March, despite being the most hated of months (just ask Julius Caesar or anyone from 2020,) did manage to have some high points. Specifically, the five dishes on this list. From warm cheese covered in phyllo and honey to life-changing sisig, these are up the best things we ate during the entire month - and we eat a lot.
This spot is Permanently Closed.
Sisig
This Filipino restaurant started out as a pop-up in Logan Square last summer, and has recently found a home in the Revival Food Hall downtown. And we’re so happy it did because Boonie Foods is great. The menu is full of hits, from entrees like bagnet and liempo (all of which come with delicious garlic rice and a fried egg) to their “Boonie Bomb” tacos to sides like the macaroni salad. We’ve enjoyed everything we’ve eaten from here, but we’re going to take a little extra time to call out the sisig. The menu description is “the best thing you’ll ever eat” and we’re not arguing.
This spot is Permanently Closed.
Ddukbokki
Parachute has consistently been one of our favorite spots in the city for a low-key date night. But since the pandemic started they’ve only been open for carryout and delivery, and we hadn’t tried them yet. But one Saturday night we had a date with our coffee table, and ordered their ddukbokki with pork sugo, signature broccoli salad, and the baked potato bing bread, which is one of our all-time favorite breads ever. The delightfully chewy ddukbokki was incredible, thanks to the sweet and spicy pork sugo made with Sichuan peppercorn and peaches. Plus, the bing bread came with two servings of sour cream butter, and we didn’t even have to ask. In conclusion: we still love this place.
Bianca Burger
We came across this spot while researching our Best New Burgers guide. Bianca’s started out in a ghost kitchen last year and has since moved into a stall at Revival Food Hall, where they’re making one of the best burgers in Chicago, new or otherwise. Specifically, it’s the Bianca burger, which comes with white American cheese, sweet grilled onions, a juicy griddled patty, pickles, Bianca’s burger sauce (ingredients seem to be “deliciousness”), and a toasted brioche bun. It’s everything we want in a burger - cheesy, beefy, and messy. So not only did it earn a spot on our best new burgers list, but on our best things we ate, too.
Kataifi Cheese Pie
Andros Taverna is a new Greek spot in Logan Square, and we checked them out earlier in the month soon after they opened for business. While we were impressed with all the food here, the dish that we can’t stop thinking about is the kataifi cheese pie. It’s shredded filo layered with feta and cow’s milk cheese, baked in butter until brown and crispy, then topped with honey and pistachios. If you need us to explain why this was delicious, we’re sorry - we’ve done all we can.
Toasted Ravioli
We took advantage of a warm, sunny Tuesday to sit outside at Club Lucky in Wicker Park. And while we’ve eaten at this Italian spot a bunch, this time we were able to try a special - the toasted ravioli. The housemade pasta was filled with ricotta and spinach, and managed to be both crispy and tender. And these crunchy raviolis paired with a sweet marinara are something we want to see on the menu full-time.
