The most memorable doughnut of my life was from the Do-Rite that used to be right around the corner from Petterino’s. It was the morning of my divorce. My soon-to-be ex-husband and I were meeting for coffee before walking across Randolph to the Daley Center, where we would kick our three-year marriage to the curb. […]
Category: Buy Local
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best supporter of local fashion talent
“The CFI played a pivotal role in my transition from aspiring designer to working designer,” says Anna Brown, a Chicago Fashion Incubator alum. “Some of my most meaningful professional relationships were formed through the CFI, and my time there provided me with fundamental industry knowledge that I still rely on.” Brown is one of the […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best place to buy luxurious menswear created by local Black designers
“To each their own, and Agriculture to all” could be the motto of Christopher Brackenridge, 43, and Milton Latrell, 42, the owners of Agriculture menswear boutique, which offers custom-made suits, personalized styling services, and a wide range of ready-to-wear garments at every price point. “We cater to different people and body types,” says Latrell. “When […]
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Best boutique that started on the back of a truck
The cat sign on the shop window says everything. “I have two cats [Sweet Pea and Naomi] that I bring to the shop when I’m in,” says Adrianne Hawthorne, 36, the owner of Ponnopozz Studio and Store in Ravenswood (4839 N. Damen). “The shop has a sign in the window indicating if a kitty is […]
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Buy Local poll winners
The people, places, and things voted Chicago’s best—and runners-up: apartment finder, real estate agent, real estate company, bicycle shop, motorcycle shop, auto dealership, auto repair shop, comics shop, independent bookstore, record store, financial institution or bank, financial planner, florist, garden store, landscape company, jewelry store, tattoo artist, tattoo shop, barbershop, hair salon, pet adoption or animal shelter, pet store, veterinarian, picture framing store, place to buy local wares, home furnishings, resale shop, vintage store, kids clothing, place to buy gender-neutral clothing, place to buy women’s clothing, place to buy men’s clothing, T-shirt shop, streetwear brand, local clothing designer, shoe store, dancewear shop, sex toy shop, place to get married, recovery center, and more
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Best of Chicago 2021 final ballot
Winners were announced in the March 3, 2022 special issue: Best of Chicago 2021 chicagoreader.com/best.
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Streetwear for your face with Jugrnaut’s “Chicago Everywhere” mask
I had trouble finding a mask that conformed to my face at the start of the pandemic. The ones I did have at my disposal at first tended to either be loose enough to slide around and reveal parts of my face I intended to conceal, or were tight enough to fold my earlobes over […]
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The much-needed affection of Neji the record store dog
The excellent record/vintage clothes shop Wild Prairie is one block from my pad and has been a godsend during quarantine. The small, very-easy-to-distance-within store has always felt safe, often with just one shopworker present (usually of the wonderful owner couple of Alex Gonzales and Natasha Rac) and there’s usually a shopper or two perusing the […]
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The warm relief of the Gethsemane Garden Center
It was a bitter cold February day—the kind of day that Chicago is famous for, and the kind of day that makes lifelong residents wonder why they haven’t broken down and moved to Miami—when I first explored Gethsemane Garden Center. On this particularly brutal day, I met up with a friend to take a walk […]
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Best chamber of commerce
Andersonville Chamber of Commerce Runner-Up Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce Finalists: Northcenter Chamber of Commerce, Edgewater Chamber of Commerce
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best vintage store
Lost Girls Runner-Up Kokorokoko Finalists: Tilly’s, Vintage Quest, Seek Vintage
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best indie crafter
Molly Costello Runner-Up Soap Distillery Finalists: Last Craft, Facture Goods, Whiffahugs, Erin Burke