Baladi Restaurant

It would be easy to miss Baladi Restaurant, hidden behind a pancake house in a tiny Bridgeview strip mall, but the quality of its Middle Eastern offerings would make that a shame. The classics are tastily prepared (the baba ghanoush is especially good), and the complimentary tea with dried sage might be reason enough to return. But be sure to ask what the Arabic-only specials board has to offer—on one trip we had a grilled whole chicken, accompanied by a tangy red pepper dipping sauce, that was unbelievably tender and delicious, setting off flavor fireworks of spices and crispy charred bits.