The best restaurants in Ukrainian Village and Noble Square

When we say Podhalanka has an “old world” feel, we mean old world in that “premodern comforts” kind of way. Not that this dive doesn’t have electricity, but it is dark and not as clean as your mother would like. What it lacks in atmosphere, it makes up for in tasty, authentic Polish eats. We love the beet salad, cabbage soup, potato pancakes and pierogi. We also love talking about the old country with the buddy on the barstool next to us.

The funky, casual dining room is an all-day draw for those looking for an interesting meal at a reasonable price. The brunch and breakfast menu standouts include New Mexico–influenced tongue-scorchers such as green-chili enchiladas and huevos rancheros—perfect when balanced with fresh-fruit smoothies and strong coffee. At dinner, local and often organic produce appears as salads and sides for comforting classics like carnitas tacos, portobello enchiladas and chicken chili verde.

Roots' specializes in Quad Cities pizza, which is to say, the crust is made with malt, cut with scissors and topped with cheese last. It's sweet and topped with whatever you'd like, although there's always a few chef collaborations to pick from. A long list of beer rounds out the bar menu, perfect for sitting and watching your sport of choice.

So the hipster-vintage-saloon aesthetic and a taxidermy grizzly bear wander into a sports bar. This is pretty much the setup of Frontier, a gastropub from the folks behind Lottie’s and the Pony, which mashes North Woods lodge elements into the neighborhood-tap mold. Chef Brian Jupiter’s food—charbroiled oysters, sliders and even whole-animal feasts—adds another component to the mix, and the more time you spend eating impressive dishes like the tarragon-buttered redfish, the faster it all starts to come together.

Serving brunch by day and burgers by night, Whisk is a spot from brothers and chefs Rick and David Rodriguez. It's bright, lively and sunny atmosphere (the patio is littered by Ron Swanson memorabilia. Try the Chicago Avenue burger, two thick patties topped with brisket, LTO, pickles and an onion ring.