Uncle Mike’s Place

Chef Mike Grajewski’s chicken rice porridge (lugao) perfumed with ginger beats the pants off of any bowl of Chinese congee in Chicago. He follows that with a plate of garlic fried rice, runny over-easy eggs fried in sesame oil flanked by pink grill-caramelized hunks of tocino—juicy annato and anise-cured pork shoulder—and longanisa—anise-wine chorizo sausages so thick and plump Jack Sprat could finally get over his lean-eating habits.

1700 West Grand
(312)226-5318
unclemikesplace.com

Best of Chicago 2010

Cityblue Apparel & Denim

If it’s an authentic, cool tee you want, there’s no better spot to shop than Cityblue Apparel & Denim in Old Town. The perfect blend of fashion, art and rock ‘n’ roll, Cityblue oozes cool from every pore of its drywall. Whether it’s a classic lightweight solid tee that you’re after or something with a little more edge, you’re sure to find it at Cityblue: The faces and logos of rock legends such as David Bowie and The Beatles emblazon their fair share of cotton here. Offering styles for both men and women, Cityblue can also set you up with, what else? Denim. Find the perfect pair of jeans to wear with your new tee or change up your look with a great denim jacket.

1444 North Wells
(312)664-2222
citybluedenim.com

Audience choice:

Threadless
3011 North Broadway
(773)525-8640

4043 North Ravenswood
(773)878-3557

1905 West Division
(773)698-7042
threadless.com

Best of Chicago 2010

The Original Nottoli & Son
From Mangino’s to Fontano’s to the Brown Sack there are plenty of great meatball sammies in town. None of them, however, are served by an old pro wrestler named Vito “Two Fingers” Fontaine (the nom de guerre of owner George Nottoli).

7652 West Belmont
(773)589-1010
nottoli.com

Audience choice:

Bari Foods
1120 West Grand
(312)666-0730
bariitaliansubs.com

Best of Chicago 2010

Bonnie and Clyde’s

Just the fact that you won’t find a separate men’s and women’s section at Wicker Park couturiers Bonnie and Clyde’s ought to be a good indicator of their forward sense of fashion. Specializing in designs that feature long, draping lines, asymmetry, deconstruction of classic garment concepts and materials that have been modeled to reflect a more organic, or “cared-for” aesthetic, the clothes you don from Bonnie and Clyde’s are sure to make you stick out in a crowd. The neutral color palate (especially dark grey and black) might peg the style as “Glam Goth,” but that’s goth in the English Romantic sense not its mutant Hot Topic offspring.

1751 West Division
(773)235-2680
bonnieandclydes.com

Best of Chicago 2010

L20

Technically you can’t really take this stuff home, but the only things better than the seafood at this Michelin three-star temple are the creamy pain au lait, micro-baguettes with chewy crumb and rich crunchy crust, mini-anchovy-stuffed croissants and bacon-infused bread twists made in L20’s Pavailler, a steam-injected stone-floored oven that ensures a quick airy rising crumb that doesn’t dry out.

2300 North Lincoln Park West
(773)868-0002
l2orestaurant.com

Audience choice:

D’Amato’s Bakery
1124 West Grand
(312)733-5456

1332 West Grand
(312)733-6219

Best of Chicago 2010

Cerato

Any true Chicagoan will have to agree that Cerato is, by far, the city’s best new boutique. Launching earlier this year with a stock that’s almost entirely made up of Chicago designers, owner Tracey Glibowski has singlehandedly taken it upon herself to support local design. Adding at least three designers since her opening in May, she’s raising awareness of local talent and putting money in their pockets—all the while keeping the women of the city looking fabulous.

3451 North Southport
(773)248-8604
ceratoboutique.com

Audience choice:

Sir & Madame, Florodora Shoes (TIE)

Sir & Madame
938 North Damen
(773)489-6660
sirandmadame.com

Florodora Shoes
330 South Dearborn
(312)212-8860

Best of Chicago 2010

Strange Beauty Show

The stylists at Strange Beauty Show don’t care if you’ve been recently inspired by Scott Pilgrim’s multi-hued megacrush or if you’ve always had Cyndi Lauper locks, they’re happy to provide you with the best-looking alternative hair treatments for happy, healthy, Pantone-worthy style that won’t disappear in the shower. Offering an arsenal of dyes, dreadlocks and more, Strange Beauty Show promises to make your Technicolor dreams come true.

1118 North Ashland
(773)252-9522

strangebeautyshow.com

Best of Chicago 2010

Photo: Kristine Sherred

Mart Anthony’s

Unassumingly perched on the corner of Racine and Hubbard is an Italian joint with old-school blood in its bones. Since moving to West Town’s warehouse row five years ago, Mart Anthony’s has garnered a quiet following based on mounds of meatballs, fabulous dirty martinis and the notion that someone nearby most certainly “has a guy.”

1200 West Hubbard
(312)421-3477
martanthony.com

Jam

The tang of lime whip cream mingles with the berry-like heat of a pink peppercorn garnish, brightening up a rich French toast featuring crispy caramelized crust and a malted-custard-flavored gossamer-cotton-candy-cloud-like interior.

3057 West Logan
(773)292-6011
jamrestaurant.com

Best of Chicago 2009

Small Bar

Poutine, a Quebecois dish consisting of medium-thick fries smothered in brown gravy and semi-melted cheese curds, is basically the French-Canadian version of drunkenly eating Mexican food at 3am. Poutine is quite ubiquitous in Canada—you can even get it at McDonalds—but in Chicago the good stuff is hard to come by. The most bona fide version (next to actually going to Quebec) is at Small Bar in Wicker Park. Their fries are saturated in sausage gravy and curds, but chef, if you’re reading: more cheese, please!

2049 West Division
(773)772-2727
www.thesmallbar.com/division/

Best of Chicago 2009