Lula Cafe in Chicago hides its Monday Farm Dinner inside the Logan Square brunch menu: a single-farm five-course dinner since 1999 that set the farm-table tone.
Why locals love it: Most visitors book the weekend brunch and miss the Monday-night prix-fixe, single-farm dinner that has run since 1999.
Tip: Reservations open four weeks ahead and book in a day. The farm dinner is $65 and includes wine pairings on certain weeks.
Address: 2537 N Kedzie Blvd, Chicago, IL 60647
Calumet Fisheries in Chicago is the East Side smokehouse on the 95th Street bridge since 1948, smoked chub locals walk away with in butcher paper to eat on the rail.
Why locals love it: An East Side smokehouse two miles from any other restaurant, beside the 95th Street bridge from The Blues Brothers.
Tip: Cash only, no seating. Walk to the bridge with smoked chub in butcher paper, eat on the railing.
Kasama in Chicago hides its bakery half: Tim Flores and Genie Kwon's Ukrainian Village kitchen on Winchester runs a Filipino-pastry counter before the tasting menu.
Why locals love it: The Michelin-starred Filipino tasting room is famous; the morning bakery counter with the ube cruffin is the quieter half.
Tip: Doors at 07:00; ube cruffins gone by 10:30. Get the longanisa breakfast plate and a cruffin to walk out.
Vito & Nick's in Chicago is the Ashburn tavern at 8433 S Pulaski, the canonical Chicago tavern-cut thin pizza since 1949, far from the downtown tourist track.
Why locals love it: The South Side tavern-cut thin pizza that locals send everyone to instead of deep-dish, far from the Loop tourist track.
Tip: Cash only and the bar is the rhythm. Closes 22:00 sharp. Order a large party-cut sausage pie.
La Chaparrita in Chicago is the Loera-family taqueria off 26th Street in Little Village, a small storefront the downtown guide books overlook for noisier rooms.
Why locals love it: A small Loera-family taqueria off 26th Street with handmade tortilla tacos that locals know but the downtown guide books skip.
Tip: Cash only. The salsas at the counter are unmarked; ask which is the hottest, start there.
The Fish Keg in Chicago is the Rogers Park no-frills fish-fry counter on Howard Street: deep-fried smelt by the cup, perch by the fillet, catfish on bread for $10.
Why locals love it: A no-frills Rogers Park fish-fry counter on Howard Street, far from the Lakeview-and-Lincoln-Park scene, with the city's best smelt.
Tip: Cash only and the wait is short Tuesday-Thursday. The smelt cup is the order; eat in the car.
Margie's Candies in Chicago is the 1921 Bucktown ice cream parlour at Western and Armitage, hand-dipping chocolates and scooping homemade ice cream to order.
Why locals love it: A century-old Bucktown candy parlour and homemade ice cream counter that locals treat as the after-dinner finish; tourists mostly miss it, two blocks off Damen.
Tip: Order the Atomic Sundae for two: the eight-scoop tureen has been on the menu since the 1920s. Cash preferred.
