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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
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, […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
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
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best of Chicago 2021 final ballot
Winners were announced in the March 3, 2022 special issue: Best of Chicago 2021 chicagoreader.com/best.
Posted inBest of Chicago
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 […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
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 […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
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 […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best pet adoption/shelter
PAWS Runner-Up One Tail at a Time Finalists: Anti-Cruelty Society, Felines and Canines
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best boutique for men
Cowboys and Astronauts Runner-Up Hazel Finalists: Penny Lane Studios, CRAM Fashion, Phayes
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best garden store
Gethsemane Garden Center Runner-Up Adams & Son Gardens Finalists: Sprout Home, City Grange