Polish food was basically born from people wanting to survive cold, depressing conditions, so why not grab it on your winter trip to Chicago? Heavy and carb-filled, Polish cuisine will feed a hungry winter’s belly, and what better place to get some Polish food than Chicago? (Answer: Poland). After all, Chicago has one of the largest ethnic Polish communities, and chances are half the people you meet have more than one “z” in their name.
Check out Staropolska, a restaurant rife with authenticity (or at least a lot of people speaking Polish). Try out the pierogies, a kind of polish dumpling, and order some potato pancakes with applesauce. Anything with mushrooms is also great: from the stuffed mushrooms to mushroom soup. Polish food isn’t generally very friendly to vegetarians, but Staropolska is an exception and features a delicious vegetarian plate for those who like to avoid beasts.