This small -- seating for 36 -- but cute Ravenswood storefront features exposed brick with bright, perky hues and cutesy faux egg accents. Chef-owner Jon Cignarale, who clocked time in the kitchens at M.Henry, Tweet and Karyn's Cooked (among others), has created a menu full of inspired takes of breakfast faves like banana-spiked French toast, upside down apple pancakes and "frazzled " eggs with bologna (yes, bologna) with herbs and a spicy maple mustard. Lunch moves into salads and burgers, plus sandwiches like the Vietnamese pate sandwich and muffalatta. The Sunday brunch menu changes weekly; look for options like chocolate raspberry French toast and lemon poppy seed pancakes.

The menu changes frequently, but recent antipasti offerings included favorites like caprese salad, plus more unusual options such as salmon and spinach quiche. Half a dozen thin-crust pizzas -- including a quattro formaggio (gorgonzola, Taleggio, mozzarella, and Parmigiano-Reggiano) -- are baked in a wood-burning oven. Several pastas, including a risotto of the day, are available, as well as entrees like veal scaloppine with porcini mushrooms and New York strip steak with fresh rosemary. Desserts are made in-house and generally include at least one chocolate treat.

This low-key Chinatown eatery, a sibling to Argyle Street's Cafe Hoang, features Vietnamese and Thai fare. The menu, which mirrors the Uptown location, covers plenty of ground, offering appetizers and soups, noodle and rice dishes and entrees from both countries. You'll find standards such as egg rolls, tom yum soup, pho, pad Thai and chicken fried rice. But there are more adventurous options too; including spicy catfish simmered in a clay pot, soft shell crab with tamarind sauce and crispy-fried whole red snapper with sweet and sour fish sauce. Not familiar with Southeast Asian staples? Food photos (with corresponding menu numbers) are mounted on the storefront's windows, in the entryway and on the walls inside to help you make a decision. Cafe Hoang is BYOB.

Atwood Cafe serves all-American comfort foods and cafe cuisine prepared in a traditional style. Specialties include a pot pie with a flaky buttermilk crust and a maple-glazed grilled pork chop. Pre-theater diners will enjoy the cafe's proximity to the Shubert Theatre, Cadillac Palace and Oriental Theatre.

Bradley Rubin (ex-MK, Ghost Bar, Arnie's and more) is behind this South Loop eatery. Breakfast is served all day and includes options like stuffed challah French toast and steak and eggs. Other perks include a soda jerk who'll whip up goodies like cherry phosphates (served with the mixing tin), plus there's a barista station featuring custom-blended coffee (from Intelligentsia). There's also a deli area where you can grab goods by the pound (like sliced meats and salads).

The regional French cuisine and the wide selection of wines lure foodies to this North Shore staple. Original artwork by Jacqueline Lefeuvre, wife of the chef/owner, lines the walls and is available for sale. Order individual entrees or try the chef-selected menu of hot and cold appetizers, sorbet, entree and dessert, which is available for a fixed price at lunch and dinner. Vegetarian options are also available for dinner and meals can be prepared to accommodate other dietary needs.

Piece unites classic New Haven-style thin crust pizza with award-winning microbrews in a spacious loft setting. We opened in July 2001 after transforming a roofing company garage into a casual pizzeria complete with a skylite ceiling and sunken lounge area.

Formerly one of Chicago's most exclusive dining spots, Yoshi's Cafe has adopted a more casual, less-expensive aspect and, patrons say, the food is as good as it ever was. The eclectic menu features dishes that could be loosely described as Japanese, Italian, French and American, and many combine these primary influences, creating a category of their own. Yoshi's is generally regarded as one of the better values in town for haute cuisine.

This casual neighborhood spot serves the cuisine of the South, from barbecue to Cajun and Tex-Mex to Mexican.

Lucy's Café (previously known as Victory's Banner) is an all day vegetarian breakfast nook (with lunch options as well) that serves clean, bright and fresh flavors of the vegetable variety.