Big Kids

"Even though the sandwich shop is closed, on Fat Tuesday, Kelly Ijichi — who wowed fans at Mom’s Chicago with Japanese-inspired fare — is back again with a gloriously goofy paczki party with friends and collaborators Lorraine Nguyen, Rosie Est, and Alisha Norris Jones. Special flavors include a paczki topped with truffles and much, much more. Preorders are going fast." - Naomi Waxman, Ashok Selvam

"This ‘90s-themed sandwich shop, complete with action figures and Happy Meal toys lining the walls, is a collaboration between the former Blackbird chef and a chef from New Orleans sandwich icon Turkey and the Wolf. That means the constantly changing options here are creative and tasty enough to briefly take away the anxiety of having multiple check engine lights on in your car. Add the Shiddy Burger (one of the best in Chicago), some fun drinks like a “Tang-a-rita,” and tater tots for a meal where you can relive a simpler time in your life." - adrian kane, veda kilaru

"This '90s-themed sandwich shop, complete with action figures and Happy Meal toys decorating the space, is mostly made up of one massive bar. In fact, besides a small alcove in the back of the shop, Big Kids seems almost inhospitable to large groups. This means a lot of single diners or small groups of two will have an easy time finding a seat to enjoy one of the interesting collaborations between the former Blackbird chef and a chef from the New Orleans sandwich spot Turkey And The Wolf. The sandwiches (like the turkey, pastrami, and zesty pasta salad—yes all of those on one sandwich) are both creative and tasty. Plus they have the shiddy burger—one of the best burgers in Chicago—fun drinks like milk punch or the ecto cooler, and small bites like tater tots that are also very good." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru, josh barnett

"This Logan Square sandwich shop is a collaboration between the former Blackbird chef and a chef from the sandwich spot Turkey and the Wolf in New Orleans. This means the sandwiches (like the grinders, or the collard melt with braised collard greens, Russian dressing, and Swiss cheese on rye) are incredible. Plus they have they have fun to-go drinks like milk punch or the ecto cooler." - adrian kane

"Shiddy Burger The “Shiddy Burger” (we’re ignoring the ironic name and suggest you do the same) from Big Kids in Logan Square is the platonic ideal of a smashburger. The griddled patties have lacy caramelized edges, and are smooshed on a flat top within an inch of their life. And despite that extreme smooshing, the meat still maintains plenty of juiciness. The burger is topped with a generous amount of “shiddy sauce”, and it’s the satisfying crunch of those crispy edges combined with the creaminess of the sauce that makes us plan our week around whenever this thing is available. At the time of this writing, that’s Monday, Friday, and Saturday evenings." - adrian kane