Credit: Photo by Colleen Durkin; Products provided by: nana creme, dark matter, joong boo market, chicago costume, kokorokoko, bash, west town bakery, Stanley's Fruit & Vegetables

Critics' Picks

Best use of food waste

Best food writer (of “your mama” jokes)

Best new cookbook from Chicago

Best comeback(s) from disaster

Best Hot Doug’s stand-in

Best migration to the south side

Best cheap fancy lunch

Best $3 lunch

Best burger no one’s talking about

Best peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Best sausage that brings the funk

Best combination of pizza and liquors and jazz

Best vegan deep-dish

Best Polish food in a Korean restaurant

Best Italian-Japanese fusion

Best soup dumplings

Best postconfessional tacos

Best coffee roaster to include a cassingle with your caffeine boost

Best new brewery to launch with only one beer

Best IPA that doesn’t taste like another goddamn IPA

Best frozen water

Best classic cocktails

Best local vodka for whiskey drinkers

Best place to try whiskey before you buy

Readers Poll

Best pizza

Best overall restaurant

Best local brewery

Best burger

Best coffee shop

Best breakfast/​brunch

Best hot dog

Best Mexican restaurant

Best doughnuts

Best BYOB

Best farmers’ market or gourmet market

Best brewpub

Best barbecue

Best cocktail list

Best ice cream

Best sushi

Best bakery

Best Thai restaurant

Best liquor store

Best local brew

Best Italian restaurant

Best chef

Best late-night eats

Best falafel

Best sandwich

Best vegetarian restaurant

Best new food trend

Best butcher shop

Best waitstaff

Best bagels

Best local distillery

Best local grocer

Best Chinese restaurant

Best vegan restaurant

Best pub grub

Best wine shop

Best Indian restaurant

Best alfresco dining

Best desserts

Best-looking waitstaff

Best food truck

Best steak house

Best local spirit

Best Middle Eastern restaurant

Best seafood restaurant

Best gay bar

Best bartender/​mixologist

Best Vietnamese restaurant

Best barista

Best sports bar

Best up-​and-​coming chef

Best food festival

Best local food product

Best wine list

Best Korean restaurant

Best new bar

Best local farm