10 Dishes Around Chicago to Bring Comfort to Your Winter

Aldo Zaninotto and Cameron Grant’s inviting spot specializes in the rich, meaty cooking of Piedmont, Italy — aka just the sort of upmarket comfort we need.

Our comfort pick: Plin. These delicate ravioli pillows are filled with La Tur cheese, and swim in thyme-infused butter. If you don’t already know, you’ve been missing out. Note: You can also buy them frozen, for future comfort.

Dining status: Pickup and delivery are available.

From Satoko Takeyama and Jee H. Kim, the dynamic duo behind Wasabi and Ramen Takeya, this newcomer shop serves up all manner of warming ramen, karaage, and donburi rice bowls.

Our comfort pick: Goku tantanmen. A Japanese take on Sichuan dan dan noodles, Goku’s version features Berkshire pork bone broth boosted with sesame paste and numbing peppercorns, making it the ideal salve to chilly, grey weather.

Dining status: Pickup and delivery are available.

This stalwart French bistro offers all kinds of warming dishes, from French onion soup capped with melting Gruyère and brioche crouton, to duck confit and croque madame.

Our comfort pick: Cassoulet. Campagne’s take on this meaty Southwestern countryside stew packs duck confit, Cognac-duck sausage, pork belly, bacon lardons, white beans, and baby carrots beneath a crunchy roof of herb breadcrumbs. Note: You can also order cassoulet in reheatable meal kit form, and recreate it yourself.

Dining status: Carryout is available; call 773-271-6100.

This inviting British-style pub trades in comfort fare, including the crowd fave Friday fish fry. But the stars are the handmade, savory royal pies, available in take-and-bake and cooked versions, with fillings like savory steak and ale, and creamy kale and mushrooms.

Our comfort pick: Chicken Balti Pie. Flaky, buttery pastry encases luscious, curry-scented stewed chicken thighs and tomatoes.

Dining status: Carryout and delivery are available.

This bilevel Asian brewpub strays deliciously from tradition, via delectable dishes like kombu mac and cheese, its spicy fried chicken sandwich on a Japanese milk bun, and chile oil-slicked Yibin-style belt noodles, native to that Sichuan city.

Our comfort pick: the Slagel Burger, from (temporarily closed) sister restaurant Owen & Engine. Undoubtedly one of the city’s best burgers, O&E’s is a study in quality and simplicity. A succulent half-pound patty, blending Slagel Farms ground chuck, short rib, and brisket, is piled with sweet caramelized onions on a housemade potato bun. Add a slab of Barber’s cheddar if you must; do not skip the side of beef-fat fries with malt aioli.

Dining status: Pickup and delivery are available.

The list of Chicago bars with good food is regrettably short; but this Heisler spot — half English pub, half Indian-fusion restaurant — always comes through on both fronts. Since the pandemic, they’ve trimmed the booze half to comprise low-intervention wines and bottled cocktails. The food is fun, richly spiced and satisfying, from buttered paneer with blistered paratha to Manchurian-spiced chicken wings, and a solid cheeseburger.

Our comfort pick: Tikka Fries. Because why not take already-soothing chicken tikka masala, and pile it on crispy fries, with fresh ginger and Cotija and Chihuahua cheese?

Dining status: Pickup and delivery are available.

What better way to warm up than with a taste of sultry New Orleans? This Edgewater spot serves up Southern comfort with a Creole twist, including po’ boys, jambalaya and excellent barbecue.

Our comfort pick: the Barnyard Platter, with a side of Four Cheese Mac and Cheese. Why choose when you can have all of Pearl’s delish ‘cue? This platter includes four dry-rubbed ribs, a quarter-pound of pulled pork, and a juicy smoked quarter-chicken. Yes, it comes with fries and house pickles. But you’ll want to add a side of the gooey four-cheese mac.

Dining status: Pickup and delivery are available.

A downtown staple since 1927, the top-floor restaurant is the only one currently open at this three-restaurants-in-one temple to Italian-American cooking. Famous for its twinkle lights and frescoed walls depicting a Tuscan village at night, the Village is chock full of warming comfort food, from veal Parm to spaghetti with meatballs and crisp-edged tavern-style pizzas.

Our comfort pick: Lasagne. A house specialty, the Village’s version may stand out for not including ricotta in its meaty, comforting layers. Instead, creamy béchamel alternates with meaty red gravy, ruffly noodles and grated Parmesan in this hug of a baked pasta dish.

Dining status: Pickup and delivery are available.

Chef Cliff Rome’s cheery Southern restaurant trades in all manner of comforting breakfast and lunch, from pecan pancakes to fat salmon croquettes, and catfish with greens and grits.

Our comfort pick: Duck Bowl. This savory red potato hash — laced with lean duck bacon, sweet peppers, wilted spinach leaves and melted cheddar, and topped with eggs cooked any which way (literally, there are 18 options) — is everything we want in a cozy brunch dish.

Dining status: Pickup and delivery are available.

Pizza is the ultimate comfort food, especially when paired with cold beer. You can’t really go wrong with this Wicker Park staple’s New Haven-style pies, chewy-crisp and thin, and yet substantial. Choose your style — red, white, BBQ or New Haven-style “plain” (red sauce, no mozzarella) — and then pile on the toppings.

Our comfort pick: Red pizza with pepperoni, and a growler of Golden Arm. This quintessential pie is a master class in cheese-to-sauce-to-topping ratios, with little crimson oil pools dotting the oven-singed pepperoni. Wash it down with Golden Arm, an easy-drinking German-style Kölsch.

Dining status: Pickup and contactless delivery are available.