A Trip to Devon Street
Devon Street has always held a place in my heart because of its Pakistani businesses. As a Pakistani American, no place has represented my culture like Devon Street. Since I was little, my family has spent many weekends each year getting dinner at restaurants like Bundoo Khan, Sabri Nihaari, and Ghareed Nawaz. So I thought it would be a good idea to look at some places I’ve never been to before on Devon Street.
At 8:12 pm, my brother and I decided to try a Pakistani restaurant we’d never been to before called Khan BBQ. When the waiter walked us to our table, he led us to this room with bright pink walls and blue and green lights above. As much as I hate a mismatched color theme, I enjoyed this odd ambiance because it felt somewhat nostalgic. In Pakistan, almost every restaurant has a mismatched color palette which I never liked, but after not visiting Pakistan for 2 years, it was nice sitting in a place that felt like home. There were also so many families occupying each table. It was so loud that I could barely hear what my brother was saying. The aliveness of the restaurant mixed with the smell of garlic naan made me forget I was in Chicago. The chicken tikka and kebab took me back to dinner at my grandma’s house. Out of all the restaurants in Devon that I’ve been to, Khan BBQ quickly became my favorite. I just couldn’t believe that after years of eating on Devon Street, I never tried this place.
After dinner, around 9:45 pm, we walked into this Pakistani clothing store. I would always see mannequins wearing Pakistani clothes at the front of these stores, but I never actually walked in because I didn’t think the dresses would be as nice as the ones I saw in Pakistan. To my surprise, the designs on many of the kurtas I looked at were very intricate, and the fabric wasn’t of low quality. I thought I’d try on a dress for fun and the lady working at the store offered to tailor it for me. It felt like I was in my aunt’s clothing store in Pakistan, getting measured for a dress before a big wedding. I ultimately decided not to get the dress because it was quite expensive, but the experience was once again very nostalgic.
My brother and I concluded our trip at 10:34 pm with some dessert at Tahoora, one of many methi restaurants on Devon Street. Like Khan BBQ, it also became one of my favorite places on Devon Street. I ordered the mango kulfi which was so good that I proceeded to order 2 more. My brother got a box of barfi and loved it so much that he ordered a box to take home. This place was also full of people and alive, once again making me feel like I was back in my home country.
Overall, this trip to Devon Street was special not only because of the nostalgia all these new places brought me but also because I got to experience these places with just my brother. I’m 18 and he’s 23, but we felt like kids again since we’d spent most of our childhood traveling to Pakistan. In “The Solitary Stroller and the City,” Rebecca Solnit writes, “Cities have always offered anonymity, variety, and conjunction, qualities best basked in by walking.” I’ve spent every trip to Devon Street parking in front of a restaurant, eating there, and leaving, barely seeing all the places I have yet to visit. Solnit emphasizes that “a city contains more than any inhabitant can know.” I thought I knew everything about Devon Street based on the mere fact that I’m Pakistani, but walking into restaurants and stores that I’ve never been to before allowed me to experience the street from a fresh lens. It brought me a sense of nostalgia that my other trips to Devon Street lacked. It was an unexpected nostalgia, but the unexpectedness that it brought made my view of this street even more special.
