Smakosz Restaurant & Lounge

Smakosz has been around for almost 40 years, and the carpeted and wood-paneled dining room makes it feel like you’re about to watch a VHS tape of Risky Business after dinner. This is the kind of place you visit when you’re not in a hurry, because it’s built for lingering. The long menu has traditional Polish dishes that are a bit harder to find in Chicago, like baked pork knuckles and tripe soup, and a tender Lublin pork covered with a fried egg. Smakosz claims that they’re the first restaurant to do the first “taste of Poland” assortment plate, and if so, we’re eternally grateful.