Louisa Kung Liu Chu 朱功蕾

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🎁 chicagotribune.com/2025/12/03/2025-cookie-contest-winners/?share=euittcniei2n20022its

Tribune’s 2025 Holiday Cookie Contest: Get the winning recipes The three winning cookie recipes for the 39th annual Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest all pay tribute to bakers from years ago.

The three winning cookie recipes for the 39th annual Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest all pay tribute to bakers from years ago; whether it’s a mother, grandmother or a best friend’s mom.

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chicagotribune.com/2025/11/25/restaurant-review-bad-butter-bakery-blame-butter-pie-chicago/?share=ebrtuibcput2iroaggtt

Restaurant reviews: Bad Butter, a cult favorite bakery, and Blame Butter, a pietisserie, in Chicago Both will be gone by the end of the year as we know them. But is Bad Butter opening a storefront in Bucktown?

Bad Butter and Blame Butter tell the tales of two bakeries in Chicago. It is the best of times, and it is the butteriest of times.

Michelin announces 2025 awards, and Chicago has new one-star and two-star restaurants The Michelin Guide Northeast ceremony in Philadelphia on Tuesday night saw Chicago add a new one-star restaurant, and a two-star restaurant to its repertoire.

The Michelin Guide Northeast ceremony in Philadelphia on Tuesday night saw Chicago add a new one-star restaurant, Feld, and a two-star restaurant, Kasama, to its repertoire. The ceremony featured restaurants from Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Boston.

Restaurant review: Alinea turns 20 in Chicago, and our critic says it’s time to let go of the balloon Alinea, the modernist tasting-menu restaurant marking a milestone 20th anniversary this week, remains the most important fine dining establishment in Chicago, but it’s not at its best.

In her review of Alinea this year, Tribune critic @louisachu.bsky.social gave the restaurant two out of four stars, recognizing the industriousness of the staff, but noting overly sweet, salty and truffled flavors. Plus, it’s time to let go of The Balloon, one of too many signature courses.

Alinea by chef Grant Achatz demoted from three Michelin stars in Chicago Our Tribune review this year said it was time to let go of The Balloon, one of too many signature dishes.

Michelin awarded the restaurant three stars when the guide first came to Chicago, a distinction it had retained since then.

Alinea by chef Grant Achatz demoted from three Michelin stars in Chicago Our Tribune review this year said it was time to let go of The Balloon, one of too many signature dishes.

Alinea has lost a Michelin star.

The French guide announced that the modernist tasting menu restaurant in Chicago, by award-winning chef and owner Grant Achatz, has been demoted from three stars, the highest rating, to two stars.

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chicagotribune.com/2025/11/11/restaurant-review-tacotlan-mexican-tacos-quesabirria-hermosa/?share=swauertaaiirschosccn

Restaurant review: Tacotlán brings deeply rooted immigrant traditions to fleeting food trends in Hermosa The cozy and chaotic father-and-daughter-owned Mexican restaurant in Chicago is best known for the taco phenomenon known as quesabirria.

Restaurant review: Tacotlán brings deeply rooted immigrant traditions to fleeting food trends in Hermosa

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chicagotribune.com/2025/10/07/restaurant-review-pizzamici/?share=zghztucrapt1m0cuiasa

Restaurant review: Pizz’amici making new tavern style pizza history on Grand Avenue in Chicago The pizzeria makes one of the best thin crusts in the city, but reservations and service can get in the way unless you know the rules.

Pizz’amici makes one of the best thin crusts in the city, but reservations and service can get in the way unless you know the rules.

🎄 I’m on vacation this week, but had to share, because The Walnut Room holiday reservations go live tomorrow!

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chicagotribune.com/2025/09/23/guide-walnut-room-reservation/?share=nt9ob3ercwtorwietatl

Restaurant guide: How to get holiday reservations at The Walnut Room, with a new executive chef, in Chicago Holiday reservations for the Walnut Room, arguably the season’s toughest tables in town, open Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. on OpenTable.

The Walnut Room, the legendary Chicago restaurant best known for Mrs. Hering’s chicken pot pie, opens holiday reservations this week with a new executive chef.

In appreciation: Robert Redford’s elusiveness on screen made him a more complicated actor No role exemplified this better than 1973’s “The Way We Were.”

Many will have a more comprehensive look at his career. I wanted to do something short on the elusiveness he gave to his characters that made them interesting conundrums rather than a blank

No role exemplified this better than 1973’s “The Way We Were." Hubbell, you absolute coward!

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chicagotribune.com/2025/09/16/restaurant-review-north-pond-chicago/?share=ngcpthi1ies20catwout

Restaurant review: North Pond reflects new confidence and curiosity of chef César Murillo in Chicago Executive chef César Murillo has perhaps become best known as a contestant on the reality television series “Top Chef” just this year.

North Pond, the rustic yet refined iconic Chicago restaurant open in Lincoln Park since 1998, whose defining chef departed after an award-winning career spanning 20 years, has found new confidence and curiosity through the extraordinary lived experience of executive chef César Murillo.

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chicagotribune.com/2025/09/09/restaurant-news-luellas-southern-kitchen/?share=9owrn2ucltuiognh20mh

Restaurant news: Luella’s Southern Kitchen makes big moves in Albany Park, among 12 openings around Chicago Darnell Reed bought the building, marking ownership for the ode to his great-grandmother, who migrated from Morgan City, Mississippi, in 1943.

Luella’s Southern Kitchen, the beloved restaurant best known for its buttermilk fried chicken or perhaps crab stuffed shrimp with house-smoked grits, has made a long-anticipated move after 10 years in Lincoln Square — along with a big menu change.

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chicagotribune.com/2025/08/11/restaurant-review-elawa-farm-cafe/?share=1crh5anwah0bewascehw

Restaurant review: Elawa Farm, a beautifully bountiful café and market in Lake Forest The historic former country escape has evolved into a foundation with an ethereal café, elegant market and earnest mission.

Elawa Farm, the historic former country escape built by a couple with a meatpacking fortune has evolved into a foundation with an ethereal café, elegant market and earnest mission.

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chicagotribune.com/2025/08/05/restaurant-news-cerdito-muerto/?share=uowwcawoimccrt0utbns

Restaurant news: Cerdito Muerto, a cocktail bar and Mexican American kitchen, transforms an old family home in Pilsen Owned by Emidio Oceguera, the space was once his mother’s restaurant, Tacos Palacio, and his late father’s neighborhood pool hall.

Cerdito Muerto, a speakeasy-style cocktail bar with a contemporary Mexican American kitchen that’s transformed an old family home that survived the Great Chicago Fire, opened in Pilsen on June 26.

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chicagotribune.com/2025/07/28/restaurant-review-carnitas-uruapan/?share=r2omabtsgaessns5ni7p

Restaurant review: Las Carnitas Uruapan La Villita, a flagship for pork in Chicago Las Carnitas Uruapan La Villita brings 50 years of tradition and transformation to a flagship committed to the community in Little Village.

Las Carnitas Uruapan La Villita, the newest Mexican restaurant by the first family of pork in Chicago, brings 50 years of tradition and transformation to a flagship committed to the community in Little Village.

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chicagotribune.com/2025/07/14/restaurant-review-mahari-chicago/?share=oeeauaanenw0eiiae277

Restaurant review: Mahari, a neighborhood home with the cuisine of the African diaspora in Hyde Park Mahari brings not just the vibrant cuisines of the African diaspora to Chicago, but chefs tracing their cultures and blazing their own paths.

Mahari brings not just the vibrant cuisines of the African diaspora to Chicago, but chefs tracing their cultures and blazing their own paths.

This place sounds awesome!

Also, never read restaurant reviews when you're already hungry.

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chicagotribune.com/2025/06/30/restaurant-review-void-chicago/?share=ntn5ogmowccwuesowid0

Restaurant review: Void, a whimsical Italian American refuge for the weird and wonderful in Chicago Spaghetti Uh-O’s emerged early as the signature dish since opening in Avondale last August, along with their non-alcoholic No-Lört.

While the Italian American restaurant Void does whimsy well, most evident with its Spaghetti Uh-O’s and No-Lört, it’s become one of the best restaurants in Chicago right now, writes @louisachu.bsky.social.