The Culinary School at Chicago’s Kendall College created an interactive map that matches the historical ethnicity of all 85 Chicago neighborhoods with each neighborhood’s highest Yelp-rated restaurant serving the corresponding ethnic cuisine.
That means you can now find the highest-rated Mexican food in Pilsen, the highest-rated Swedish food in Andersonville and the highest-rated soul food in Hyde Park.
More well-known Second City favorites like The Local and Harold’s Chicken make the cut, but the map will also surely inspire foodies to venture out and try out the best each neighborhood has to offer.
Kendall College relied on the “Encyclopedia of Chicago’s Ethnic Mosaic” to determine the ethnicity of the neighborhoods. Those neighborhoods without a historical ethnicity were categorized as “American Melting Pot” neighborhoods. You can read more about the methodology here.
Here are five good places from the map to begin your foodie quest:
1. La Palma Puerto Rican Restaurant in Humboldt Park
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2. Greek Islands Restaurant in Greektown
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3. Big Jones in Uptown
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4. Kabul House in West Ridge
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5. Knife and Tine in Lincoln Park
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