Janet Franz

Before sitting down recently with her lunch outside the new Magic Pan Crepe Stand in Northbrook Court, Peggy Lewis had an important phone call to make. "Guess where I am?"...

For anyone who loves caprese salad, August is the month to savor this veritable Italian-flag-on-a-plate: tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and olive oil. While the Wicker Park restaurant Romeo Romeo offers...

Hannah's Bretzel 180 W. Washington St. 312-621-1111 www.hannahsbretzel.com First bite: This squeaky-clean contemporary spot opened in early May among the office buildings and chain eateries that line this Loop street....

Nothing quite welcomes back summer like strawberry shortcake. The classic version is most abundant, but some restaurants take the dessert to new dimensions. At Play sized up three: THE PLACE:...

Call it "A Tale of Two Dolces." After the kitchen closes, this easy-to-miss Oak Brook spot thumps with the sound of dance tunes while music videos play on flat-screen TVs....

It's easy to find your mind wandering to dessert while nibbling on appetizers at Hot Chocolate. The Bucktown spot, opened a couple of weeks ago by pastry-chef-turned-chef-chef Mindy Segal, is...

If you haven't thought about T.G.I. Fridays in a while, you're not alone. The chain of casual restaurants that opened in New York City in 1965 and helped sprout the...

Take a look at Mike Kurotobi's culinary resume and you might better understand where mj2 Bistro, his 3-month-old Park Ridge restaurant, is coming from. As a young man growing up...

The Negro League Cafe in Bronzeville is not your ordinary sports bar--and that's a good thing. It has its share of the usual sports bar touches--chicken wings to nibble on,...

With its white tablecloths, old-world-meets-new good looks and vast menu, Biaggi's is sort of an uber-Olive Garden. You can start with any of a dozen appetizers (including calamari fritti, carpaccio...