Under $100: Dining in Chicago

Chicago is an international food lover’s heaven and eating your way around the city is one way to get to know this bustling metropolis … while making your stomach very, very happy.

Purchase a one-day CTA pass for $10. You’ll be riding the “L” trains and the buses often throughout your culinary tour.

For breakfast, why not start off in Mexico? Make your way down to the neighborhood of Pilsen. Get there by taking the CTA Pink Line to 18th. Don’t rush out of the station, though. Stop and look at the colorful murals around the station’s walls. Head over to Nuevo Leon, a family-run bakery and eatery, for some early morning essentials. Most of the dishes are well under $10.

After breakfast, head over to Chinatown. The CTA Red Line will get you there, and there are also buses. You’ll probably still be full from breakfast, so just pop into one of the bakeries to grab some snacks for later. Chiu Quon Bakery on South Wentworth Avenue is justifiably popular. The egg tarts are great, but also try picking and choosing whatever looks good. You can easily spend less than $5.

Now, we’re going north to India. It’ll be a long ride on the CTA Red Line and the Devon Avenue bus – plenty of time to digest. Uru Swati is a fantastic vegetarian restaurant, and you can have a filling lunch for $15 or less. After, walk around a bit. You’ll see colorful sari shops, Bollywood DVD stores, Pakistani restaurants and even a Georgian bakery. Yes, Georgia the country. Stop in at Argo’s and try a delicious hachapuri pastry for $2.60.

Finally, make your way back toward downtown. If you’re still hungry, make one last stop at Argyle Street off of the Red Line. This “Little Vietnam” is home to many pho restaurants. Try the perennially popular Tank Noodle; their highest priced bowl of pho is only $11.95.