Chicago

Everything I've ever eaten here has been fresh and tasty beyond belief. These folks even serve up a good tomato in the heart of a Chicago winter, which I call a small miracle.

The menu is Mediterranean and the atmosphere is kind of like a bustling marketplace. You can sit and eat, or grab something from the take-out bakery or deli counter, or just have a coffee or — better yet — a sweet, frothy Greek ice coffee frappe up at the bar. The sandwiches are great. The pizza's great. The traditional chicken, rice and lemon soup is the best I've ever tasted. And you know a Greek can toss up a salad like nothing. Order anything with a portobello mushroom and you won't be disapointed.

Oh, and I read somewhere that it becomes kind of a yuppie lunch spot on weekdays, so you might want to avoid it at those times, if possible.