As a non-native Chicagoan, I had eaten steak sandwiches and dined on plantains, but when I stepped into a Cuban restaurant and saw the jibarito for the first time, my mind was blown. Such a simple substitution, yet so satisfying. I thought that this was Cuban genius, but I was told it came from Costa Rican cuisine. But this treat of thin, char-grilled steak and garlicky mayo, tomatoes and lettuce between crispy planks of smashed and fried plantains came to prominence in Humboldt Park in 1996, at a Puerto Rican place, Borinquen Restaurant. To delicious hometown ingenuity! (Lauren Knight)
Dime Stories: The Holy Ghost of Western Avenue As the COVID-19 pandemic rolls on, one cannot help the sinking suspicion that this is the beginning of a new epoch in the life of the world, not the end. The efforts at feigning "normalization" and "reopening" only add more fatalities and sickness to our country. I've attempted to hide from this by walking in the park and by making…
