Ravenswood's Bayan Ko Is Turning Filipino Food Month Into a Full-On Culinary Celebration This April

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Ravenswood · April 9, 2026

Ravenswood's beloved restaurant scene is getting a delicious cultural spotlight this month, and food lovers absolutely should not sleep on it. Bayan Ko and Bayan Ko Diner — the Filipino-inspired restaurants owned by chef Lawrence Letrero and his wife Raquel Quadreny — are leading a collaborative dining series in honor of April's Filipino Food Month, and the momentum behind it is remarkable. What started as Letrero's idea for a few intimate dinners has grown into a citywide chef collaboration, with fellow Chicago Filipino chefs and purveyors quickly joining in as word spread through the culinary community.

The series is a natural extension of what makes Bayan Ko such a neighborhood gem — it's deeply personal, community-rooted, and utterly delicious. Letrero, who is Filipino, wanted to find a meaningful way to honor the cultural heritage behind the food he serves every day, and Filipino Food Month gave him the perfect occasion. The result is a celebration that brings Chicago's Filipino culinary community together under one shared table — a spirit that feels very much at home in Ravenswood.

And while you're out exploring the neighborhood this spring, keep an eye out for a fresh wave of Ravenswood banners popping up along the commercial corridors — the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce is currently accepting banner applications from local businesses and organizations through May 15th. It's one more way the neighborhood keeps investing in its own vibrant identity. Stop by Bayan Ko Diner on Ravenswood's North Side and taste what Filipino Food Month is all about.

Sources:
1. https://www.lincolnsquare.org/news
2. https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/03/23/bayan-ko-filipino-food-month
3. https://ravenswoodchicago.org/