With winter in the air, you could snuggle under a blanket with a bowl of soup, but here’s an even better way to brace yourself against the chill: pelmeni. At Hugo’s, a cheery new Ukrainian café in Lincoln Park, you can get a couple dozen ($7.99) of the petite, thin-skinned dumplings cooked one of three ways: boiled, so the wrappers turn extra-tender; deep-fried, so they crunch like popcorn chicken; or sautéed with butter, for a little bit of both textures. The pelmeni come stuffed with meat (like lamb or a mix of beef and pork) or potatoes, and they’re meant to be dipped in anything from tikka masala sauce to sour cream. Still have your heart set on soup? Hugo’s has that, too ($5)—and, of course, it has dumplings in it.

2468 N. Clark St.