Chef Ron Wise is not a native Westsider, but you wouldn't know it by talking to him. His West Side loyalties run deep, and his restaurant, Rondo's, is stellar. Ron and his wife, Mona, have their hands full with a 3-and-a-half­year-old son and a 22-month-old daughter. (Anne Mitchell)

CityBeat: Where did you eat your last great meal and what was it?

Ron Wise: Thai Namtip on North Bend Road. I had lunch there -- panang curry with coconut milk and fresh kefir lime leaves. The food is excellent and the place is super cheap. My kids are learning to eat edamame -- you know, the soybeans in the pod? And they like the pot stickers, too. We eat out a lot.

CB: You do? That's unusual among the chefs I've talked to.

RW: We have kids! We don't want to cook at home and do dishes -- we do enough of that at work! So we go to The Comet for quesadillas or Tucker's for breakfast. Joe's a West Side guy, and his breakfasts are terrific.