24 NOVEMBER 2018
OBSESSIONS
Iliana Regan’s
Chicago
BEST NEW CHEF +
WORLD’S BEST CITYWHETHER IT’S THE CEREBRAL, elegant
dishes at Alinea or the salty dogs (and
language) at he Wiener’s Circle, Chicago
is a city for all food lovers. Readers of our
sister publication Travel + Leisure agree,
voting Chicago one of the top U.S. cities
in their 2018 World’s Best Awards. Many
cite the Windy City’s diversity of neigh-
borhoods as a big draw; chef Iliana
Regan, a F&W Best New Chef alum and
chef-owner of restaurants Elizabeth and
Kitsune, feels the same way. Here are her
favorite local spots. NINA FRIENDLOCAL HERO
“Lula Cafe has been around a long
time, and it’s really market-focused.”
This Chicago institution opened in
1999 as a trailblazer in the farm-to-
table movement, serving dependably
sophisticated, fresh fare.
(lulacafe.com)PASTA
“The pappardelle pasta from
Anteprima! They hand-make all their
pastas; they’re fresh and market-
driven. They don’t play on trends;
they just put out really nice Italian
food that’s based on the seasons.”
(anteprimachicago.net)PASTRIES
“Cellar Door Provisions makes really
nice croissants.” Make sure to check
out the breads, canelés, and revolv-
ing assortment of quiches, too. Who
can resist a whimsical little neighbor-
hood cafe with sweet decor?
(cellardoorprovisions.com)COFFEE
“I visit The Coffee Studio on North
Clark Street for their cortado.”
(And it’s never too early for one of
their killer ice cream sandwiches,
made in-house).
(thecoffeestudio.com)DEEP-DISH PIZZA
“I really like Lou Malnati’s deep dish;
I get the cheese and tomato sauce
with their sausage.” This long-stand-
ing Chicago stalwart is one of the
early pioneers of deep dish.
(loumalnatis.com)FARMERS MARKET
“At Andersonville Farmers Market,
I like to stock up on Phoenix Bean
tofu and River Valley Ranch
mushrooms.” This small local market
is open from late spring to early fall
on Wednesdays from 3 to 8 p.m.CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT:
Lula Cafe, a
farm-to-table
pioneer; grilled
octopus and
potatoes from
Anteprima; the
Chicago neigh-
borhood of
Andersonville,
where Regan
lives; digging
into ramen
and more at
Regan’s restau-
rant, Kitsune.CHEF ILIANA REGANAt her restaurant Kitsune,
Regan, a 2016 F&W Best New
Chef, serves farmers market–
driven, Japanese-influenced
cuisine. Save room for dessert:
Her yeast-risen, whiskey-glazed
doughnut is one of the best in
town. (kitsunerestaurant.com)PHOTOGRAPHY: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) ALEX GARCIA, JEFF MARINI, COURTESY JACK LI, COURTESY ANDERSONVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, JEFF MARINI