Chicago restaurants celebrate Coptic Christmas with delicious treats

Here are a few places you can sample the delights of the Orthodox diaspora in the city.

Almaz Yigizaw poses with plate of food
Almaz Yigizaw, owner at Ethiopian Diamond, a restaurant she created 27 years ago in Chicago, poses for a portrait on Dec. 13, 2022. Manuel Martinez / WBEZ
Almaz Yigizaw poses with plate of food
Almaz Yigizaw, owner at Ethiopian Diamond, a restaurant she created 27 years ago in Chicago, poses for a portrait on Dec. 13, 2022. Manuel Martinez / WBEZ

Chicago restaurants celebrate Coptic Christmas with delicious treats

Here are a few places you can sample the delights of the Orthodox diaspora in the city.

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Christmas may be over for most of us in the United States. But for nearly 300 million Orthodox and Coptic Christians around the world, the Christmas season is still in full swing. They will observe the holiday on Jan. 7 in accordance with the Julian calendar.

The Orthodox community in the Chicago area is composed of adherents to Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo churches.

There are some other differences in how Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christianity celebrate the Christmas holiday. But ultimately faith, friends and food remain at the heart of this festive season.

And that diversity leaves no shortage of delightful dishes. Here are a few places you can sample the delights of the Orthodox diaspora in Chicago.

Sandy’s Bakery and Deli

This Serbian Bakery and Deli in Portage Park is a staple among Chicago’s Balkan community. “Christmas is a big eating day and our busiest time of year,” said owner and bakery namesake Sandy Danjanovic. Grilled meats, cookies and cakes adorn the Serbian table at Christmastime. Ćevapi grilled beef sausages are a specialty here. You can buy them at $11 a pound to cook at home, but I recommend spending the $18 for their meal of 10 sausages, a side of freshly baked bread and a side salad (you can sit and eat in their small four-table dining room.) Sarma ($10), a Serbian stuffed cabbage with beef and rice filling, is another popular dish at this time of year. The most popular holiday item at Sandy’s is a Serbian Christmas simple butter bread called Česnica ($11). “Everyone has some bread before the Christmas meal,” Danjanovic said. “But you bake a coin inside, like a quarter or something. And whoever finds it will have prosperity for the year.”

Sandy’s Bakery and Deli, 5857 W. Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60630


Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant

Food from Ethiopian Diamond, a restaurant in Chicago
Food from Ethiopian Diamond, a restaurant in Chicago. Manuel Martinez / WBEZ

Ethiopian Orthodox Christians fast from Nov. 24 to Christmas Day on Jan. 7. During the fast, they abstain from all meat and products made by animals, including honey. Almaz Yigizaw opened the restaurant in 1996. When she arrived in Chicago as a teen in 1982, the Ethiopian community here was so small, she remembers a time when there was no Tewahedo Orthodox Church in the city. “We used to get together with Greek Orthodox churches because we didn’t have our own. We used to rent a Greek Orthodox church in Evanston. Now we own our own church,” Yigizaw said. The foods at her restaurant are traditional and flavored with spices like berbere, fenugreek and chillis imported directly from Ethiopia. The menu at Ethiopian Diamond boasts plenty of vegan and vegetarian dishes. Try the Shimbra Assa ($17), which literally translates to chickpea fish. The dish consists of quelled-shaped dumplings made from chickpea dough. The dumplings are fried and added to a brilliant red sauce. The taste mimics that of a fish stew, which Almaz said is a welcome change after weeks of vegan fasting. “During the Christmas fast you don’t eat any fish or animal products. People get tired of other vegetarian products, so they make imitation fish,” Almaz said. Other vegetarian dishes eaten during the fasting period before Christmas are Kik Alicha ($14) or split pea stew, and Yemisir Wat ($15), flavorful red lentils cooked in a velvety red special house Berbere sauce. “This is our highest-selling dish. Vegetarians love it.”

Ethiopian Diamond, 6120 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60660


City Fresh Market

This family-owned grocery store and bakery opened in 2004. It’s run by Danny and Ray Kovacevic, whose family is from the former Yugoslavia. The market is a treasure trove of treats from Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. Besides the great food and drink, City Fresh Market has a fantastic team of employees who are generous with recommendations. Dmitra Kovacevic, Danny’s daughter, offered up a few items to try over the festive season. Starting with drinks, she recommends buying a bottle of Dingac, a medium dry red wine made from Plavac Mali grapes that are grown in the Dalmatia region of Croatia. She also recommends Stara Sokolova ($39), a Serbian sweet plum brandy that is best served as a digestif. For your charcuterie board, try Kashkaval ($9 - $21 per pound), a semi-hard cheese made from cows’ and sheep’s milk that will satisfy your salty cravings. It’s eaten across Central and Eastern Europe and pairs well with the dry, spicy beef sausage Sudzuk ($12 - $21 per pound.) Pair with a few slices of Svinjska pork prosciutto ($13 - $15 per pound.) Dmitra Kovacevic said her favorite treat is the flaky pastry Borek. “The flakiness from our hand-tossed filo dough and the saltiness of the feta cheese is perfect,” she said.The pastries are filled with meat or cheese and are served as an appetizer.

City Fresh Market, 3201 W. Devon Avenue, Chicago, IL 60659


Cianna Greaves is WBEZ’s morning producer. Follow her @CiciGreaves.