Dining Options

Swim Café

1357 W. Chicago Ave.
312-492-8600
www.swimcafe.com

This West Town coffee shop and cafe focuses on baked goods, with house-made pastries and cookies, plus salads, sandwiches and panini.

Lovely

1130 N. Milwaukee Ave.
773-572-4766
www.lovelybakeshop.com

This country kitchen-cute Noble Square bakery reminds us of great-grandma's house, complete with rocking chairs, mix-and-match furniture, and a general store stocked with arty kitchen towels, teapots and aprons. Other merch includes marmalades, fruit jams and customized gift baskets. The pastry case is loaded with choices like banana-pecan muffins, oatmeal raisin cookies, brownies, lemon "tartlettes" and apple almond "cobblerette." Cakes (think chocolate raspberry, raspberry vanilla bean and carrot cake) are also in stock. Beverages include a full espresso bar and sweet tea.

Flo

1434 W. Chicago Ave.
312-243-0477

At Flo, where there's folk, there's fire. The place is both a gallery for folk art and a funky cafe that specializes in New Mexican cooking (there are subtle differences between this cuisine and Tex-Mex, or California Mex, or Mex Mex). Flo gets its peppers directly from a farmer in New Mexico, so the taste is as genuine as anything in Santa Fe.

Leona’s

1936 W. Augusta Blvd.
773-292-4300
www.leonas.com

A Chicago favorite since 1950, this locally owned-and-operated chain (yes, there really was a Leona) serves gargantuan portions of Italian favorites like ravioli and lasagna, thin crust and Sicilian-style deep dish pizza, including honey wheat and butter crust options, plus all-American fare like barbecued baby back ribs, Buffalo chicken wings and burgers.