Going to eat at Badou Senegalese Cuisine (2055 W. Howard, Chicago, IL) is like eating at the house of the friend. In fact, Badou likes it when you call ahead to let him know how many people are coming so he is prepared for your party (just like a friend). When we entered Badou, we immediately were greeted by he restaurant’s namesake, Badara “Badou” Diakhate himself, the chef and proprietor, and obviously the heart and soul of the restaurant. He sat down with us and consulted us on his favorite dishes and how much he thought we should order. Badou is located in a nondescript strip mall on the border of Rogers Park and Evanston, but the food and hospitality with transport you to another place. The walls are painted a vibrant blue and covered with masks, wall hangings and paintings from Senegal and surrounding areas.
On our first visit we chatted with Badou over Bissap hibiscus drinks ($2.99). We started our meal with chicken pastels – kind of like empanadas ($4.99) – Badou upped the serving from the normal three-piece serving to four to match our group. The pastries were delicious and flaky, and gently spiced. We ordered three entrees: first was Diby Yaap ($12.99) roast lamb with a spicy habanero and onion sauce. One of the most classic Senegalese dishes was next, Chicken Mafé ($11.99), cooked in a peanut butter sauce. Finally, we ordered the Attieke – fried whole tilapia ($11.99). This dish came with fermented cassava, cooked like couscous, and served with a colorful and onion, tomato and bell pepper sauce.
Our dishes came out one at a time, and we shared each family-style. For the price there was an enormous amount of food, and the three dishes were more than enough for the four of us! The tilapia was excellent, but as with any whole fish – you have to work for your meal. The lamb dish was perfectly tender and had a bit of a spicy kick. The chicken mafe was just like we liked it: rich, creamy and not too spicy. There was something for everything at Badou, with all spice tolerances and tastes covered with ease. On a future visit we tried the steak with Dijon mustard and onions, which seems like a simple mix, but actually had a completely different and delightful flavor profile.
Badou is a great place to enjoy a home cooked meal straight from the heart of Senegal. This is the kind of place to come with friends to while away an evening with some good food. We have now visited Badou on several occasions, and highly enjoyed the food and atmosphere each time. However, this is not a restaurant to go to when you are in a rush, since dishes arrive at a leisurely pace, one-at-a-time, and they sometimes get swamped with delivery orders. Make sure you call in advance too, after all, you are visiting a friend’s house.
Happy Diwali! The Hindu festival of lights is known for its delicious snacks, some of which we have 
When we think of Peruvian food, we usually make the beeline for the ceviche, one of Matt’s favorite dishes OF ALL TIME. However, another thing Peru does really well is awesome, crispy, juicy rotisserie chicken. And sometimes you are not feeling fish, you are feeling chicken! So where to indulge this craving? One stop that came highly recommended, specifically for chicken, was D’Candela (4053 N Kedzie Ave. Chicago IL), part of a boom in Latin American chicken restaurants in Chicago. D’Candela does have a lot of other Peruvian dishes on its menu, including ceviche as an entree (but not an appetizer), and other classic dishes we love like papas a la huancaina and arroz chaufa. But this review is entirely for the chicken. You can order pretty much any size that suits your fancy from a whole, half or quarter chicken – and you can choose between the white or dark for the quarters. The prices are pretty reasonable too ($16.95 for a whole chicken with 2 sides, and a quarter chicken and 2 sides for only $6.85)! Many people were getting their chicken to go, but D’Candela is a BYOB, so why not stay a while?
Phusion Cafe
We love making special food for the holidays, and foods for 
I’m pretty surprised that it took us so long to try Trinidadian food, but since we are such fans of Caribbean food we knew we were in for a treat. One of our favorite Caribbean foods – after lechon of course – is the humble 
Taste of Trinidad is a humble operation, with no air conditioning, and it is often closed during its stated hours, so be sure to call ahead. But don’t worry, this extra effort will be worth your while. We chatted a bit with who we presume is the owner and he was happy to offer his recommendations and tell us a little about Trini food. Beyond rotis, they also have curry goat, jerk chicken and the ever-popular macaroni pie. On the weekend they even have 
First, we selected one of our favorite pizzas, the stalwart Margherita – tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella – the classic by which we judge almost any pizzeria. Next, we opted for the “Capua” variety which was topped with prosciutto, arugula and Parmesan cheese. The pizzas arrived quickly, as advertised. The pies initially come out uncut and the server will cut them for you into whatever configuration you may wish. The traditional way to eat this kind of pizza is by knife and fork anyway. Overall, the topping were fresh, generous and uniformly excellent, and the sauce was the perfect consistency. The crust was a little thicker than Neapolitan pies might be, but we don’t have any complaints. 
There is nothing better than a pastry and some coffee in the morning – especially freshly made sticky buns! We have been getting more into Venezuelan food recently – and we were delighted to learn about a Venezuelan take on the sticky bun that even includes fresh cheese and a touch of anise flavor – the golfeado. Golfeados are native to the capital city of Venezuela, Caracas, where they are typically topped with a slice of queso de mano cheese. If you know how to make sticky buns you pretty much know how to make golfeados – and if you don’t – it’s not that hard to learn. This version from Miami 
Dumpling lovers rejoice: today is National Pierogi(e) Day! Pierogi can be found anywhere with a sizable Polish popular throughout the US and 
Eating The World 