Hewn, one of Evanston’s most popular bakeries, relocated during the pandemic but remains one of the area’s best-known destinations. The backbone of Hewn’s offerings is its assortment of hand-shaped, freshly baked bread upon which staff build various sandwich offerings. It’s a perfect spot to pick up breakfast, as it offers a plethora of warm pastries and a substantial coffee menu.

Once one of the most popular spots in downtown Evanston, Dave’s Italian Kitchen abruptly shuttered in 2016, only to quickly reopen further north on Noyes with a wide selection of pasta, pizza, and traditional chicken dishes. The restaurant is exclusively open for carryout and delivery due to the pandemic; place orders online via Toast.

Chef D’Andre Carter has made a big splash in Chicago with his rich, smokey barbecue and soul food like shrimp and grits, earning a sizable following that’s spawned virtual outposts and a food hall stall. Now ranked among the area’s top barbecue contenders, Soul & Smoke actually originated in Evanston and patrons can still snag pickup orders from the operation’s out-of-the-way home base. The brisket is world class.

An Evanston classic, Bat 17 has the best qualities of both a deli and a pub. Boasting tons of burgers, sliders, and other sandwiches, the restaurant is known for its massive portions. Bat 17 gives its offerings an extra oomph by emphasizing quality, using free-range meat when possible and getting its bread from award-winning bakery Bennison’s.

For breakfast in downtown Evanston, few places have developed the reputation that La Peep has consistently held. A favorite for both NU students and residents alike, the chain’s menu covers the essential breakfast groups, from French toast to skillets and everything in between. Plus, it offers an especially popular pancake of the month, ranging from chocolate chip cookie to pumpkin pecan.

This revamped suburban hit — known for more than two decades as Chef’s Station — leans toward fine dining with intricate dinner options such as pan-seared Hudson Valley foie gras (caramelized peaches, toasted brioche) and grilled New Zealand rack of lamb. Find it under the Davis Metra stop.

One of downtown Evanston’s best spots for an elegant lunch or dinner, Found highlights the skill of James Beard Award-winning chef Debbie Gold (Tied House). By showcasing local produce and seasonal ingredients, Gold weaves excellent vegetables throughout, and touts an impressive selection of cheese and caviar. Even if one is just craving a fancy burger, Found’s has that base covered too. The restaurant shares ownership with another popular local spot, the Barn Steakhouse.

Specializing in Venezuelan-inspired Latin American street food, La Cocinita specializes arepas — delectable cornmeal patties in crowd-pleasing varieties like El Pabellon (brisket, black beans, sweet plantains) and El Vegano (sweet potato, corn and carrot sofrito, salsa verde). As of fall 2021, the restaurant is exclusively open for carryout and delivery. Those who can’t wait to dig in can snag seats a block west at Fountain Square. La Cocinita also operates a food hall outpost in New Orleans, as well as food trucks in both Illinois and Louisiana.

This upscale neighborhood restaurant puts a global twist on familiar American dishes. The menu draws on Evanston farmers’ market products — seen clearly in the Harrison’s Farm fried chicken. It’s also a nice retreat for brunch, earning fans with a mushroom and havarti scramble and ginger-apricot mimosas.

A vast menu of tapas encourages groups to sample through a medley of Catalonian and Andalusian flavors at this Spanish mainstay, which is best known for crowd-pleasing plates like bacon-wrapped dates, Spanish tortillas, croquetas, and grilled octopus. Consider all of them the perfect pairings for either of the house sangrias or the Spanish margarita, a cross-Atlantic alternative on the classic with brandy and lime juice.

This downtown Evanston spot from the owner of Chicago’s Le Sud offers a wide selection of Chinese cuisine — think Mongolian beef, garlic shrimp, and sesame chicken — as well as sushi and dim sum. Those who like to give back while dining out can call ahead to reserve table 23 and the restaurant will donate 23 percent of the check to a charitable organization.

Housed inside one of Evanston’s coolest restaurant spaces, Union Pizzeria is an aesthetically pleasing spot where locals and visitors inhale piping-hot wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas like lamb sausage with eggplant, gaeta olives, and rosemary. For squares of Detroit-style pan pizza with perfectly crispy, caramelized edges, fans should head to suburban sister spot Union Squared.

Chef and owner Mark Grosz opened this seafood-centric new American restaurant in 1989 and its drawn well-heeled diners to Main Street ever since. Refined starters include wild Japanese day boat scallops and Hudson Valley foie gras, plus indulgent entrees such as a prime Nebraska filet mignon or wild Maine swordfish with broccolini and saffron.

Chef Vince DiBattista serves rustic Italian cuisine at this neighborhood restaurant, which has been in operation for more than two decades. Expect seasonal and locally sourced ingredients peppered throughout the menu’s dishes, from orecchiette with grilled sausage and roasted peppers to roast duck with polenta and sour cherry mostardo.

Located right on Evanston’s border with Chicago, Peckish Pig offers a very different dining experience than most nearby competitors, as it works to elevate the standard brewpub experience. Its menu is impressively extensive, offering popular items like bacon wrapped dates and chicken wings but also more adventurous options like green curry mussels. Additionally, Peckish Pig offers about a dozen house-brewed beers at all times, as well as multiple cocktails and whiskies.