Take a walk down Devon Avenue starting at Western Avenue and you’ll feel like you’ve left the country. From colorful saris to ethnic restaurants, you’ll never run out of stores to explore or good treats and sweets.
Your first stop in a tour of Devon can be to grab a bite to eat. Check out Tahoora Sweets and Bakery, 2345 W. Devon Ave., (773) 743-7272.
Tahoora almost always has a crowd of kids, and for good reason. The bakery snacks like samosas (in beef, chicken and veggie), paratha rolls and chicken or beef puffs are available. Prices are inexpensive and it’s easy to get a meal under $5. Also look for mango lassi’s—about $3—for a thick mango shake full of fruit and deliciousness.
Rohit Patel, of Chicago, takes his daughter Ritu, 4, shopping and out to eat on Devon Avenue once a week. While there, they also enjoy picking up some Bollywood videos.
If you’re looking to buy something, you’ll be able to find it here. The store windows are adorned with brightly colored saris as well as goods from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Thailand. No matter where you go, everyone in the family will find something interesting.
For Suleiman Nisar, 9, Devon is the place to be. In fact, he comes with his parents and his little sister almost every weekend."Sometimes my mom likes to buy saris,” Suleiman, of Morton Grove, says.
But Suleiman’s favorite place is Tahoora, where he likes the samosas the most."I like this place because it’s like my hometown Pakistan,” he says.
For your last stop, hit one of the many grocery stores along Devon. At the Patel Brothers, 2610 W. Devon Ave., (773) 262-7777, you can pick up fruit and vegetables as well as handmade flatbreads and a variety of chutneys and sauces."We have some spices, some good vegetables. We have a lot of imported foods,” says Mafat Patel, who opened the family-owned store with his brother in 1974."You put it in the microwave and it’s ready to go. And the price is right.”
