A Year in Chicago: The Local Spots I’ve Fallen For
Yesterday was the first truly cold day in the city. A couple of friends and I met up at my favorite pho spot in the city. One of my friends asked if I would start blogging again, as I’ve been lacking in the review department! Since we were at my favorite small local pho spot, it inspired me to write about my favorite local spots.
Being in Chicago for over a year now, and being the type who loves to share time with friends, family, and coworkers over a nice meal or happy hour, I think I have some good ideas on which spots I’ve become fond of.
Starting off, I feel like I have to mention Sunset Pho Cafe on Clark St. in Lakeview. This place has the coziest vibes, the nicest staff, and the most amazing pho and egg rolls I have ever had. I always get the rare steak pho with either pork or vegetable egg rolls. It’s a tiny spot that my friends and I think used to be a local church (but we’re not sure if we’re remembering that correctly, so don’t quote us on that!).
The owner is super accommodating. We had seven people show up for pho yesterday — I called an hour in advance, and they made it work for us, which was so nice, as it was the busiest I’ve ever seen this place! Typically, when I’ve gone in the past, it’s been me plus one or maybe two other tables. I also heard that he gives out homemade cherry brandy in the winter months. I have yet to get some, but I’ll update once I do! They also offer delivery through Uber Eats, which I’ve done many times before, and it’s always good.
This feels like a natural segue into Penny’s Noodle Shop on Sheffield St. The chicken soup from Penny’s cannot be beat. Online, people say it’s their go-to soup when they’re feeling under the weather, and it works magic every time to make them feel better. The soup is packed with homemade broth, cilantro, tons of lean chicken, and pho-type noodles. To me, it’s a cross between chicken noodle and chicken pho soup. They often do a BOGO deal for delivery, and that’s the best time to stock up. At $16 a pint, this chicken soup is a bit pricey, but if you catch it for delivery during the BOGO deal, it’s a steal.
If you’re looking for a local sports bar to watch your favorite games, Kincade’s on Armitage is the spot every time. Brownie points if you go when our good friend Karla is behind the bar! Kincade’s is high-energy, and the crowd is primarily post-grad transplants watching their college team. There are two cons about this bar: the food isn’t great, and they’re infamously a Kansas University bar (GO STATE!). But there are plenty of pros to outweigh these cons.
They just put up a large outdoor TV on their patio, which is a game-changer on nice days! Kincade’s will also put anything in a fishbowl if you ask nicely. They’ll play any game you want to watch, host trivia weekly, and have about four or five different rooms that are almost always open on a Saturday night. Those extra rooms make it easy for you and your group to find a comfortable spot to lounge and bop around.
Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian, also on Armitage, just opened in August 2025. I went for the first time this past weekend, and it was great! We got a later reservation, and it was still SO busy. They have rotating pastas, and everything we got was good. The orecchiette was delicious, the chicken parm was served with pesto rigatoni (a different and nice touch), and the mozzarella sticks were SO good!
Everything from the branded wine glasses to the pink-and-red striped bathrooms is well curated in terms of aesthetics. The only downfall of this restaurant is how incredibly small and incredibly loud it is. We sat with our party of five in the center of the dining room at a small round table, and it was nearly impossible to hear our waitress. Otherwise, no complaints!
Next and last on this list is Sinya Mediterranean on Hubbard St. They have massive entrées, fun drinks, and tons of smaller options. The entrées are all served with pita bread, hummus, and a side salad. They definitely don’t skip out on the protein or rice either! This is probably the best smaller Mediterranean spot I’ve ever had.
The vibes of the restaurant are cozy but open — plenty of space and outlets to work from “home.” It’s never been too loud, the staff is always incredibly attentive, and the drinks are always prepared quickly and come out with quite the presentation! I miss living a 20-minute walk away from this delicious spot.
A few things to note:
– When you order for delivery, they miss the mark. They put everything in the same container, and you definitely get a lot less food. The salad being packaged with the entrée typically makes it warm and loses the fresh quality of dining in person.
– The food, specifically entrées, takes a while to come out. I typically don’t mind because you do get a salad and hummus to tide you over, but that’s something to note.
– The spot is kind of tucked away and not the most convenient location to stop into.
