Brothers K
Alas, it has nothing to do with Dostoyevsky: “Brothers K” deciphers as “Brothers Kim,” and is named after its owners, not Dostoyevsky’s famous novel “The Brothers Karamazov.” Nevertheless, the place attracts the hip Russian population of Evanston and Chicago, who, after realizing the deceptiveness of the cafe’s name, still become regular customers for its excellent coffee, delicious pies, free unlimited wi-fi and artsy ambiance.

500 Main Street, Evanston, (847)328-7940, brotherskcoffee.com

Best of Chicago 2012

Chaihanna
“Chaihanna” is translated as “tea-house.” This restaurant makes good tea served in a colorful piala, a traditional Asian tea cup. But it is not tea that you should come here for: it is the Uzbek food. The dishes are spicy and flavorful, rich, high in calories, and come in generous portions. This is the go-to place if you are suffering from a hangover: according to the Russian (and former Soviet Union) tradition, nothing helps better than a bowl of hot laghman or shurpa (both are soups with meat).

Chaihanna, 19 East Dundee, Buffalo Grove, (847)215-5044, chaihanna.com

Best of Chicago 2012

Gary Saul Morson’s Introduction to Russian Literature class on Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky at Northwestern University
His annual class attracts 500-600 undergrads, and is famous throughout the country. Professor Morson is not only a distinguished scholar; he is a performer and one-man theater, who manages to talk about “War and Peace” in a way that thoroughly captivates the minds of the American youth. The students’ general attitude toward Morson could be described in brief by a quotation from Ratemyprofessors.com: “Morson is a God.”

Northwestern University, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures , 633 Clark, Evanston, (312)503-8649, northwestern.edu

Best of Chicago 2012

Northwestern
Hey, where are all the Wildcats bars in Wrigleyville? Exactly. Though the Big Ten Conference prides itself on its fusion of academic excellence with athletic accomplishment, too often alums of the various schools leave their brains behind when it comes time to gather with the tribe and cheer for the alma mater on the gridiron or the hardcourt. Northwestern, which is the smallest school in the Big Ten and the only private university left (crosstown rival University of Chicago dropped out of the conference it co-founded in 1946), not only sets itself apart academically, but also in its fans’ understanding of the proper role of sports in life. That’s not to say they don’t support their team—take in a football game at Ryan Field to watch the 7-2 Big ‘Cats and you’ll swim in a sea of purple and an appropriate level of spirited collegiate cheering—but they do so with a level of comportment that their rivals would do well to emulate.

Audience choice: Northwestern

Best of Chicago 2012

The spicy rolls at Bubbles in Terminal 3 at O’Hare
The old hole-in-the-wall spot by Gate K2 in Terminal 3 at O’Hare got a classy new facelift in February—complete with a jazzy baby grand piano that plays by itself. And no, it’s not a Baldwin. Surrounded by low-slung retro-style lounge seats, the ebony-colored piano is the cornerstone of one of HMS Host’s newest commissary projects. This isn’t your usual airport three-day-old salads-in-the-chiller spot: Aptly-named, Bubbles is a Champagne bar, complete with an inviting menu of sparklers and some of the freshest spicy rolls this side of sushi nirvana.

Bubbles Wine Bar, O’Hare International Airport, Terminal 3, K2

Best of Chicago 2012

Red Snapper in citrus-rum sauce at Hemmingway’s
Chef Chris Ala’s Oak Park eatery Hemmingway’s Bistro is a long way from Key West, Florida, but the Ernest Hemingway enthusiast and Caribbean-fish-grilling guru cooks with the kind of flare even the Pulitzer-winning novelist could appreciate. Ala orders fresh fish daily from places like Bimini, an island where glimmering pink Red Snapper is typical catch-of-the-day fare. He complements the snapper with a sauce cooked over a flaming stovetop with rum, butter and chunks of mango, grapefruits, oranges, lemons and limes. After grilling the snapper, Ala flips it in cornstarch so it stands, silvery pink skin, fins, tail and all, in the yellowy, creamy sauce.

Hemmingway’s Bistro, 211 North Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, (708)524-0806, hemmingwaysbistro.com/

Best of Chicago 2012

King Spa and Sauna
Located in the suburbs, this Korean spa and sauna is probably the most popular place to hang out among the Russian population of the city of Chicago. It reminds one of a Russian “banya;” a place you go to get surrounded by steam, heat and lots of naked comrades. But King Spa has an upscale, marble-enhanced look to it and a bigger variety of things to do (jump in a swimming pool, have a meal, or order a massage or a body scrub). The admission fee is valid for twenty-four hours, so it is easy to spend all day there, lazily moving from one room to another, experiencing different types of heat, and sweating profusely while listening to a melodic mix of Russian-Korean chatter.

King Spa and Sauna, 809 Civic Center Drive, Niles, (847)972-2540, kingspa.com

Best of Chicago 2012

Edzo’s Burger Shop
While everybody else can square off over the merits of peanut butter versus Nutella, we’ll be on the sidelines downing a Speculoos milkshake from the king of Evanston burger joints, Edzo’s. The off-the-menu item isn’t a new edition, but until the Belgian cookie spread, traditionally a winter holiday snack, becomes a household name in America and its grocery stores—or until the new Edzo’s location brings it to Lincoln Park—we’ll gladly take the liquid form where we can get it.

Edzo’s Burger Shop, 1571 Sherman, Evanston, (847)864-3396, edzos.com

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

Burt’s Place

He may have started (and then sold) Pequod’s years ago, but it’s Burt’s own Place that turns the conversation of pizza, well, deep. Not every pizza maker knows how to acutely place a pan-sized sausage patty in the middle of the pie, nor do they have the exact combination for caramelizing the crust. Then again, it is the humble digs of Burt’s Place that has us dining in instead of taking out. Flanked by ham radios, vintage newspaper clippings and vinyl seats in a Morton Grove two-flat, Burt and his wife make guests feel at home. Just do like you would with your mother-in-law and call ahead.

Burt’s Place
8541 Ferris, Morton Grove
(847)965-7997

Audience choice:
Lou Malnati’s
805 South State, (312)786-1000
3859 West Ogden, (773)762-0800
439 North Wells, (312)828-9800
1120 North State, (312)725-7777
958 West Wrightwood, (773)832-4030
1850 Sherman, Evanston, (847)328-5400
loumalnatis.com

Best of Chicago 2011