23. Sweet-potato beignets with bacon | Fahrenheit
Sweet potatoes and bacon sound like the makings of a side dish, but don’t let that deter you: Here the potatoes have been transformed into warm, hearty doughnuts, while the bacon, served on the side in a swath of caramel, adds a salty richness to the plate. 1890 W Main St, St. Charles (630-444-1350). $9. Seasonal.

24. Tea cakes | Floriole Bakery’s Green City Market stand
The proprietors of this bakery have figured out the perfect way to keep people from asking them (again) when they’re going to open a store (for the record, they’re working on it): stuffing people’s faces with soft, scrumptious tea cakes. By the time you’re reading this, the Green City market will have closed for the season, but you can still special-order the tea cakes from floriole.com or 312-550-2526. $20 per cake.

25. Corn muffins | Izola’s
We understand the impulse to reach for the butter when presented with a basket of warm, golden corn muffins. But trust us, these muffins are so buttery on their own you won’t need it. 522 E 79th St (773-846-1484). Two for $1.

26. Fig financiers | Old Town Brasserie
These sweet, sticky little pastries come two to an order, which is ideal for sharing—and trust us, you’ll want to share. Because in all likelihood you’ll have eaten so much duck confit by this point that you won’t have room to take both down yourself. 1209 N Wells St (312-943-3000). $8.

27. The Superdawg | Superdawg
There’s no celery salt on this thing. And it’s not even a Vienna Beef frank (it’s much more plump and flavorful). So even though it’s been around since 1948, this is technically not a classic Chicago dog. It’s better. 6363 N Milwaukee Ave (773-763-0660). $4.75.

28. Peach and cheddar salad | West Town Tavern
Normally, we’d head to Susan Goss in the summer to stuff our stomachs with sweet peach cobbler. But as a first course, we couldn’t resist this inspired combination of tart Wisconsin cheddar and aromatic slices of ripe peach, which had just enough sweetness to take on the spicy arugula and toasted almonds. (This is not to suggest that you should give up on the cobbler, however. For crissakes, isn’t that the reason to eat a salad to begin with?) 1329 W Chicago Ave (312-666-6175). $6.25. Seasonal.

Samosa chaat from Uru-Swati

Photograph: Martha Williams

29. Samosa chaat | Uru-Swati
If we lived in one of India’s bustling big cities, grabbing a quick chaat, or snack, from a street vendor would be easy. But here in Chicago (and thanks to the city’s vendor laws), we have to take our traditional Indian afternoon repast indoors. At this newish vegetarian spot on Devon (take this translated copy of their menu when you go), any of the dozens of dishes will do, but go for broke with this chaat that fires on all cylinders: sweet-tart tamarind chutney, spicy jalapeño sauce, cool and creamy yogurt, toothsome chickpeas and a crisp-shelled potato-filled samosa, all piled onto a plate and ready to satiate subcontinental cravings. 2629 W Devon Ave (773-262-5280). $3.50.