Restaurants in Highland Park

Carmen's Pizza first began kneading its dough in 1979, establishing itself as a destination for authentic, Chicago-style pizza. Although the chefs still bake deep-dish pies with thick, golden crusts, they also hand-toss thinner pizzas and layer ingredients between the twin crusts of their stuffed pies. The 16-topping-strong selection includes perennial pizzeria favorites, including sausage and mushrooms, along with slightly more eclectic options such as giardiniera and pine nuts. Hearty pizzas dominate the menu, but the chefs also blanket orders of pasta with housemade tomato or cream sauces and smuggle sweetened ricotta into cannoli shells.

At Swad Of India, cooks seek out halal meats for their entrees, roasting platefuls of marinated lamb and chicken inside a traditional clay tandoor oven. The vegetarian options use the same blends of potent herbs and spices, although the cooks replace the meats with housemade cheese or vegetables exclusively sourced from county-fair ribbon ceremonies.

The slice-savvy staff at Wa-Pa-Ghetti’s Pizza slather sauce made with vine ripened tomatoes atop the handcrafted crusts of thin, thick, and stuffed pies. More than 20 toppings mingle on pizzas, which are always made to order and emerge from ovens about half an hour after diners send orders via carrier kites into the kitchen. Chefs also assemble 15 kinds of sandwiches and a host of American fare to round out the menu. Barbecued ribs and chicken are slathered with the house sauce, and baked potatoes come adorned with edible topping toupees in combinations inspired by Italian and Mexican cuisines or loaded with a custom combination.

Va Pensiero owner Jeff Muldrow has served as executive chef at a number of top-notch Chicago Italian restaurants. Using the best ingredients from local, predominantly organic farms (plus a few indispensably Italian ingredients imported from the motherland), he's assembled a creative menu of sumptuous dishes. Start off with a creamy risotto with roasted pumpkin and meaty, pan-seared scallops ($14) or a bright carpaccio of grass-fed beef tenderloin with sun-dried tomato compote and shaved parmesan ($10). Entrees are varied and impressive, including a variety of textures and flavors in the herbed-crusted sea scallops ($31) and grilled lamb chops with gorgonzola polenta and swiss chard ($28). Wash it all down with a wine pairing from Va Pensiero's rich wine list.

Since 1975, Wiener and Still Champion has served piping-hot Chicago-style hot dogs, fresh-ground burgers, and a variety of one-of-a-kind eats. Fast-food traditionalists can get their hot-dog-and-fries fix with the two hot dog combo, including fresh-cut Idaho-potato french fries and a regular drink ($7.75). The 1/3-pound cheeseburger satisfies individual stomachs with its sesame-seed hand-formed knot roll ($5.75). And the nine patties and 11 cheese slices on the three-pound triple undisputed can feed up to 12 “Macho Man” Randy Savage impersonators ($22.50). Scarf one of Wiener and Still Champion's signature dipping dogs, a hot dog that's hand-dipped in fresh cornmeal batter ($2.50). The bacon-obsessed will clamor for a soul-reaffirming bite of the shop's country-fried bacon, served with both hot sauce and Argentine garlic and herb sauce ($6). The joint prides itself on its array of tasty sauces, with a "sauce of the week" series that has featured piquant concoctions such as mojo mayo, Cajun ketchup, and Mediterranean honey balsamic.