Chicago Foodie Trips In Evanston, Chinatown & Pilsen

No Labor Day getaway plans? No problem. Avoid the traffic and let your mouth do the traveling with our three food-focused staycation agendas.

Evanston: Start the day with a late, leisurely breakfast at Crêperie Saint-Germain, a charming spot with sweet and savory crêpes made from organic flour. Wander through downtown Evanston, stopping for a tour at Few Spirits before grabbing a box of golden-fried thighs and crinkle fries from Evanston Chicken Shack. Eat them on Lighthouse Beach as the sun sets.

Chinatown/Bridgeport: Begin with a dim sum parade at Cai, including dumplings, sausage-studded sticky rice and bean-curd rolls. Then head southwest to Bridgeport for an afternoon of art (don't miss Zhou B) and an afternoon snack at Pleasant House Bakery. Then it's back to Chinatown for a chile-laden feast at Lao Hunan or Ma Gong La Po, and a smoothie from the Joy Yee Smoothie Station.

Pilsen: Follow lunch at Nueva León or Honky Tonk Barbecue with a stroll through Pilsen's Arts District, the dozen-plus galleries that line South Halsted and 18th streets. Head west for an sweet, slushy late-afternoon raspado (Mexican shave ice) from The Jam House, then back to Halsted for gazpacho, spit-roasted chicken and a bottle of rosé at Nightwood.