Grace Wong/Chicago TribuneKusanya Cafe is the kind of place where you can get a cup of coffee, check out the community board, print a school paper or simply jump on the internet. You'll see people huddled together over papers strewn across the wood tables or someone walking in simply to say hello to the small staff. Because the nonprofit cafe roasts its own coffee on-site in small batches, don't hesitate to order that lavender iced latte ($3.49) or a plain cup of coffee. The breakfast and lunch menu is lush with references to famous musicians, like the Lupe Tabasco breakfast sandwich ($2.29). It features a thin egg patty, with melted cheese and Sriracha on ciabatta, and you can add sausage, spinach and tomato for an extra charge. The cozy and brightly lit environment is exactly where you want to catch up on some work or meet up with friends. 825 W. 69th St., 773-675-4758, kusanyacafe.org — Grace Wong
Louisa Chu / Chicago TribuneThe late, great pitmaster James Barry Lemons was one of the prophets of the cut that defines Chicago-style barbecue: rib tips. His family, who continues his legacy working the aquarium smoker at Lem's Bar-B-Q in Greater Grand Crossing, created the JBL special in his memory: It's a pair of golden fried chicken wings over two ribs, one hot link and a hefty pile of the fabled rib tips. Fries soak in the tangy house-made sauce below, with slices of white bread shrouded in paper on the side. Visit Lem's, and you'll invariably find a line that stretches out the side entry door (which needs to stay closed, you will be reminded). The restaurant finally accepts credit cards but is still takeout only. Those lucky enough to find a spot in the small parking lot often use their trunks as a table; otherwise, you can eat on the precariously leaning stainless steel ledge that lines the front of this holy hickory-smoked house of barbecue. $18. 311 E. 75th St., 773-994-2428, lemsque.com — Louisa Chu
Adam Lukach / Chicago TribuneIt would not — could not — be a proper gallery of Black food on the South Side without Harold's Chicken. Chicago's iconic string of fried-chicken joints, founded by Harold Pierce in 1950, is synonymous with the South Side, and local's love for the poultry is not to be tested: Washington rapper Wale was booed in 2011 in Chicago over this reference: "This here's overrated/But I love your city, baby." The best Harold's locations live on the South Side, and each one is a little different, since Harold's have long been franchise-able with few stipulations, resulting in slight changes on pricing, menu items, sauces, etc. Harold's Chicken Shack #55 in West Chatham is generally considered one of the city's best, and the chicken shows why: fresh-fried, tender and juicy, with a crispy exterior dripping with #55's delicious mild sauce, laid on a slice of bread next to a bed of fries (also with mild sauce, obviously) — all the best of what Harold's has to offer. The one drawback at #55, however, is location. It's almost too convenient, just off the Dan Ran and the 87th Street Redline, which can make for some long lines during lunches and late nights. $7.85 for 7-piece wing dinner. 100 W. 87th St., 773-224-3314, haroldschicken55.com — Adam Lukach
Louisa Chu / Chicago TribuneYou might not recognize the neighborhood or regulars at Valois anymore, but the Hyde Park institution's macaroni and cheese remains the same, as does its price: $5 for a hearty, creamy, smooth classic bowl, plus two sides. Pick your vegetable (recently broccoli, peas and carrots, or corn) and bread (get the biscuit, which is more like a slab of cornbread). Mac is a special on Fridays and Sundays only, and the cafeteria is still cash-only. Don't forget to leave a tip for the table bussers. 1518 E. 53rd St., 773-667-0647. — Louisa Chu
Grace Wong / Chicago TribuneSenegalese cuisine might be one of Chicago's most underrated foods. At Yassa African Restaurant, portions are generous, flavors are explosive and textures abound. Start your meal with a crunchy fried fataya filled with spicy salmon, onion and garlic ($2 each) and a number of house-made juices, such as punchy ginger, sweet honeydew-pineapple, coconut-y and earthy baobab, or sour bissap hibiscus ($3). The Senegalese restaurant has a number of lunch specials, so I opted for the chicken and lamb lunch ($17), which came with two sides. While the chicken was dry, it was intensely smoky, and the lamb was tender and juicy all the way through. Both are marinated overnight in onion, garlic, mustard, lemon and a number of spices, and topped with more of the marinade, but sauteed to further that deliciously spiced flavor. On the side, go for the steamed cabbage and carrots, which were soft and slightly sweet, and the djolof rice, stained red from the tomato paste. 3511 S. King Drive, 773-488-5599, yassarestaurant.com — Grace Wong
Josh Noel / Chicago TribuneWhen Lee Hogan — that's Miss Lee to you — of Miss Lee's Good Food talks of "back home," she means North Mississippi. And though she has lived in Chicago for more than 50 years, more than 30 of which were spent as a server at the legendary and now-defunct Gladys Luncheonette, that's the food that imbues the menu at her takeout-only Washington Park restaurant. Every last item is drenched in Southern authenticity, but unless a pig ear sandwich is your kind of thing, the best place to start is with the basics. The baked herbal chicken lives up to its name, cooked with a healthy dose of green pepper, onion and, yes, plenty of herbs and spices. Baked chicken might be pedestrian in most hands, but under Miss Lee's watch, it becomes a rich, juicy and lightly spicy delight. Baked herbal chicken comes with two sides, and the recommendation here is stuffing (or "dressing," as Miss Lee calls it) and the tangy pickled beets. And don't even think of skipping dessert. The peach cobbler is a justifiable legend, while the bread pudding is an expert intersection of decadent without becoming cloying. $11.65, 203 E. Garfield Blvd., 773-752-5253. — Josh Noel
Louisa Chu/Chicago TribuneBuritt Bulloch, known as Mr. B to regulars, opened Old Fashioned Donuts in 1972 when Gatelys Peoples Store stood open across the street. You can find him most mornings in the front window overlooking his stretch of Michigan Avenue making doughnuts and especially his famous apple fritters. The huge golden brown rounds glisten with glaze, heavy with cinnamon-spiced fruit bound by yeast-risen dough. Get the pecan crowned creations if you can, the crisp roasted nuts transform the fried dough confection into practically a meal. Mr. B or one of his proteges makes the fritters in small batches throughout the day, but they do sell out. You can call ahead, except Sundays, their one day of rest in the Roseland neighborhood on the Far South Side of Chicago. $3.64. 11248 S. Michigan Ave., 773-995-7420, facebook.com/Old-Fashioned-Donuts-Inc — Louisa Chu
Louisa Chu/Chicago TribuneCorned beef with mustard on rye bread. With a house recipe that dates to 1984, this African-American-owned business with five locations now offers unabashedly luscious fatty meat. At the South Shore shop, relocated a year ago, there's nowhere to dine in, but when Antwan Jackson made my sandwich, wrapping it in paper like Japanese origami, I raced to my car in the free parking lot out back. To maximize the delicious mess, you can get fries tossed in A.P. sauce too, their take on mild sauce. $10. 1759 E. 75th St., 773-288-4931, apdeli.com
Grace Wong/Chicago TribuneJosephine's Cooking recently got a facelift from Food Network's show "Restaurant Impossible," but thankfully its menu hasn't deviated from its soul food favorites. Get the fried catfish fillet ($12.95), coated in cornmeal and fried until it's a deep brown while still flaky and moisture-laden inside. For your sides, don't miss the green beans, stewed with bacon until soft, or the mac and cheese. But make sure you save room for dessert because the peach cobbler ($4) is every bit as comforting as it sounds with ooey gooey filling and a chewy biscuit top. 436 E. 79th St., 773-487-2900 — Grace Wong
Natalie Wade / Chicago TribuneAt 63rd and Western, you can take your taste buds on a trip to Central America at Garifuna Flava, its walls lined with Garifuna and Belize flags. Place your order in the back at the full-service bar. The food is deserving of the praise they've received from Guy Fieri in the past. The conch fritters ($8.95) are seasoned with Caribbean spices and the panades ($8.95) — accompanied by a spicy but not overwhelming slaw — feature buffalo fish in a corn tortilla. Both are crispy bites of fried seafood heaven that have an authentic island taste. On the side, I ordered a tower of red beans and rice ($4.75/small), served with a chicken-based gravy that when poured on top texturizes the rice as it absorbs the flavor, and the sweet plantains ($4.50), which a knife glides through like butter and maybe rival the ones my mom makes — ssh! 2518 W. 63rd St., 773-776-7440, garifunaflava.net — Natalie Wade
Louisa Chu/Chicago TribuneIf the red velvet cheesecake brownie at 'Laine's Bake Shop looks familiar, it's not just because it takes all your favorite baked goods and rolls them up into one. You might have seen it at a dozen or so Starbucks around Chicago. Baker Rachel Bernier-Green also makes cookies found at dozens of Whole Foods across the Midwest. But there's only one place you can sit down and treat yourself to the full menu by Bernier-Green including those brownies, cookies, warm bread pudding with caramel sauce and more. She, with husband Jaryd, founded the family artisan baking company with a social mission in 2013, but just opened at the One Eleven Food Hall in the Pullman neighborhood on the South Side this spring. Grab coffee or breakfast sandwiches too, but remember the red velvet cheesecake brownie, heavy for its handy size, fruity notes swirling with tart cream and soft cocoa crumb. $3.50. 756 E. 111th St. at One Eleven Food Hall, 773-432-4308, lainesbakeshop.com — Louisa Chu For a dining guide to One Eleven Food Hall, go here.
Louisa Chu/Chicago TribuneWhen chef Cliff Rome of Peach's restaurant began his collaboration with the artist Theaster Gates at Currency Exchange Cafe, open since 2014, the convergence meant more than just a change in name. Rome also brought his signature shrimp and cheese grits last year to the new Peach's at Currency Exchange Cafe. In the space overlooking historic Garfield Boulevard in the Washington Park neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, he transforms the staple Southern shrimpers' breakfast dish into a luxurious experience with fat crustaceans, garlic cream sauce, crispy pork bacon, sauteed mushrooms, a hint of tomato and scallion frills, all hiding a deep bed of cheesy grits. A side of thick Texas toast seems gratuitous, until your final swipe of sauce. You can indeed order the brimming bowl for breakfast until closing, fairly early at 3 p.m. Bask in the beautiful space formerly an actual currency exchange, and study the world renowned artist's carefully curated patches of paint and plaster. $14.95. 305 E. Garfield Blvd., 312-300-4471, peachs-exchange.com — Louisa Chu
Louisa Chu/Chicago TribuneHusband and wife owners, chef Tsadakeeyah Emmanuel and pastry chef Nasya Emmanuel, opened Majani just last summer in the neighborhood of South Shore. They call their food "soulful vegan cuisine," but it's simply beautiful and delicious. Chef T, as he calls himself, says his favorite dish is the rice and beans. The melting, magical beans may be black, red or chickpeas, but they're always served with flavorful, fluffy rice, tender greens and Southern-style savory cornbread. The longtime catering chefs wanted a vegan restaurant in their own neighborhood for years and hope to open more in other underserved areas of the city too. $14.50. 7167 S. Exchange Ave., 773-359-4019, majani.biz — Louisa Chu
Louisa Chu/Chicago TribuneYohanna Brown opened Original Soul Vegetarian restaurant with her husband, Prince Asiel Ben Israel, in 1983 where the neighborhoods of Greater Grand Crossing and Chatham meet. She created some of the recipes, all vegan, still served today. One of the favorites is the Down Home Greens. A deep and heavy diner bowl nearly overflows with kale and its pot liquor. It's cooked with love, the most important ingredient they say, plus garlic and onions. A golden side of cornbread completes the meal, though a slice of the famous house lemon cake couldn't possibly hurt. $5.50. 203 E. 75th St., 773-224-0104, originalsoulvegetarian.com. — Louisa Chu
Nick Kindelsperger/Chicago TribuneSometimes the best things in life are the simplest. Other times you want a gym shoe (sometimes referred to as a Jim shoe). This specialty of the South and West sides is a mutant beast of a sandwich, a mystifying combination of roast beef, corned beef and gyro meat, all griddled with onions and cheese, before ending up on a bun with lettuce and tomato. It's then absolutely drenched in mustard, mayonnaise and tzatziki sauce (or an approximation thereof) — three sauces I'm not sure have ever shared space together before. Though not required, hot giardiniera can and should be added. Each bite is an overloaded avalanche of salt, spice, grease and cheese, with only the lettuce and tomato offering any form of relief. I wouldn't recommend indulging often, but when I do, I prefer the one slung out at Southtown Subs in Bronzeville, which manages to capture the gushing spirit of the sandwich better than any other. Those in the know will also ask for some mild sauce drizzled over the fries. $7.99 for a small. 240 E. 35th St., 312-326-1890, southtownsub.com — Nick Kindelsperger
Michelle Kanaar/Chicago TribuneFast Friends makes buddies out of tequila and rye, in a twist on the New Orleans-born cocktail vieux carre.
Nick Kindelsperger/Chicago TribuneThe pecan pie at this welcoming South Side shop doesn't skimp on the part that counts. Each "slice" (really, a small stand-alone rectangular pie) comes studded with a generous spread of huge, whole pecans. But what is hidden underneath is just as important. A generous layer of dark runny caramel adds the right amount of sweetness to each bite. In a very unscientific study, I'd say that the portion feeds at least two people, making the $6 price a real bargain. 2234 E. 71st St., 773-363-9330, givemesomesugah.com — Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger/Chicago TribuneOf course, you're going to get chicken and waffles at a place called Chicago's Home of Chicken and Waffles. Was it ever a question? Not that there aren't other tempting dishes on the menu, but when done right, chicken and waffles offers that alluring combo of salty and sweet better than most dishes could ever dream of doing. The fried chicken wings here have a paper-thin crust, one that still manages to be packed with a liberal amount of salt and pepper. Each juicy bite is begging for something sweet, which you can easily rectify with a drizzle of the syrup on the side. The waffle acts more like a sponge than anything else, sucking up the sweetness from the syrup and the salty, meatiness of the chicken in equal proportions. $12.50. 3947 S. King Drive, 773-536-3300, chicagoschickenandwaffles.com — Nick Kindelsperger
Louisa Chu / Chicago TribuneGabrielle Darvassy first opened B'Gabs Goodies as a health-focused raw vegan deli in 2010. When Darvassy moved to a former Hyde Park pizzeria four years later, she started cooking her food too. She considered the new full kitchen a sign from the universe, blessing the rest of us with her char-griddled Jamaican jerk cabbage ribbons on creamy simmered coconut curry, served over steamed organic rice ($14). It packs a fiery punch that a regular said is because Darvassy is Jamaican, but it's more likely it's because she's a seasoned chef who brings the heat. 1450 E. 57th St., 773-256-1000, www.bgabsgoodies.com. — Louisa Chu
Phil Vettel / Chicago TribuneA neighborhood fixture since 1990, Abundance Bakery is tiny in size but mighty in production, offering cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, cakes by the slice and much more. Chef and owner Uncle Villy (aka Bill Ball) is famous for his upside-down caramel cupcakes, and for good reason, but Virtue chef Erick Williams tipped me to the apple-pecan bread pudding ($3.98), and boy, was he right. A large square of gooey deliciousness, the bread pudding embraces butter and sugar, nicely balanced with crunchy whole pecans and thin, slightly tart apple slices. The blink-and-you'll-miss-it storefront is carryout only. 105 E. 47th St., 773-373-1970; abundancebakery.net — Phil Vettel
Nick Kindelsperger/Chicago TribuneIf you've ever suffered through a bland and dry slice of meatloaf (haven't we all?), you owe it to yourself to try the one served at The Good Life Cafe in Roseland. Each bite has the er collard greens and the well-seasoned dressing, which bests any version I've tried at Thanksgiving before. $9.99. 11142 S. Halsted St., 776-264-5433, goodlifesoulfoodcafe.com — Nick Kindelsperger
Grace Wong / Chicago TribuneI don't think I'll ever get over the fact that Kirsten Harper doesn't taste her own food, but after trying her pan-seared Atlantic salmon, I'm pretty sure I'll never get over how delicious her food is. The dish ($19.95) is a generous portion of soft and flaky salmon that is tender on the inside with a lovely, charred crust. The crispy herbs and garlic on top add a fragrant bite to the otherwise buttery fish, served on a bed of fluffy herbed rice. The meal comes with a buttered cornbread muffin and one side. I opted for the mac and cheese, which was creamy, cheesy and made with cavatappi noodles. Don't miss the extra-sweet sweet tea with lemon ($1.95/small). 4248 S. Cottage Grove Ave., 773-633-2757, cleossoutherncuisine.com — Grace Wong
Nick Kindelsperger/Chicago TribuneLocated in Ashburn, Dan's Soul Food offers all the comforting classics you'd expect from a restaurant with soul food in its name. That's especially true of the smothered chicken, a dish of fried chicken bathed in gravy. The dish could easily end up a soggy, greasy mess, but instead it's decadent, with the extra-meaty gravy amplifying the savoriness of the fried chicken. Pair it with some solid collard greens, and maybe a side of spaghetti, just because you can. $11.49. 2523 W. 79th St., 773-737-6695, danschicagosbest.com — Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago TribuneChicago lost Uncle John's, one of its best barbecue joints, in 2015 when owner Mack Sevier passed away. Fortunately, one of Sevier's employees, Brian Turner, claimed the smoker and set up shop at Uncle J's in Grand Boulevard. The restaurant is not an exact copy. The hot links lack the smoke and aggressive seasoning of Uncle John's. But the rib tips are about as good as barbecue gets. Each bite is extraordinarily juicy with a background of smoke and spice. I'm also a huge fan of the thick and tomatoey barbecue sauce, which I always get on the side. $8 for a small order of rib tips. 502 E. 47th St., 872-244-3535. — Nick Kindelsperger
Louisa Chu/Chicago Tribune5 Loaves Eatery is perhaps best known for its crunchy crusted and juicy chicken with waffles. But make sure to get the grits here and as a rule in life. Plus the homemade lemon zest pancakes, salmon croquettes and chocolate cake whenever available. 405 E. 75th St., 773-891-2889, 5loaveschicago.com — Louisa Chu
Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago TribuneWalk into this cozy Great Grand Crossing bakery, and you'll immediately come face to face with a colorful case full of cakes. Settling on one is harder than you'd imagine, though you'll probably be happy with whatever you go with. I'm a fan of the Obama, based on a certain former South Side resident, which includes layers of chocolate, yellow and red velvet cake topped with chocolate drizzled pecans. But if it's your first visit, you probably want to go with the flawless caramel cake. Not only is this gargantuan slice approximately 80 times cheaper than a similarly sized offering on the North Side, the cake itself is supremely soft and moist. That's partly due to the restaurant's practice of cutting slices to order, so the pieces don't dry out. And instead of an overwhelming sweetness, the caramel brings a rich roasted depth to each bite. $4 per slice. 328 E. 75th St., 773-224-6262, brownsugarbakerychicago.com — Nick Kindelsperger
Louisa Chu/Chicago TribuneIf you've been a fan of the ice cream hand- churned by Yahya Muhammad since he opened his first shop 22 years ago on the South Side of Chicago then you're in for a big treat. I'm not just talking about Muhammad's huge scoops of Melanin Magic chocolate paired with pralines and cream, a combination called the Barack Supreme. His beautiful new home for Shawn Michelle's Homemade Ice Cream reopened this spring as a Tiffany blue jewel box of an ice cream parlor with crystal chandeliers overhead. The Black family-owned-and-run shop anchors a corner of the historic Rosenwald Courts Apartments in Bronzeville. Get the Grand Lux sundae with your choice of warm apple or peach "stomp-your-feet" cobbler plus ice cream from a long daily list. I could not resist the unique Lunchroom Butter Cookie with fatty ice cream studded with crumbled golden sweets, like CPS once baked. Settle in to one of the tufted grey banquettes or stroll the grounds where legends including Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, Lorraine Hansberry, Quincy Jones, Jesse Owens and more once lived. $10.99. 46 E. 47th St., ?773-615-3238?, shawnmichelles.com — Louisa Chu
Josh Noel / Chicago TribuneThe loaded potatoes at Taylormade Que look nothing like potatoes when you pull back the dish's Styrofoam top. But they sure do look loaded: a gooey morass of orange cheese, steak, jerk chicken and broccoli, topped with a generous hit of sour cream. Dig in and you'll eventually find the potatoes, which turn out to mostly be a canvas for the big, bad, burly swamp above. Though the steak lends a hearty, smoky punch, the real star is the jerk chicken, which imbues each bite with zesty, peppery spice. But there to balance it all out are the cheese, the sour cream and the potato chunks. It's a belly-busting take on comfort food, but also a deft balance of flavors and textures. And of course the broccoli makes it healthy. Right? $13. 6717 S. Halsted St., 872-244-3616 — Josh Noel
Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago TribuneI've been eating a lot of collard greens lately, and I've pretty much enjoyed them all, but it's only the greens at Virtue that I can't stop thinking about. Each dark green forkful is tender and bewilderingly complex, with a smoky backbone from the turkey. I tried to get the recipe from chef Erick WIlliams, but it was obviously not going to happen. "It's the only recipe I have that my grandmother physically taught me how to cook," says Williams. "It's like she had given me the key to a Fortune 500 company. Those things work." Yes they do. I was so captivated, I asked for a spoon so I could slurp up all the potlikker lingering in the bowl. $8. 1462 E. 53rd St., 773-947-8831, virtuerestaurant.com — Nick Kindelsperger
Louisa Chu/Chicago TribuneFather and son team Robert Adams Sr. and Robert Adams Jr. smoke some of, if not the best, rib tips and hot links in a Chicago-style aquarium smoker. Many regulars order sauce on the meat; while I love the restaurant's spicy house-made barbecue sauce, I prefer mine on the side, to apply to the fatty, marbled treasure at my discretion. Served on a bed of fries, the jumble of blackened bark, pink-ringed tips and crisp-skinned sausage chunks comes covered with slices of soft white bread. It's cash only, with an ATM inside, and there's no dine-in seating — just a window bench for waiting as patiently as you possibly can for your meal. $7.50 (mini combo) to $18 (extra-large). 746 E. 43rd St., 773-285-9455. — Louisa Chu
Nick Kindelsperger/Chicago TribuneBJ's menu claims that the mustard-fried catfish is it's signature dish, which is a seriously bold statement considering how popular fried catfish is on on the South Side. But as the name suggests, the addition of mustard really sets it apart. The dish starts with a large catfish fillet that's dunked in mustard, breaded and then fried until dark golden-tinged brown. The exterior crunches loudly when you bite in, before giving way to the remarkably plump and juicy catfish. In between is a layer of bright mustard, which adds an irresistible hit of acid and makes the fried fish seem far less greasy. Any restaurant would be happy to have a signature dish this good. You also get two Thanksgiving-size side dishes and rice, which explains how I ended up with enough greens and sweet potatoes to feed two people. $12.99. 8734 S. Stony Island Ave., 773-374-4700, bjsmarket.com — Nick Kindelsperger
Louisa Chu/Chicago TribuneThe late Roosevelt McCarthy opened Home of the Hoagy in 1969, next door to where the current shop stands in the South Side neighborhood of Morgan Park — a fire destroyed the original in 2015. But they salvaged the vintage menu signs, said daughter Earnestine Newsome, who now runs the place with sister and owner Denise Brown, alongside family. While they are indeed known for their eponymous hoagy, get the iconic steak sandwich — "A Meal on a Bun" reads the sign, insufficiently I might warn. A warm, sturdy, steamed bun barely holds chopped steak, grilled onions, American cheese, a definitive housemade sweet sauce, two fresh tomato slices, plus sweet and hot peppers if you want — the components as canonical as all great Chicago foods. What remains curiously unclear is what to call it, here or at Taurus Flavors, where the sandwich was invented. Generations know the steak sweet, or sweet steak, is worth the inevitable wait. $6.55. 1316 W. 111th St., 773-238-7171, home-of-the-hoagy.business.site. — Louisa Chu For a story about the origins of the sweet steak sandwich, go here.
Abel Uribe/Chicago TribuneChef/owner Erick Williams likes salad, but he has what he calls a "philosophical issue" with croutons. They're usually too tough to spear with a fork, Williams points out, and splitting them is both noisy and messy. But crunch is a crucial element to a good salad, so what to do? With the Gem lettuce salad made with bacon, hard-cooked eggs and buttermilk dressing, Williams adds crisp-fried black-eyed peas. "It's a Southern staple," he says. "It adds crunch and earthiness, and it can be gluten-free." $10. 1462 E. 53d St., 773-947-8831, virtuerestaurant.com — Phil Vettel
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Kusanya Cafe is the kind of place where you can get a cup of coffee, check out the community board, print a school paper or simply jump on the internet. You'll see people huddled together over papers strewn across the wood tables or someone walking in simply to say hello to the small staff. Because the nonprofit cafe roasts its own coffee on-site in small batches, don't hesitate to order that lavender iced latte ($3.49) or a plain cup of coffee. The breakfast and lunch menu is lush with references to famous musicians, like the Lupe Tabasco breakfast sandwich ($2.29). It features a thin egg patty, with melted cheese and Sriracha on ciabatta, and you can add sausage, spinach and tomato for an extra charge. The cozy and brightly lit environment is exactly where you want to catch up on some work or meet up with friends. 825 W. 69th St., 773-675-4758, <a href="http://www.kusanyacafe.org/">kusanyacafe.org</a> — Grace Wong
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I don’t often choose a cocktail based on its name. But when I was at Masa Azul trying to decide between two drinks that sounded up my alley, I went with the one called Fast Friends because the words made me smile. I’ve always loved the feeling when you meet someone and, within the first five minutes, think: “I’m going to like this person.” Fast friends.
The drink ($12) is a spin on a vieux carre, the New Orleans-born cocktail that teams rye whiskey, cognac, vermouth, Benedictine and two types of bitters. The twist: Bartenders at Masa scrap the cognac and instead introduce the rye to their other pal, tequila. The two become — you guessed it — fast friends.
It’s logical, really. Tequila, like cognac, is typically aged in oak barrels; the tequila in question, ArteNOM’s Seleccion de 1146, is an anejo that got cozy with French oak for a few years before spending a year in American white oak barrels. It brings both a familiar quality to the classic cocktail — woody and vanilla notes — and something new: Taking my first sip, I discover a hint of sweetness, from the agave, that tempers the brawn of a mixture that’s nearly 100 percent booze. Strong but gentle. I know right away: I’m going to like this drink.
Masa Azul, 2901 W. Diversey Ave., 773-687-0300, www.masaazul.com
mconrad@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @marissa_conrad
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