• With its proximity to the University of Chicago, the Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side has a dense population and offers a number of different dining options. The diversity of the neighborhood is reflected in the variety of available ethnic cuisines.
  
  

The Nile Restaurant

• The Nile is a solid, unpretentious restaurant that serves straightforward Middle Eastern cuisine in generous portions. Starters feature items like red lentil soup, baked spinach pie and a combination plate for two, which includes hummus, baba ghannouj falafel and stuffed grape leaves. Typical entrees are deftly prepared chicken shawarma and lamb shish kababs, all served with soup or salad, pita and a choice of rice or potatoes. The moderate prices makes it a popular spot for college students.
  
  The Nile Restaurant
  1611 E. 55th St.
  Chicago, IL 60615
  773-324-9499
  
  

Morry's Deli

• Morry's is a small storefront deli that serves made-to-order sandwiches piled high with deli meat. It takes a "have it your way" approach to ordering--customers choose the main sandwich component such as corned beef, pastrami or egg salad, then build up from there selecting from an array of bread/rolls, toppings and add-ons like grilled onion and hot giardiniera. Morry's offers traditional deli side orders including macaroni salad and coleslaw.
  
  Morry's Deli
  5500 S. Cornell Ave.
  Chicago, IL 60637
  773-363-3800
  morrysdeli.com
  
  

La Petite Folie

• Located in the courtyard of the Hyde Park Shopping Center, La Petite Folie (French for "the little madness") serves French cuisine prepared by Chef Mary Mastricola, a graduate of nearby University of Chicago as well as Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts School in Paris. Her husband and co-owner, Mike, runs the wine list. The menu is full of classic French food--expect liberal use of patés and confit. While a white linen tablecloth spot, the decor remains cozy and comfortable, and is an excellent choice for date night. Early birds are rewarded with a three-course, $32 prix fixe menu available from 5 to 6:30 p.m. as of 2010.
  
  La Petite Folie
  1504 E. 55th St.
  Chicago, IL 60615
  773-493-1394
  lapetitefolie.com
  
  

Calypso Cafe

• The tropical decor is a dead giveaway for the type of food that appears on the menu--a multi-cultural blend of Caribbean cuisines including Jamaican, Cuban and Puerto Rican. Offerings include jerk chicken, Cuban black bean soup, and tilapia prepared six different ways. Some Cajun menu items have snuck onto the menu from its now-shuttered sister restaurant Dixie Kitchen, such as crawfish etouffee and an oyster po' boy.
  
  Calypso Cafe
  5211 S. Harper Ave.
  Chicago, IL 60615
  773-955-0229
  calypsocafechicago.com