Who loves you, feminist foodies? We do! Enjoy this running and delish list of women-owned restaurants in Chicago and women-powered kitchens in the Chicago area.
In these #Coronavirus #COVID19 times, see the #FeministAgenda event, Dining in from local restaurants at Dining at a Distance-Chicago: Keeping Chicago fed during COVID-19, a list of restaurants and their takeout/curbside and contactless delivery options. Feel free to contact the restaurants directly, though, by visiting their websites below.
Got a women-owned favorite that we missed? Let us know!
Baker Miller Bakery & Millhouse
Owners: Dave and Megan Miller
Cuisine: Baked goods & cafe fare
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Square, Uptown, Edgewater
Basu
Owners: Sisters Kim, Minah, and Tran Dao
Cuisine: Espresso drinks and fresh baked goods in the morning; Vietnamese (Banh Mi, bowls and more in afternoon and evenings)
Neighborhood: Northbrook
Bittersweet Pastry Shop
Owners: Chef Mindy Gohr and Esther Griego
Cuisine: Cafe + European-style pastries & desserts
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Black Dog Gelato
Owner: Chef Jessica Oloroso
Cuisine: Gelato
Neighborhood: East Village
Check out Elisa Shoenberger’s review here.
Brown Bag Seafood Co.
Owner: Donna Lee
Cuisine: Seafood
Neighborhoods: Loop, Roscoe Village
Brown Sugar Bakery
Owner: Stephanie Hart
Cuisine: Southern-style desserts
Neighborhoods: Greater Grand Crossing, Navy Pier
Read Hilary Christian’s interview with Hart here.
Brü Chicago
Co-founder: Alyona Udartseva
Cuisine: Light food & coffee
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Cafe Selmarie
Owners: Birgit Kobayashi & Jeanne Uzdawinis (Uzdawinis passed away in 2017)
Cuisine: Contemporary American
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Cesar’s Restaurant
Owners: Owners include sisters Sandra Sanchez and Lourdes Duran
Cuisine: Mexican (they’re the Home of the Killer Margaritas)
Neighborhood: Lakeview, two locations on Broadway & Clark
Update: CheSa’s at The Bureau Bar & Restaurant. Chef Chesareé Rollins, Ph.D. cooks up gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options in an allergy-friendly kitchen.
CheSa’s Gluten Free Food Truck
Owner: Chef Chesareé Rollins, Ph.D.
Cuisine: Gluten-free delights
Neighborhoods: Wrigley Field, Whole Foods, Pete’s Fresh Market salad bars; around downtown during lunchtime
The Chicago Diner
Owners: Marshall “Mickey” Hornick & Chef Jo Kaucher
Cuisine: Vegetarian/Vegan
Neighborhoods: Lakeview, Logan Square
Check out Laurie Fanelli’s review here.
Duck Duck Goat
Owners: Chef & Partner Stephanie Izard, Rob Katz & Kevin Boehm
Cuisine: Chinese
Neighborhood: Fulton Market
Check out Jera Brown’s roundup of Izard’s restaurants here.
Elizabeth
Owner: Chef Iliana Regan
Cuisine: American
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
ERIS Brewery & Cider House
Owner: Katy Pizza and Michelle Foik
Cuisine: Pub fare
Neighborhoods/Locations: Irving Park
First Slice Pie Cafe
Owner: Chef Mary Ellen Diaz
Cuisine: Salads, sandwiches, soups & desserts
Neighborhoods/Locations: Andersonville, Ravenswood & Evanston
Girl and the Goat
Owners: Executive Chef Stephanie Izard, Rob Katz & Kevin Boehm
Cuisine: Dramatic small plates
Neighborhood: West Loop (Randolph Restaurant Row)
Goddess and The Baker
Owners: Debbie Sharpe & Tamar Mizrahi
Cuisine: Cafe fare & desserts
Neighborhoods: The Loop (two locations)
Hema’s Kitchen
Owner: Hema Potla
Cuisine: Indian
Neighborhoods: Little India
Update: The Lincoln Park location has closed
Honey Butter Fried Chicken
Owners: Joshua Kulp & Christine Cikowski
Cuisine: Fried chicken & the amazingness that accompanies it
Neighborhood: Avondale
Hoosier Mama Pie Company
Owners: Chef Paula Haney and Craig Siegelin
Cuisine: Sweet & savory pies
Neighborhood & locations: West Town and Evanston
Jennivee’s Bakery
Owner: Jenne Vailoces
Cuisine: Filipino-American bakery
Neighborhood: Lakeview
The Jibarito Stop
Owners: Cely Rodriguez and Moraima Fuentes
Cuisine: Puerto Rican favorites
Neighborhood: Pilsen
Kal’ish
Owners: Andy Kalish & Gina Marino-Kalish
Cuisine: Vegan diner fare
Neighborhood: Uptown
Kinzie Chophouse
Owner: Susan Frasca
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Neighborhood: River North
Read vegan Lisa Marie Farver’s restaurant review & interview with Frasca.
Klein’s Bakery & Cafe
Owners: Sergio Barbone and Jessica Klein
Cuisine: Desserts & cafe fare
Neighborhood: Buena Park
Kostali by Naha
Owner and executive chef: Carrie Nahabedian
Cuisine: Coasts of the Mediterranean, including Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Tunisia, Lebanon, Israel, and Morocco
Neighborhood: Downtown (The Gwen Hotel)
Little Goat Diner
Owners: Chef Stephanie Izard; Rob Katz & Kevin Boehm
Cuisine: Classic comfort food
Neighborhood: West Loop (Randolph Restaurant Row)
Lotus Café & Banh Mi Sandwiches (719 W Maxwell), Lotus Vietnamese Kitchen (166 W Washington), Lotus Banh Mi (818 S Wolcott)
Owners: Kim Dao and Dao Nguyen
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: University Village (exact addresses above)
Mana Food Bar
Owners: Chef Jill Barron and Susan Thompson
Cuisine: Vegetarian small plates
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio
Owners: Chef Sarah Grueneberg & Meg Sahs
Cuisine: Modern Italian
Neighborhood: West Loop
Mindy’s HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar
Owner: Mindy Segal
Cuisine: American
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
My Chocolate Soul
Owner: Ramona Thomas
Cuisine: Artisan chocolate
Neighborhood: Uptown
Nohea Cafe
Owner: Michelle Mochoruk Gorman
Cuisine: Deli fare, sandwiches, salads
Neighborhood: West Loop
Parachute
Owners: Chef Beverly Kim & Johnny Clark
Cuisine: Korean-American
Neighborhood: Avondale
Prairie Grass Cafe
Owners: Chef/Owner Sarah Stegner and Chef George Bumbaris and co-owner Rohit Nambiar
Cuisine: Farm to table (Stegner is a co-founder of the Green City Market)
Neighborhood: Northbrook
Chef Sarah Stegner’s daily home cooking hotline, 2-4pm, 847-920-8437
Saigon Sisters
Owners: Sisters Mary Nguyen Aregoni and Theresa Nguyen, along with their mother, Mama Suu
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Neighborhoods: West Loop (Lake Street, French Market); Downtown (Northwestern Memorial)
Saucy Porka
Owner: Amy Le
Cuisine: Asian-Latin fusion
Neighborhoods: South Loop, Hyde Park
Smack Dab Chicago
Owners: Christine Forster & Axel Erkenswick
Cuisine: Bakery; comfort food breakfast & brunch
Neighborhood: Rogers Park
Southport Grocery and Cafe
Owner: Lisa Santos
Cuisine: Breakfast/lunch cafe
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Split-Rail
Owner: Executive Chef Zoe Schor
Cuisine: New Americana
Neighborhood: West Town
Sugar Fixé Patisserie
Owner: Chef Cindy Summers
Cuisine: Classic French and modern American pastries, custom designed cakes.
Neighborhoods: Oak Park
Sweet Maple Cafe
Owner: Laurene Hynson
Cuisine: Country-style breakfast & lunch
Neighborhood: Little Italy
Tweet
Owner: Michelle Fire
Cuisine: Brunch
Neighborhood: Uptown
Uvae Kitchen and Wine Bar
Owners: Lindsey Anderson-Perez and Chef Sweet Charity Smith
Cuisine: New American
Neighborhood: Andersonville
Vanille Patisserie
Owner: Chef Sophie Evanoff
Cuisine: French pastries, desserts
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Park, Downtown (Chicago French Market), Lakeview, Hyde Park
Check out Janet Arvia’s review here.
Vermilion
Owner: Rohini Dey
Cuisine: Indian & Latin fusion
Neighborhood: River North
Vivere
Owner: Gina Capitanini represents the third generation of the family to take the reins
Cuisine: Contemporary Italian
Neighborhood: Downtown (located on the main floor of Italian Village)
Vosges Haut-Chocolat
Owner: Katrina Markoff
Cuisine: Truffles and luxury chocolates
Neighborhoods: Loop, Lincoln Park, O’Hare
Wheat’s End Cafe
Owners: Susan McMillan and Amelia Fonti
Cuisine: Gluten-free breakfast & bakery
Neighborhood: Lakeview
XO Marshmallow
Owners: Kat Connor & Lindzi Shanks
Cuisine: Gourmet marshmallows & related treats
Neighborhood: Rogers Park
Photos from women-owned restaurants in Chicago, from left: Mouth-watering macarons from Vanille Patisserie, a “killer margarita” from Cesar’s, Black Dog gelato goodness, courtesy of Instagram.
Closings
Belly Q
Owners: Chef Bill Kim & Yvonne Cadiz Kim
Cuisine: “Dishes and flavors from Korea and its neighbors”
Neighborhood: West Loop
Update: Closed in October 2018
The Boarding House
Owner: Proprietor/master sommelier Alpana Singh
Cuisine: Upscale American
Neighborhood: River North
Update: Closed in July 2018
Dia De Los Tamales
Owners: Chef Keith Carlson, Sam Wahl, & Jeni Wahl
Cuisine: Tamales
Neighborhoods: The Loop (Block 37), Pilsen
Update: Closed in October 2018
Longacre
Owners: Andy Kalish & Gina Marino-Kalish
Cuisine: Brunch & Supper
Neighborhood: Uptown
Update: Closed in September 2019
Mad Love
Owner: Anna Abbey
Cuisine: Thai
Neighborhood: Ravenswood
Update: Closed in (month?) 2019
Naha
Owner and executive chef: Carrie Nahabedian
Cuisine: American and Mediterranean
Neighborhood: River North
Update: Closed in March 2018
Pizza Squared by Longacre
Owners: Andy Kalish & Gina Marino-Kalish
Cuisine: Detroit-style pizza
Neighborhood: Uptown
Update: Closed in September 2019
Scone City
Owner: Jessica Canning
Cuisine: Scones & espresso bar
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Update: Closed in October 2019
Seven Lions
Owner: Proprietor/master sommelier Alpana Singh
Cuisine: Classic American
Neighborhood: Downtown
Update: Closed in January 2019
