Publican

Though it opened late last September, nothing in the intervening year or so has been as exciting or memorable as Brian Huston’s killer upscale comfort food or Michael McAvena’s beer sommeliership. With the addition of Sunday brunch featuring deep-fried foie gras-larded French toast and fried chicken, the Publican also becomes the best breakfast spot in the city one day a week.

845 West Fulton Market
(312)733-9555
thepublicanrestaurant.com

Audience choice:
Nightwood
2119 South Halsted
(312)526-3385
nightwoodrestaurant.com

Best of Chicago 2009

Peoria Street openings

Toss the Dixie cup of Chuck Shaw to the curb for the annual fall openings on Peoria Street, sponsored again this year by the brew in the pop-top bottle. What better way to unite the art crowd than getting them wasted? Oh yeah: art. Peoria Street in early September is ground zero for West Loop galleries to debut their art darlings, and with all doors flung open, the community comes out to see itself. Runners up: homemade ice cream served in the summer at Vega Estates; warm homemade cookies at Roots & Culture.

Audience choice:
Pilsen East

Best of Chicago 2008

Northwestern Cutlery

While the city has several variations of the national chains that have cashed in on the craze for culinary accessorizing fostered by the Food Network-driven celebrity chef phenomenon (it’s easier to buy an expensive kitchen toy than to actually cook something), there’s only one Northwestern Cutlery Supply Inc., and it’s where the chefs go. After all, the most important gadget in the kitchen is the knife and knives are this store’s calling, with blades from Henckels, Global, Misono, Wusthof, Forschner and Messermeister Cutlery. And they offer high-quality cookware from All-Clad and Le Creuset, among others. Gadgets? Yes, but only those that are practical for this store’s knowing clientele. But our favorite thing about Northwestern? Reconditioned and sharpened used knives, many of high quality, sold in the back for a fraction of their original cost.

810 W. Lake
(312)421-3666
nwcutlery.com

Audience choice
Sur La Table
52 E. Walton
(312)337-0600

Flirty Girl Fitness

Though fad diets and pills may suggest otherwise, it’s plain and simple: working out is the best and healthiest way to get and stay in shape. Fortunately, that news doesn’t have to necessitate groaning and moaning into inactivity. At Flirty Girl Fitness in the West Loop, owners and sisters Kerry and Krista Knee strive to make their women-only exercise classes “outrageously unique and entertaining.” With classes such as Pole Tease, Sexy Sculpt and Lap Dance, you’ll be learning more than just how to stay in shape.

1325 W. Randolph
(312)666-2266
flirtygirlfitness.com

Best of Chicago 2008

Bon V

We’re not sure what an “ultra-lounge” exactly means, but Bon V is certainly upping the nightlife ante in Chicago. Secure one of the massive booths lining the walls for you and your posse to dance and drink with room to spare. Attentive waitresses make bottle service worth the price tag, not to mention views perfect for celeb-spotting. Make sure to check out the more intimate second-floor loft, too, where you can enjoy DJ beats while scoping out one of the sexiest late-night crowds around.

1100 W. Randolph
(312)829-4805

Closed 2011

Audience choice

(Tie) Angels and Kings, 710 N. Clark, (312)482-600; Underground, 56 W. Illinois, (312)644-7600

Best of Chicago 2008

Sepia

Since it is often difficult to score a weekend reservation, a midweek date is highly recommended at Sepia, in the West Loop. The classic warm ambience and trendy wares are alluring while the innovative American cuisine will keep you rapt. The space was reconstructed out of an 1890 print shop. If you’re lucky, perhaps your date will also be a history in the making. 

123 N. Jefferson
(312)441-1920
sepiachicago.com

Best of Chicago 2008

La Ribollita Soup at Piccolo Sogno

It is the years of experience and countless kitchen trials that makes grandma’s cooking so darn good. So it’s not surprising that Piccolo Sogno’s Chef Tony Priolo learned his famous La Ribollita recipe from the grandmother of a legendary family-owned restaurant, hidden in the hills north of Florence, Italy. La Ribollita, a moist, twice-baked, bread-soaked soup, very similar to stuffing, will conjure up happy memories of holidays spent with dear old grandma.

464 N. Halsted
(312)421-0077
piccolosognorestaurant.com

Best of Chicago 2008

Pitchfork Music Festival

Last year’s Pitchfork extravaganza was passable as the Internet behemoth was just getting its feet wet in the fest biz, but this past summer’s three-day blowout was nothing short of spectacular, even if there were sound problems on the first day. With unforgettable performances by Sonic Youth and Yoko Ono—and memorable ones by Stephen Malkmus, The New Pornographers, Mastodon, Dan Deacon and more—Union Park had never been so gorgeous.

Best of Chicago 2007

The Market District
Meatpackers, fishmongers, vegetable markets and their big big trucks jostle with loft dwellers, gallery pioneers and the best and brightest of the city’s restaurateurs in the city’s market district just west of downtown. And, as if on cue, some of the city’s busiest nightclubs have set up shop nearby, capitalizing on the area’s cachet as well as its low residential density.

Randolph, Fulton and Lake Streets, west of the Chicago River to Ashland

Best of Chicago 2002

Greektown
A bustling strip of Greek restaurant after gyro stand after Greek restaurant, Greektown stands out for its endless pulse, its seven-days-a-week buzz of activity and opaaa’s. Look further and you’ll see the trappings of a still-thriving ethnic neighborhood on Halsted Street between Van Buren and Monroe, from the Greek baker to the candlemaker. And now, the National Hellenic Museum has opened at one end, adding  a permanence to the ethnic heritage on the street.

Best of Chicago 2002 (Updated 2011)