West Rogers Park
While parking is scarce, and it may take a train and bus to get here, take a moment to consider what you're saving on airfare and travel time to South Asia when you visit Devon Avenue.
Long known as the anchor of South Asian culture in Chicago, the influences here are almost equal parts Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi. What the street lacks in cleanliness it makes up for in frenetic activity. Restaurants serving up dishes ranging from biryani and curries to sweets like Indian ice cream and coconut cookies neighbor gift shops, where statues of Ganesh and Jesus sit high above unboxed suitcases. Sari shops packed with dazzling fabrics classic poets and playwrights would have spun volumes about sit next to jewelers where gold remains the stuff of princesses.
Zam Zam
2500 W. Devon
(773) 274-4959
As if offering a lunch special of biryani, curry and naan or chapati for $4.99 was not enough, this small Pakistani diner also offers a wide range of sweets and salty snacks. The idea, says owner Mumtaz Rizvi, is to offer a bit of everything for his multi-faith customers, and to keep things affordable. Only one item on the extensive menu cracks the $13 mark, and that's a whole chicken for $14.95. For those wanting to try Zam Zam without going to Devon Avenue, the restaurant will be making its Taste of Chicago debut this year.
Hours: 9 a.m.-12 a.m. daily.
Fish Corner Inc.
6408 N. Campbell
(773) 262-7173
Tucked just a half-block off of Devon, this small fish market doesn't have a fresh case. Instead it's packed with top-open freezers stacked with fish of lakes, rivers and seas. For the less adventurous there are frozen blocks of shrimp and prawns, but for those looking to expand their aquatic repertoire, Fish Corner offers 50 varieties of finned creatures all from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. And fear not; if you don't know what to do with a whole spotted feather back, the helpful staff will send you on your way with instructions.
Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.
Atlantic Video Rentals
2541 W. Devon
(773) 338-3600
Visitors are greeted to this video rental shop by dozens of Indian and Pakistani CDs mostly by classical artists -- which means Ali Akbar Khan not Vivaldi -- but it's the collection of movies, soap operas and cricket matches that give this spot its real draw. For those interested in the classics, entire sections are dedicated to Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, but there is also a fairly extensive selection of new releases. For those just getting into South Asian film, just ask, the staff will help you along.
Hours: Noon-9:30 p.m. daily.
Patel Brothers
2610 W. Devon
(773) 262-7777
This local outlet of a national chain of groceries offers many of the standards you'd expect in an Indian grocer: shelves of bulk spices ranging from whole nutmeg to kalonji seeds, 20 lb. bags of jasmine rice for $7.99, and a limited selection of fresh produce offering karela, chari and your everyday jalapeño. But what sets Patel Brothers apart from the other groceries in the neighborhood are their snack bowls, dozens of them, filled with everything from cereals and trail-mixes to dried fruits and legumes. But if you're getting ready to nab a fistful of goodies be mindful of the sign: "Don't put your hands in (the) snack's bowl."
Hours: 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday.
Ebner's Kosher Meat Market
2649 W. Devon
(773) 764-1446
Opened in 1966, Ebner's is a holdover from when this stretch of Devon was a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. Everything served here is Kosher soaked and prepared from the chicken to the brisket. Don't expect an impersonal stop. This is a real butcher shop, where customers are known by their first names and the conversation is as likely to be about families as it about a cut of meat, and where special orders are handled as everyday business.
Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday; 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday.