Shopping in Chicago

Stocking shelves with new and recycled duds since 1971, Ragstock fortifies wardrobes with a storefront brimming with new and recycled men's and women's clothing and accessories. In addition to mainstream garments, stores sling eclectic outfit accouterments such as neon suspenders ($9.99) and thick-rimmed spectacles ($4.99+) that allow shoppers to evoke the air of literature professors without blithely quoting Joyce.

On Sunday mornings, a long line snakes through Don Pedro Carnitas, at times even winding into the kitchen where cooks simmer pork for what Serious Eats called “the best carnitas in the city.” Though the décor here may be sparse, the dishes certainly aren’t. Patrons can order up crisp chicharrones, cactus salad, spicy chorizo, and even deep-fried cow brains that Serious Eats likens to “a savory eggy custard in a fried crust.”

When Jerry Lombardi moved his small grocery store to Pilsen in 1960, he immediately recognized the local market for authentic Mexican ingredients. To satisfy the cravings of the neighborhood’s Hispanic community, he began importing cilantro, jalapenos, serrano peppers, and canned goods directly from Mexico. A few years later, Doña Maria took Lombardi’s baton and ran with it, setting up a small taqueria inside the grocery store. Maria’s take on Mexican cuisine proved to be a bigger hit than a piñata at a baseball game. Long lines soon forced her to assume a larger space just next door, where today her daughters continue to pay homage to her original recipes for tacos, sopes, and chile rellenos.

Multiple Locations; Not listed