Build Your Devon Avenue Lunch List

To build your Devon Avenue lunch list in Chicago, open Mosey, make a new list, name it for the street and sort the places you want to try into sections by block, so the order on the list matches the walk. Add a line on what to order at each stop, then invite friends to add their own.

Here is how to structure a list for a long street in Chicago, where the walk is the plan.

How do you build your Devon Avenue lunch list step by step?

Start with a name that tells you what the list is for: Devon lunch walk, or Devon first visit. Search for a place, add it, and write a short line under "Why it belongs". Keep each note practical: what you ordered, what was best, what to skip.

Lists can be public or private. A private list is for you and the friends you invite. A public one can be found, saved and followed by anyone. For a lunch plan you are still working out, private is the sensible choice, and you can switch later.

Why does a Devon Avenue lunch crawl need sections?

Because the street is long and the order matters. A list of ten places in the order you added them is a pile. A list with sections for each stretch of the street, one for the first stop, one for the main meal and one for sweets and tea, is a route.

Name the sections after what you want to happen, such as "Start with a snack", "Sit-down lunch" and "Take home". Drag places into the right section and reorder them. The list then reads as a plan you can follow without thinking.

What should you keep a list of places on Devon Avenue for?

Three uses show up again and again. The first is a first visit, where the list is a short tour. The second is a repeat visit, where it records what to order and what to avoid. The third is a gift or a guest, where it lists the sweet shops and the safe choices for people who do not eat spicy food.

Make a separate list for each. It is easier to share a clean, short list than a long one with every note you ever made. For background on the kitchens themselves, the Devon Avenue guide is a good companion.

How do you share a Chicago food list with friends?

Use the invite link. Anyone with the link can join as a collaborator, even if they are not on Mosey yet, and they can add places and notes straight away. People you follow who follow you back can be invited directly.

Ask each friend to add one place they have eaten at, with a note on the dish. After one weekend the list holds more than you could have written alone. Our guide to rating a Chicago neighborhood crawl with friends covers the rating side of that.

How this works in the app: Make a list.

What do you write in the what-to-order notes on a Devon Avenue list?

Be specific and short. "Ask for the bread hot", "order the stew early, it sells out", "the sweet counter is at the back" are all worth more than "great place". Name the dish and, where you can, the day you went.

A note that says what to order saves the next person from the menu. If you are unsure of the dish name, ask the staff and write it down as they say it.

How do you update the list after lunch?

Right after the meal, while you still remember. Reorder the places, move a favorite to the top and delete anything that disappointed. Rate the dishes you had so the notes and the ratings agree, and tag the ratings if a place suited a particular need, such as Vegetarian or Group Dining.

A list that has been through one lunch is better than one built from guesses. You can duplicate it for a different group and adjust.

One more habit helps: give the list a short description at the top, such as who it is for and which day you plan to go. When you reopen it a month later, you will remember the purpose without reading every note. Add a line at the bottom with the one thing you would do differently next time.

What if the plan changes on the day?

It will, now and then. A counter is closed, a line is too long or a friend wants something milder. Keep two spare places in a section called Backup and move one up when you need it. The list does not decide for you, it saves the argument.

Tell the group in your usual chat and send the link again if someone has lost it. Everyone sees the same updated plan, and nobody has to scroll for a message from last week.

What can you do next?

When the Devon list is solid, make a sibling for a different stretch of the north side. The guide to nihari is a good starting point for a stew section, and the Andersonville guide suits a second lunch on another day.

The wider US food guides show other ways to organize a list.

Open the Mosey app, name your Devon list, add the first place and send the invite link to one friend today.