Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending right this minute?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which eateries have been getting a significant increase in attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Chicago businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are worth exploring, right now.
Superkhana International
Open since July, this Indian and New American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw a median 1.6% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Superkhana International saw a striking 150% increase, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: Francois Frankie has seen a 137.5% increase in reviews, and Dirty Root and The Hampton Social- Chicago have seen 91.7 and 23% increases, respectively.
Located at 3059 W. Diversey Ave. (between Whipple Street and Albany Avenue) in Logan Square, Superkhana International offers tacos, salads and hummus.
Superkhana International is open from 5 p.m.–11 p.m. on Tuesday-Saturday. (It's closed on Monday and Sunday.)
Bliss Resto
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Ravenswood's Bliss Resto, the sushi bar and Thai and Japanese spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Sushi Bars" on Yelp saw a median 1.4% increase in new reviews over the past month, Bliss Resto bagged a 57.9% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 3.7 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
There's more that's trending on Chicago's sushi bar scene: Sora Temakeria has seen a 44.8% increase in reviews.
Open at 1522 W. Montrose Ave. (between Ashland and Greenview avenues) since February, Bliss Resto offers noodles, salads and soup.
Bliss Resto is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. (It's closed on Tuesday.)
Mozzarella Store
Streeterville's Mozzarella Store is also making waves. Open since July at 822 N. Michigan Ave. (between Pearson Street and Chicago Avenue), the cafe and Italian spot, which offers pizza and more, has seen a 63.6% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.5% for all businesses tagged "Italian" on Yelp.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Chicago's Italian category: Anto Pizza & Pasta Chicago has seen a 27.5% increase in reviews.
Mozzarella Store offers paninis, salads and pizza. Over the past month, it's maintained a convincing four-star rating among Yelpers.
Mozzarella Store is open from 7 a.m.–10 p.m. on Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.–11 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m.–11 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m.–10 p.m. on Sunday.
Pizzeria Portofino
The Near North's Pizzeria Portofino is the city's buzziest pizza spot by the numbers.
The pizza spot, which opened at 317 N. Clark St. on July, increased its new review count by 74.5% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.7% for the Yelp category "Pizza."
It's not the only trending outlier in the pizza category: Woodgrain Pizzeria has seen a 43.5% increase in reviews.
Pizzeria Portofino offers hand-stretched pizzas with toppings like roasted mushrooms, sausage and spinach.
Pizzeria Portofino is open from 11 a.m.–11:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m.–11:30 p.m. on weekends.
Café Cancale
Wicker Park's Café Cancale is currently on the upswing in the seafood category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp saw a median 1.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, this French spot, which offers seafood and more, increased its new reviews by 48.4% — and kept its rating consistent at four stars.
Open for business at 1576 N. Milwaukee Ave. (between Damen and North avenues) since May Café Cancale offers steak, ravioli and scallops.
Café Cancale is open from 4 p.m.–10 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 4 p.m.–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
