Jibek Jolu
This is comfort food, an excellent choice for a cold winter Chicago day. Three main components of Kirghiz cuisine are milk, meat and baked goods, and most of the time all three are combined. Choose juicy and tender beef shashlik (similar to kebabs) or hearty manty (steamed dumplings), add a helping of hot kesme (a type of soup with beef and veggies), and you can easily imagine that you are thousands of miles away from the metropolis, in the middle of vast Kyrgyzstan, and are about to climb its highest mountain Jengish Chokusu (if you manage to eat all you have ordered, you just may have enough energy to do so).

Jibek Jolu, 5047 North Lincoln, (773)878-8494, fjibekjolu.us

Best of Chicago 2012

Old Town School of Folk Music
Since the unfortunate demise of Hothouse a few years ago, Chicago has been without a venue that programs world music at its core. And that’s a cultural shame as well as a market void if the massive crowds at the city’s World Music Festival this past September were any indication. Fortunately, a number of venues are producing world music shows on a consistent basis, from stalwarts like Martyrs’, Evanston Space and Jazz Showcase to relative newcomers like Mayne Stage, City Winery and The Shrine, to name a few. Arguably that diffusion of venues is a good thing, representing a maturity of the marketplace for world music here. In any case, Old Town School, with its comfortable auditorium, good acoustics and most consistent flow of world-music acts stands out from the pack. Especially noteworthy is the regular nature of its commitment, as Old Town School offers three regular showcases: World Music Wednesday, Global Dance Party Friday nights and the pan-Latino Pueblo Latino Chicago.

Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544-45 North Lincoln, (773)728-6000, oldtownschool.org

Audience choice: Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 North Lincoln, (773728-6000, oldtownschool.org

Best of Chicago 2012

Instituto Cervantes
Foreign cultural centers are under-appreciated assets of a city like Chicago. Often established by the governments of various nations, they serve as a sort of home away from home for the various expats and émigrés who are now living in Chicago. But their offerings to the rest of us risk getting lost in the noise of the city’s larger cultural entities, and that’s unfortunate. In addition to offering classes in the native tongues of whatever nation they serve, they often produce and promote singular cultural activities, from cinema, to literary, to academic forums to visual arts and dance. Instituto Cervantes, which opened a beautiful new space in River North a few years back, has an art gallery that offers a regular rotation of high-quality exhibitions, along with a spacious auditorium in constant use. We’ve caught flamenco performances, classical music, a panel on Spanish graphic novelists and appearances by Granta’s Best of Young Spanish-Language Novelists in the space, for example, along with an appearance of Spain’s Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia at the space’s inauguration in 2009. What’s especially compelling about Cervantes is that, though it is founded and funded by the government of Spain, its mission is the promotion of its language, which means it features the cultures of all Spanish-speaking peoples, including most of Latin America. In a country where the Latino minority is becoming a major part of its identity, Cervantes offers Americans an easy path to increased knowledge and appreciation.

Instituto Cervantes, 31 West Ohio, (312)335-1996, chicago.cervantes.es

Audience Choice: DANK-Haus, 4740 North Western, (773)561-9181, dankhaus.com

Best of Chicago 2012

German American Festival in Lincoln Square
A great way to usher in fall is with the Lincoln Square German American Festival. As the heart of German culture in Chicago, the Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce programs the weekend’s events. Kick up your heels to live music and then grab a seat and order traditional fare, like a brat or Bavarian pretzel (don’t forget the mustard). Wash it down with a mug of fine German bier. Make sure to purchase a mug from the festival or bring one back from years past for your refills. It’s a great time for the whole family. Lederhosen not required.

German American Festival, Lincoln Plaza at Western, Lincoln and Leland, germanday.com

Best of Chicago 2012

Apart Pizza Company
This unpretentious thin-crust pizza pie parlor looks like one of those corner spots in Rome where the pizza just seems to melt in your mouth. Thankfully, the storefront and pizza here match in authenticity. So do the names and ingredients of the nineteen pizzas on the menu. To name a few: There’s the Giardinetta, which is topped with fresh tomatoes and arugula. The Francese is made with ham, brie cheese and egg. The Cacciatore includes ham, pepperoni, bacon, onions and garlic. A classic Italian dessert, Sweet Filoncino, is made with house-made dough baked with fruit, chocolate or hazelnut fillings.

Apart Pizza Company, 5624 North Broadway, (773)784-1550; 2205 West Montrose, (773)588-1550, apartpizzacompany.com

Best of Chicago 2012

The Book Cellar
If no such thing as a bookstore existed and you were left the charge to create it, you’d be hard-pressed to outdo tireless but always-cheerful owner Suzy Takacs’ beloved shop in Lincoln Square. Though it’s only been open since 2004, it’s hard to imagine a Chicago without it. The store is a classic well-stocked indie bookstore, with narrow aisles stuffed to the ceiling with books and staffed by lovers of the written word who are eager to help you find the perfect gift for a nephew who likes to read or the next book you should tackle now that you’ve finished “The Art of Fielding.”  Like the internet, it’s open everyday, with late hours till 10pm five nights a week, but unlike the internet  it includes an in-store cafe that offers beer and wine alongside the usual coffeehouse fare. But perhaps most important of all for literary Chicago, the store is the city’s biggest bookstore supporter of literary events, from important touring authors to virtually every release by a Chicago writer to a bevy of book clubs and even performance-oriented events like Essay Fiesta and The Kates.

The Book Cellar, 4736-38 North Lincoln, (773)293-2665, bookcellarinc.com

Audience choice: Quimby’s, 1854 West North, (773)342-0910, quimbys.com

Best of Chicago 2012

Brazil in Chicago
Marcelo Jarmendia, one of the leaders of the Brazilian community in Chicago, started this school along with “Casa de Cultura Brasileira,” a foundation dedicated to preserving and spreading the Brazilian culture. Besides having a deep knowledge of grammar, Marcelo is also an anthropologist, so expect plenty of interesting talks. His team is carefully chosen to provide a fun environment to learn the language.

Brazil in Chicago, 2212 West Sunnyside, (312)284-1737, brazilinchicago.com

Best of Chicago 2012

Fleet Feet Chicago
While there is certainly no shortage of good running stores in Chicago, the two Fleet Feet Chicago locations (Lincoln Square and Old Town) are the easiest ones to walk into and find exactly what you want/need, with a little (or a lot of) help from the knowledgeable staff. Fleet Feet also hosts free weekly runs from both store locations and a slew of popular races (Elvis is Alive 5K, Soldier Field 10 Mile, Chicago Women’s Half). Add to that their commitment to local charities and the seminars, guest speakers, training programs and special events they offer throughout the year and the Personal Rewards Program ($15 credit for every $150 spent in the store) is just icing on the cake. Fleet Feet may be a national chain but Fleet Feet Chicago keeps it local all the way.

Fleet Feet Chicago, 1620 N. Wells, 312.587.3338; 4762 N. Lincoln, 773.271.3338, fleetfeetchicago.com

Audience choice: Fleet Feet Chicago

Best of Chicago 2012

Photo: Kristine Sherred

CorePower Yoga

Regardless of whatever misgivings you might have about supporting a corporate yoga company, there’s no denying the advantage of having seven—soon-to-be-eight—studios located throughout the city, each with almost a dozen classes each day. Regardless of where you plan to get your next drink, there’s somewhere nearby that gets you a yoga high and yoga bod beforehand—no excuses. But the CorePower mecca is the South Loop studio: As you search for a drishti (gazing point) in tree pose, you can choose to focus on an element of Chicago’s downtown skyline, which the fifth-floor studio showcases through its large windows.

CorePower Yoga
12 West Maple, (312)266-9642
1704 North Milwaukee, (773)227-9642
945 West George, (773)862-9642
corepoweryoga.com

 Audience choice: (tie)
Bikram Yoga Chicago
47 West Polk, (312)922-9642
1344 North Milwaukee, (773)395-9150
2736A North Clark, (773)348-9642
105f.com
and
CorePower Yoga

Best of Chicago 2011

Eclecticity

Flensted Mobiles are fun. The whimsical mobiles, all of which are made in Denmark, feature animals like frogs, seahorses and sheep. There are also geometric shapes, patterned in primary colors. Check out the Dinghy Regatta, which is a swirl of sail boats, or the Flowing Rhythm, which is a splash of yellow arcs. Let them float above your desk or spin circles in your living room.

Eclecticity
4718 North Lincoln
(773)275-3080
eclec.com

Best of Chicago 2011