Chicago’s Filipino Food Scene Is Thriving. Meet The Man Making It Happen Behind The Scenes

Block Club Chicago / by Lisa Shames / June 30, 2025

RAVENSWOOD — If you’ve had a Filipino-inspired dish or drink in Chicago lately, odds are Francis Almeda had something to do with it.

Almeda is the driving force behind Ravenwood’s Side Practice Coffee, 5139 N. Damen Ave., where specialty drinks at the 5-year-old cafe often include some form of ube, the purple yam native to the Philippines. At Drip Collective, 172 N. Racine Ave. in the West Loop, where Almeda is a partner, the signature turon latte mimics the flavors of the Filipino dessert of the same name. Read More Here.