One kid wants pancakes for dinner, another only eats hot dogs, and you just want some comfort food? This new North Side outpost of Eleven City Diner hits the mark, thanks to breakfast served all day and a menu of diner classics with an emphasis on food your Jewish grandma would spoil you with: matzo ball soup, brisket, potato latkes. Everyone can agree on thick shakes, malts and old-fashioned phosphates for a sweet treat. 2301 N. Clark St., 773-244-1112.
If there’s one place you can count on to please the masses, this gussied up food court with 14 different kitchens inside Water Tower Place is it. Choices range from healthy (salads, a juice bar) to hearty (barbecue and comfort food), ethnic (a taqueria, sushi) and classic (pizza, pasta). 835 N. Michigan Ave., 312-335-3663.
It’s two great tastes that taste great together: Michael Kornick and David Morton have combined their popular DMK Burger Bar and Fish Bar concepts at this new hybrid spot in Evanston. Expect the same creative takes on burgers, fries and fresh seafood you’re used to from the pair, plus a rotating roster of milkshakes and late-night snacks. 815 Noyes St., Evanston, 847-424-8226.
When everyone gets to customize their meals, it’s hard to complain (at least you hope). That’s the beauty of this stir-fry chain, where you choose the ingredients, as well as the way the preparation (traditional stir-fry, soup, lettuce wrap or mu-shu). To avoid unpleasant surprises, everything’s marked for diners who are vegan, vegetarian or have allergies. 305 Yorktown Center, Lombard, 630-652-3700; 218 S. Washington St., Naperville, 630-428-8400, and other city and suburban locations.