Pullman district. That was 1992, and 30 years later, the catfish is the top seller at BJ’s, his current restaurant. The fish, which comes with a choice of sides like red beans and rice, cornbread … Read more
Sisters Carmen Lemons and Lynn Walker Harvey keep the flames of Chicago-style ’cue alive at the city’s oldest Black-owned barbecue joint. Everything in the aquarium-style cooker gets a gentle bath in hickory smoke, but it’s the pork rib tips that exemplify Chicago’s contribution to the barbecue canon. A study in textures, the rib tip is … Read more
The original location celebrates its centennial this year, and as the neighborhoods surrounding it have changed, Margie’s has remained a constant, a beacon for teenagers who cluster in groups and for older couples on dates, everyone outside waiting for a booth. Inside is a diner/candy shop/ice cream parlor, its walls covered in memorabilia, much of … Read more
In a city bursting with laureled pastry chefs, only one baker on the South Side has received recognition from the James Beard Foundation as a semifinalist for the Outstanding Baker award. That’s Stephanie Hart, who opened her upscale dessert shop in 2004. What makes her version of the classic caramel cake so special? It’s decadently … Read more
Run by siblings Joyce and Matthew Chiu, this 35-year-old bakery — Chinatown’s oldest and now the anchor of a growing chain — offers several kinds of egg tarts, but the bestseller is their Portuguese-style version. Inspired by Portugal’s pastel de nata, a dessert that’s popular in Macau, it consists of a flaky pastry shell loaded with an eggy filling … Read more
You can find Italian ice at any number of places around the city, but Mario’s distinct style, which includes actual bits of lemon rind, delivers a special puckery note. You’ll find standby flavors like cherry or strawberry, but go for the specials, which change regularly and are listed on hand-painted signs. Those specials are often … Read more
Is it possible to dine at Portillo’s without adding on a slice of its fluffy, decadent chocolate cake for dessert? For more than 2 million customers, the answer is no — that’s how many slices of its signature dessert the local fast-food chain sells each year (and no, that doesn’t count the folks who just spring for … Read more
It’s a treat that could have been invented for Instagram: five colorful kinds of ice cream (orange sherbet, pistachio, strawberry, chocolate, and cherry- and walnut-filled Palmer House) layered atop a cake cone in a joy-inducing, vertiginous tower. Only thing is, the Rainbow Cone has been around for about 95 years. Indeed, little has changed inside … Read more
