3 Tasty New Ethnic Restaurants in Chicago That Everyone Should Visit

On my last trip to Chicago, I decided to eat "ethnic." I had some ups and downs as you might expect

. But here are 3 new ethnic restaurants that really stood out. Try any one of them -- or all three -- on your next visit to the Windy City.

Taxim - Regional Greek

What exactly is "regional Greek"? I have no idea and most of the people I have asked -- even those who have been to Taxim -- were not sure either. "Just go and see for yourself," was the answer I got from most of them.

So I did.

And I am glad that I did.

I did immediately see the problem with the descriptions though. The menu is all over the place -- from the very traditional Ottoman to the Aegean Isles to modern Greek street food. Consider the pastourma-spiced-rubbed duck leg and breast meat gyros with a mint yogurt sauce. Or how about the house-cured sardines? Or octopus with fennel root.

And don't miss the veggies. The Politiki melitzanosalata of wood-fire-roasted graffiti eggplants with pine nuts and homemade pita is especially tasty. (And yes, that description is from the menu. Wish I could write like that.)

Only one minor complaint. Not so much a complaint really -- more of a warning. The space is really, really loud. What? Right.

Taxim is located in a storefront in Wicker Park at 1558 North Milwaukee Avenue and I would consider it to be affordable

Terzo Piano - Italian

This new gem from Tony Mantuano fits the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it is located, perfectly.

Plan to go for lunch though -- the restaurant is only open one night a week for dinner. (Call 312.443.8650 for information.) Luckily you can get pretty much the entire menu for lunch.

Try the antipasto plate with the flatbread and the hand cut tagliatelle.

Terzo Piano resides (perfectly) in the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, 159 East Monroe Drive

Xoco - Mexican

All I can say is that Rick Bayless, the genius behind Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, has done it again. And I know that the people standing in the constantly long line to get in would definitely agree with me.

Rick invented or perfected the torta/churro -- it doesn't matter -- and has taken it to totally new heights here. Order a pepito with beef and caramelized onion on a grilled Labriola roll and see if you don't agree with me. Careful. Don't talk with your mouth full.

Wash it all down with a cup of Aztec hot chocolate and smile. Heaven on Earth -- on North Clark, no less.

Excuse me while I get back in line.

Xoco is at the end of the long line of hungry people at 449 North Clark Street

3 Tasty New Ethnic Restaurants in Chicago That Everyone Should Visit

By: Mark Hester

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