I have lived in the Chicago area all my life, but it took my nephew living downtown to get me to discover a bunch of fantastic and underrated restaurants. I have tried more new places in the last year than I had in the previous 20 years.  Shame on me, but better late than never.

BIG and little’s has about 20 taco options, but my absolute favorite is the raw ahi tuna. They also have burgers, po’ boys and burritos, but it is hard for me to pass on their tacos.

25 Degrees is a cool burger bar. They have the absolute best turkey burger in downtown Chicago. Many options for toppings and sauces dress up all of their burgers very nicely. I like the turkey burger with avocado, portobella and blue cheese (or substitute the garlic parmesan sauce). I want one now!

I had already been to L’Appetito, but Matt found it on his own (smart kid). They serve a variety of Italian favorites, but I am stuck on their tostinos, delicious grilled sandwiches. They also make fantastic cannoli and gelato.

Matt persuaded me to veer from my norm and try El Souk, a Mediterranean place near Loyola University Chicago. The Shawarma Chicken Plate, layers of chicken marinated with garlic, lemon and olive oil, is one of their most popular dishes, and rightly so.

Pippin’s is a lively bar on Rush Street. The menu is standard bar fare, but they do it better than most. The lively crowd and atmosphere help make this a winner.

Unfortunately for me, Matt is finishing his MBA soon, and I will lose my restaurant guide. I have learned my lesson, though.  In a city like Chicago, I should be trying new places all of the time. I am going to make a point of trying new places downtown, and I will report back here in a few months on some gems I have discovered.

— John Wroblewski, online contributor