The Nile

Unless you’re lucky enough to have a grandparent sitting at home frying up batches of falafel, this may be the freshest Middle Eastern food you’ll find in Chicago. The refrigerated case is filled with rows of plump, glistening, marinated chicken and just-formed kefta kebabs waiting to be grilled to order. Freshly baked savory pies, bursting with spinach and big chunks of onion, sit on the counter. Behind that, a man drops falafel into a pool of bubbling oil. We don’t care who your grandma is—she’s not making anything like this.