Does the world need another cupcake? Does Chicago? No and no. And yet this New York–based chain has brought its cupcakes here nonetheless, and so far appears to be doing just fine.

The name of this Rogers Park bakery is far from a smoke signal. In fact, it references thin, slightly chewy coils of joy; chimney cakes are a Transylvanian treat baked on a stick (hence the cylindrical shape)…

Ann Sather is not the best dinner, lunch or breakfast in town. It may not even be the best diner food. But that doesn’t matter, because Ann Sather has the sweetest cinnamon rolls in the Midwest…

Not content to limit the early-morning experience to a mere meal, this River North restaurant also offers a private meeting room, a shoe shine and pastries from Bennison's Bakery to go…

Crumb Chicago (a bread bakery) and Co-op Sauce (makers of pickles, salsas and hot sauces) collaborate on this café, which serves simple foods like house-brined turkey sandwiches and house-baked crumpets with pimento-cheddar spread.

This bright, roomy space offers ample seating to indulge in a rich chorizo torta piled with Oaxacan cheese and avocado and a mixed greens provinciana salad with pepitas and roasted corn…

Since 2001, Laura Cid-Perea and Luis Perea have been churning out wedding and specialty cakes, plus individual-sized pastries (the tres leches are wildly popular and come in as many as seven flavors)…

By employing homeless and otherwise at-risk youth and training them to enter the hospitality work force, this nonprofit café doubles as a social venture…

You could say this place is a coffee shop: It roasts its own beans to create bold, serious cups of hot and iced coffee. Besides, back when this business was a food truck, it was called Bang Bang Pie and Coffee. But now, the “coffee” has been lopped off, and it’s mainly a pie shop…

This always-bustling Greek spot is popular for good reason: The food is inexpensive, you get it fast, and it tastes great…