Chef Kevin Hickey, The Duck Inn

Hello everyone! This week we visited The Duck Inn in Bridgeport, Found Kitchen and Social House in Evanston and Café Orchid in Wrigleyville. Chicago is filled with so many culturally rich, vibrant neighborhoods, yet we often find ourselves staying close to home, wherever that may be, instead of exploring everything our beautiful city has to offer. Nearly every neighborhood has a great place to eat, and so with the burst of spring weather we have this weekend, let’s get out of our neighborhoods and try something different. After all, this is what Check, Please! is all about!

Chef Jimmy Papadopoulos, Bohemian House

Hello everyone! This week we visited Bohemian House in River North, Bistro Dre in Lakeview, and Uru Swati on Devon. I am half Eastern European – Lithuanian – and grew up with my maternal grandmother making pierogies from scratch, wurst and sauerkraut, and decadent potato pudding known as kugelis. Rich, hearty cooking has a special place in my heart. Despite a large Eastern European population in Chicago, it is not easy to find restaurants that focus on this type of cuisine. So I was thrilled when Bohemian House opened.

Chef Kee Chan, Strings Ramen

Hello everyone! This week we visited Strings Ramen in Chinatown, Milt’s BBQ for the Perplexed, and Pete Miller’s Seafood & Prime Steakhouse in Evanston. This winter has been mild for Chicago, but the forecast this week has been chilly! And when the temps dip, my favorite comfort food is a steaming bowl of ramen accompanied by a cold beer. So, this week I spoke with Chef Kee Chan of Strings Ramen and their director of marketing Gabriela Fernandez. Want to know what “hell ramen” is? Keep reading…

Anne Kostroski, SBK

Hello everyone! This week we visited Sauce and Bread Kitchen (SBK) in Edgewater, Asian Harbor in Homewood, and Beatrix in River North. I spoke with SBK proprietors Mike Bancroft and Anne Kostroski about how SBK started and all of the other interesting things they are working on besides running the restaurant.

Khalid Kamal, Owner of Shokran

Hello everyone! This was my favorite episode of the season so far! The restaurants could not be more different. Each has something very unique to offer and they are located quite literally all over town. And as always, I had wonderful guests at the table to chat about them! This week we visited Shokran in Irving Park, Chef Shangri-La in North Riverside, and El Ideas in University Village.