Autre Monde | $$$
6727 W. Roosevelt Berwyn, IL 708-775-8122autremondecafe.net
Gene & Jude’s | $
2720 River Road River Grove, IL 708-452-7634
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A Gene & Jude’s hot dog, like a Cezanne, represents the apotheosis of a form, inessentials stripped away, almost the platonic ideal of the hot dog. No tomato, and you don’t dare ask for ketchup. What you get at this middle-American icon is a perfectly warmed wiener with world-class snap, nestled in a steamed bun and layered with mustard, relish, onion, sport peppers (if you want ’em), and fries. That’s right: the fries, fresh cut with a hand-operated mechanism straight out of the Eisenhower administration, are laid gently on top of the dog, creating a steamy union of dog and fry that miraculously benefits both. There’s always a long line of hungry hot-dog freaks, and it’s always standing room only in this bright yellow-lit room, lined with a white wooden shelf bearing industrial-strength saltshakers (made of glass jars with holes hand-punched in the top). The locals consider this stand a national treasure, and when you bite into one of Gene & Jude’s franks, you’ll see why. Don’t be shy about ordering more than one: I’ve seen big guys order a six-pack to go (which usually means no further than the truck). —David Hammond
The name would suggest that dumplings are the draw here, but it’s the fresh homemade noodles that instantly turn unsuspecting diners into fervent members of the cult of Katy’s. There are two untranslated menus plastered on the wall of this suburban strip-mall storefront. The first lists daily specials like spicy beef tendon and cold pork stomach, which can be found in the refrigerator case (or as I like to call it, the chilled organ grab bag); the second lists frozen dumplings—pork and fennel, beef and scallion, fish stuffed—available to go. Personally I can’t be bothered with such exotica when I have noodles on the brain, and fortunately the dine-in menu is translated. Stir-fried noodles with dry chile offers the perfect introduction: meat, seafood, and vegetables with a healthy dose of dried red chiles, served atop of a big nest of the fresh noodles. Szechuan cold noodles are just as good, the slow burn of the Szechuan-peppercorn-spiked shredded pork prevailing over the shredded cucumber that attempts to cool the palate. If you must have something other than noodles, the chewy pancake with shredded pork may be the only worthy substitute—even though it’s cut to look like a noodle. There’s a second location at 790 Royal Saint George, Naperville (630-416-1188). —Kristina Meyer
Priscilla’s Ultimate Soulfood | $
4330 W. Roosevelt Hillside, IL 708-544-6230priscillasultimatesoulfood.com
Like Glenview’s Royal Malabar catering, Sam’s Rasoi is dingy and dark and not particularly designed for eating in. But on any given day the ownership is happy to seat you and bring out a sampler of whatever’s going on in the kitchen: frequently uncommon vegetarian food from the northern Indian state of Gujarat, but also other northern, southern, and Indo-Chinese fusion dishes. There’s no telling what you might get. A recent visit yielded a hot yogurt soup (not unlike Jordanian mensef), fried okra bound in chickpea flour, a dark brown and powerfully spiced channa masala, pickled carrots and peppers with an unidentifiable but deliciously musky spice profile, northern Indian palak paneer, a stew of eggplant and peas, pappadum, paratha, and a gulab jamun and salty glass of buttermilk to finish things off, all for a very reasonable $17 per head. There’s a spiffier, more full-service outlet in Schaumburg, but the element of surprise there is limited. —Mike Sula
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