Magic Jug

Magic Jug in Portage Park looks like someone uprooted a tiny cabin in the forest and dropped it off on a busy stretch of Irving Park. The floors, walls, and ceiling are decked out in light wood, but decorative trinkets keep things from feeling like you're eating in a sterile balsa box. We always get the dumplings—pelmeni and varenyky with fillings like peppery beef, potatoes, and sour cherry—but their light, umami-punched mushroom soup and juicy strips of pork with vegetables and perfectly seasoned fluffy rice are good picks, too. If you like the dumplings, you can always buy frozen ones to take home.