Williams-Sonoma The store associates are so friendly and won’t make you feel like a dunce for not knowing how to work the pasta-machine attachment. Cute potato mashers and seafood scissors will make your holiday meal prep so much easier without breaking the bank. And the smart thermometer is kind of magical. We can keep track of what’s cooking from our phones as we’re putting on our makeup? Whoa. Bonus: The new Lincoln Park location has the only Williams-Sonoma cooking school in the country, so you can actually learn how to use those spiffy new gadgets you picked up. 1550 North Fremont, (312)255-0643, williams-sonoma.com
AUDIENCE CHOICE: Sur La Table, 755 West North, (312)787-5111; 900 North Michigan, (312)204-6008, surlatable.com
