Den Den Restaurant, Chicago

Even in a city as diverse as Chicago, it can be hard to find certain types of cuisine. Luckily, Den Den Restaurant has Eritrean food covered. The Rogers Park joint introduces newbies to Eritrean eats, which is sometimes described as a less spicy, lighter version of Ethiopian food, but is still served with spongy injera bread. There's also a familiar hot-pepper berbere sauce flavoring pieces of beef, chicken, or lamb.

The Chicago Reader particularly enjoyed Den Den's t'ibsi derho, a mixture of bone-in chicken pieces cooked in a berbere curry with hardboiled eggs. The reader called it the menu's "standout dish," saying it had "fiery magic."