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Jason Hammel is the executive chef and owner of Lula Cafe in Chicago, a pioneer in the Midwest’s farm-to-table movement since 1999 and a recipient of the James Beard Foundation’s 2024 Outstanding Hospitality award. He also co-founded the nonprofit Pilot Light, serves as executive chef of Marisol at the Museum of Contemporary Art, and published his first cookbook, The Lula Cafe Cookbook: Collected Recipes and Stories, in 2023.
Chicago sisters Logan Square and Avondale are first and foremost neighborhoods of makers. Independent owners thrive here, driven by the radical idea that you can make a place by making things. We have some of the best “chef-driven” restaurants in the city as a result. I’m particularly proud that some of these folks came through Lula on their way to crafting their own visions.
Owners Pete and Polly have a combination of cozy-chic farmhouse style and bombastic ambition that makes their special corner on Armitage into a mystery. How can you have this explosively creative universe that still somehow feels homey, comforting and down to earth? Here it’s all about fermentation, those bubbles that make the good stuff taste alive— from sourdough, to pizza, to beer, to natural wine. No other place better exemplifies the role a restaurant can have in building a community. Lovelovelove.
Another husband and wife team that works wonders. Deliciousness is a way of life at this sandwich and pastry shop. It’s both cheffy and casual in the best ways. Like you won’t believe the attention to detail they put into every touch, from the impeccable naturally leavened breads and pastries to every single savory combination that Ben conducts from their tiny kitchen. Don’t skip the pastries thinking you won’t have room. Find ways to make room for a morning bun or a danish or whatever seasonal offering Sarah has dreamed up and crafted in her one-of-a-kind way.
I’ve called this more of a culinary artists’ studio than a simple “restaurant”. Cellar Door is an intimate, intentional bistro, with food crafted by the loving, curious, skilled hand of Chef Ethan Pikus. The composed dishes are little operas of flavor. Definitely a special occasion dinner. Also one of the best places to drink wine in the city.
Coffee and books! The most skilled baristas in town in a cool space that daily becomes the neighborhood meeting spot for all kinds of cool folk. Especially in the summer and fall the sidewalk is the spot for a hang in Logan.. They recently took over a next door space filled floor to ceiling with used books and opened the most unique store in town.
A bottle shop + wine bar with a passion for horror movies, accessible wines and hospitality. Led by Dave Thompson who is one of the nicest, most knowledgeable and generous guys in the industry. It’s a true neighborhood meeting spot with “Deep Read" book nights and intro classes plus just a really lovely room with stylish design that doesn’t try too hard but still manages to be gorgeous.
A flower shop that manages to feel avant garde while still being lovely and tasteful. Owner Cassandra Stadnicki has an eye for form and color that make both her florals and the small selection of gifts a way of celebrating nature.
A music venue in Avondale (just across the border from Logan) that combines indoor and outdoor spaces, a generous bar and a performance space with really terrific sound. We host our annual staff party here every year and the team at SV is always so kind and full of life. Go here for a show and hang out in their garden, especially on a warm summer night.
A “home for creative expression and gathering” is how owners Josh Dihle and Abby Monroe describe their project at what was once the meeting place of Chicago’s Independent Order of Vikings. It’s now an event space that hosts music, comedy, improv and other creative arts. Check out their calendar for what’s next and feel part of an underground scene.