David Hammond

David Hammond is a freelance writer for the Chicago Tribune.

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

Eat This: Next-level hot dog at Tortoise Supper Club

July 2, 2019 at 8:59 p.m.

When you see a Chicago-style hot dog on the menu at a swank joint like Tortoise Supper Club, you expect a next-level version. The River North restaurant doesn't disappoint on...

Innocents Abroad at The Loyalist

May 2, 2019 at 6:25 p.m.

Choosing a cocktail to kick off dinner is a decision not to be taken lightly. "Innocents Abroad," says Roger Landes, head bartender at The Loyalist, "is always my recommendation for...

Wingie’s Special Bloody Mary at West Town Bakery & Diner

May 2, 2019 at 6:25 p.m.

The bloody mary so often seems just silly, festooned with bacon, pizza, sliders or other zany accoutrements, more gag than beverage. At West Town Bakery & Diner, though, they get...

Drink your veggies at Cucina Paradiso, where the Cetriolo Limetta cocktail is made with cucumber juice and gin.

Cetriolo Limetta at Cucina Paradiso

May 2, 2019 at 6:25 p.m.

Vegetable juices are healthy, right? Spirits, in moderation: also healthy. Put them together: super healthy! At least that's what I told myself while enjoying the Cetriolo Limetta, a vegged-out cocktail...

Forest Park got a great new spot when The Heritage opened. This cocktail, called the Kedvale, is made withgin, fennel and white vinegar infused with toasted coconut.

Kedvale cocktail at The Heritage

May 2, 2019 at 6:25 p.m.

At The Heritage in downtown Forest Park, head bartender Nick Kokonas tends toward the savory. To develop a gin cocktail he calls Kedvale ($11), he started by "toasting coconut —...

Crunch into five dreamy fried pickle spears at Barn & Company.

Fried pickles at Barn & Company

May 2, 2019 at 6:24 p.m.

I am a fried-pickle aficionado, and I've spent probably too much time pondering the value of pickle coins vs. spears, sweet vs. dill, cornmeal batter vs. flour. But Gary Wiviott,...

Oyster Bah takes Cap'n Crunch, pulverizes it and mixes it into batter for the French toast, served with a blueberry-enhanced maple syrup that's emulsified with butter.

Cap’n Crunch French toast at Oyster Bah

May 2, 2019 at 6:25 p.m.

Bread, egg wash, pan fry, boom: French toast — OK at best, frequently meh. Thankfully, the dish gets a much-needed makeover at Oyster Bah. The restaurant's Cap'n Crunch French toast...

Oysters come all dressed up at Homestead on the Roof.

Oysters at Homestead on the Roof

May 2, 2019 at 6:25 p.m.

With fresh oysters, I usually go commando: no cocktail sauce, no mignonette. So at Homestead on the Roof, the peaceful hideaway above Roots Handmade Pizza in West Town, I was...

Avocado slices are dredged in Japanese panko breadcrumbs to create a beautifully crisp, crunchy jacket for each lush chunk at Hearth Restaurant.

Avocado fries at Hearth Restaurant

May 2, 2019 at 6:24 p.m.

Chef John "Woody" Linton didn't invent avocado fries. Still, his rendition of this popular starter at Hearth Restaurant in Evanston is truly memorable finger food. Linton dredges avocado slices in...

Stirred ... not shaken? There's a reason The California Clipper goes off-script for its Vesper, a classic cocktail you'll find in the James Bond film "Casino Royale."

Vesper at The California Clipper

May 2, 2019 at 6:25 p.m.

Right now, somewhere, some guy suavely orders a Vesper, imagining himself to be James Bond. In "Casino Royale," while at cards, 007 reveals the recipe: "three measures of Gordon's, one...

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