Best of Chicago 2021: Vasia Rigou’s Personal Best

Illustration: Dan Streeting

Vasia Rigou’s Personal Best

An Escape from the Big City: Lost Lake
“A portal to your favorite warm-weather memory and an antidote to the long Midwestern winters,” as they put it, the award-winning tropical cocktail bar transports you to a world where a fruity drink and good company are all you need to take a deep breath and think: Life is good. lostlakechicago.com

Hockey Culture
Chelsea Dagger, ice-cold beer, group hugs with strangers. Let’s go, Hawks! nhl.com/blackhawks

A Campsite in the City: Lottie’s Pub
A grocer-turned-bar from Chicago’s mysterious past with a name that honors its former owner, the history of Lottie’s goes back to 1934. A lot has changed since then, but the vibe of the place remains the same: good food, good fun and of course, beer. Highlights include their patio transformation into a campground of sorts, complete with private heated tents, buckets of local brews, hot boozy cocktails, and a TV to watch the game while you pretend to enjoy the great outdoors. At a time when we couldn’t be indoors, Lottie’s sure made my pandemic experience more bearable. lottiespub.com

A Place to Relax and Unwind: Chicago Lakefront
Spanning much of the city, the Lakefront is what makes Chicago, Chicago. A destination for bikers, joggers, dog-walkers, artists, designers, tourists and the neighborhood crowd to read your copy of Newcity, eat a slice of pizza while people-watching, get a nice base tan or at least walk barefoot at the beach as soon as the weather allows, experience the green of the parks and the blue of the lake, and even stumble upon public art. But walking across the waterfront—its twists, turns and breathtaking viewpoints—you realize that most importantly, the trail makes you feel like you’re a part of the city as much as the city is part of you.

Landmark rainbow pylons along North Halsted /Photo: Gerald Farinas

An Ever Of-the-Moment Neighborhood: Northalsted
Rightfully, the most colorful neighborhood of Chicago, Northalsted, previously dubbed Boystown, is more than America’s first officially recognized gay village (since 1998)—it’s a place of parties, events and art exhibitions, it’s a foodie destination, a drag queen performance hub, a locale to shop from independent bookstores and curated boutique shops, it’s home to Chicago’s annual Pride Fest, but most of all it’s a place to be yourself. northalsted.com

A Historic Art School that Still Roars: School of the Art Institute of Chicago
A boundary-pushing art academy without which Chicago would not be the same, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been educating creatives since 1866 from Walt Disney to Georgia O’Keeffe to Jeff Koons to yours truly. Turning downtown Chicago into a colorful mashup of artists, designers and scholars, the School has been recognized as “the most influential art college in the United States” and consistently ranked among the top graduate fine arts programs in the nation and, well, the world. I had never imagined finding a journalism degree within the context of an art academy, but this has proven to be one of the most important decisions in my academic and professional life. Joining the graduate community of a top American university allowed me to wander into the fascinating world of art, new media and the great city of Chicago, and also develop the practical skills that turn journalism students into well-rounded art professionals. The multidisciplinary culture of SAIC, the proximity to the fascinating institution that is the Art Institute of Chicago, and the opportunity to meet mentors, teachers and friends changed the course of my life forever making me a Chicago native in the making. Almost a decade later, here I still am! saic.edu

An Art-Filled Night Out: Nights at the Museum
From celebrating the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition drinking 1930s cocktails dressed as flappers and dappers at the Chicago History Museum, to nighttime telescope viewings of Jupiter and Saturn at the Adler Planetarium, to dance parties at the Museum of Contemporary Art, a night at Chicago’s museums is fun and dare we say, educating, too.

An All-Time Favorite Honky-Tonk: Big Star
It was a chilly early evening, at the time of the year when it starts to get dark earlier and earlier in the day. I was alone, walking back from a gallery exhibition I had to review. Wicker Park was quiet on a weeknight but I needed a place to look through my notes—you know, in case I had missed anything and needed to turn back. I was tired and a little cold. Coming from Greece I’m not made for this kind of weather, as I usually say, only half-joking. And then I saw it: A bright light; an actual guiding star. Big Star’s yellow neon sign was before my eyes and I was pulled into a world of extraordinary tacos, refreshing margaritas, an extensive single-barrel bourbon selection and music playing out of an old-school record player. The honky-tonk vibe is palpable, people are friendly and if you’re anything like me you’ll enjoy it best if you grab a seat at the bar—except if it’s a summer day, then you better soak up some vitamin D on the patio. bigstarchicago.com

A Taste of Greece: Greekfest
Coming from a small country that’s known for its blue waters, picturesque islands, sunshine-filled days and fun-filled nights, Greekfest is a taste of home to me, a chance to catch up with friends and with the latest from the grapevine. But if you’re not Greek, don’t fret. There’s plenty of Greek food and drinks to go around, plenty of dances to be danced, and an opportunity to make new friends that will make you one of us in no time.

Photo: Colleen Dunn

A Multi-Level Work/Fun Place: Chicago Athletic Association
A rooftop with elaborate cocktails and sweeping Chicago views, a cozy area to enjoy a nightcap in front of the fireplace, a lobby with vast table space to work from which doubles as a convenient place to have a meeting: an absolute must-visit for out-of-towners. The Chicago Athletic Association is first and foremost a hotel—but I’ve never viewed it as such. What used to be an elite private men’s club dating back to the 1890s, the Chicago Athletic Association is now a retro-chic architectural marvel of a hotel that hosts the ultimate adult playground and bar. “The Game Room” on the second floor is true to its name, and has some of the city’s best old-school cocktails and snacks, all served around billiards, chess, cards, foosball tables and, of course, a bocce court. Your grandpa would be proud. chicagoathletichotel.com

A One-Stop Vintage Shop: Lost Girls
Lost Girls is Sarah Azzouzi and Kyla Embrey—and Winnie, their hand-painted 1976 camper van that started it all. True to the Peter Pan reference they were named after, they see fashion as a never-ending adventure: from in-town pop-ups to cruising with style across the country, and from a mobile vintage store, to two brick-and-mortar homes, one in West Town and another in Logan Square. Their latest venture? Vintage housewares ranging from playful kitty figurines, to Turkish kilim pillows, to vases, mirrors and furniture. “Lost Girls is more than just a vintage clothing business—it’s a mindset,” they say. “It’s about unapologetically living a fearless life of fun and adventure. About never giving up, following your dreams, and breaking all the molds. Lost Girls is knowing yourself, loving yourself, and confidently presenting that true self to the world.” lostgirlschicago.com

A Flower Shop: Adams & Son Gardens
A life-size cactus with bright pink, egg-shaped flowers greets you at the door as you step into the oasis of the family-owned flower shop Adams & Son Gardens—one that has been in the Humboldt Park neighborhood for over twenty years. Indoor and outdoor plants extend as far as the eye can see, occupying every corner. Ferns, mums, bonsais of all shapes and sizes, and, of course, cacti, terrariums and succulents—the kinds that have flooded your Instagram feed. Tony Adams, the son in Adams & Son, will awaken your inner botanist and bring the tropicalia into your life, teaching you how to plant, grow and care for your plant of choice, whether a dainty-leaved ficus, a healing aloe vera or simply moss. Bonus: The pictures of wide blue beaches, pine trees and waterfalls that cover the walls—an intimate collage of the Greek owners’ family moments back home to keep up close and warm up those Chicago winters. adamsandsongardens.com

A Hidden Architectural Gem That’s Also a Gallery: Wrightwood 659
If you’re a first-time visitor maybe you’ll walk right past this place. Can’t blame you. World-renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando designed the gallery space dedicated to exhibitions of architecture and socially engaged art within a four-story 1929-1930 apartment building that looks pretty much the same as when it was built—hidden in plain sight in its Lincoln Park neighborhood. But step in and you find yourself in an atrium that rises thirty-seven-feet high and features exposed brick walls, sleek concrete surfaces and a ton of natural light—and that’s just on the ground floor. Your art viewing experience will never be the same. wrightwood659.org

A Funky Book by a Chicago-Based Artist: “Cats and Plants,” Steven Eichhorn
When Stephen Eichhorn brings cats and plants together, magic happens. In his book, “Cats and Plants,” now in its second edition, the Chicago-based artist works with curiosity and humor to bring the two delights together in extravagant collage form: Cats wearing flower crowns, cats creeping behind leaves and sneaking inside flower pots among cacti, succulents, ferns and floral arrangements. The artist started working on this as a side project, but more than 200 collages of felines extraordinaire, several prints and two editions of the book later, there’s only one bottom line: Cats and plants go very well together! catsandplants.com/products/cats-plants-book

A Place to Feel Punk Rock: Riot Fest
A jam-packed three-day festival ode to your pop-punk high school self, a long-awaited reunion of your all-time favorite band that hasn’t played together in years, a road trip opportunity to create memories and post that perfect Instagram, the beer-fueled wonderland rocking Douglass Park to the ground each mid-September with rock, punk, alternative rock, and hip-hop sounds is whatever you want it to be. Celebrating its fifteenth birthday next year, the homegrown festival that started as a multi-venue event, manages to pull it off every year, putting up a show for all, complete with tons of local beer and food trucks, a Ferris wheel and a traveling circus sideshow—an end-of-the-summer celebration to kiss festival season goodbye that will leave you dirty, sweaty and exhausted proving that punk is definitely not dead… and never will be. riotfest.org

A Live Auction Experience: Wright Auction
Have you ever wondered about the feeling of vying against others in a fast-paced art and design bidding war? The heart beats faster, palms start to sweat; it’s a guaranteed adrenaline rush. If you are competitive by nature, you’ll want to keep yourself in check, but attending a live auction is a thrilling experience. And what better way to immerse yourself in it than visiting Wright Auction? Richard Wright, who started buying stuff at flea markets and thrift stores before he turned his business into a world-famous auction house, now headquartered in an elegant 40,000-square-foot, part-warehouse part-auction house building in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, with a second, newer location on Madison Avenue in New York City, has handled more than 40,000 lots of twentieth- and twenty-first century design since its founding in 2000. Among them: design objects, furniture, postwar and contemporary art. Once, he even auctioned off the entire interior of Chef René Redzepi’s groundbreaking Copenhagen restaurant, noma. Coming up, a selection of works by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Need we say more? Going once, going twice, sold! wright20.com

An All-Around Creative: Virgil Abloh, Off-White, Louis Vuitton
“Don’t be a victim to the statistics—you can be a kid from Chicago with the same skin tone as me and create work around your circumstance,” said Virgil Abloh on opening day of his Museum of Contemporary Art “Figures of Speech” exhibition. He should know. By then, the kid from Rockford was on top of the world: A designer, artist, DJ, owner and art director of RSVP Gallery, founder of Milan-based label Off-White and Louis Vuitton creative director, and named by Time as one of the hundred-most-influential people. Existing at the intersections of fashion, design, music and architecture, Abloh constantly reinvents himself, looks for inspiration everywhere—from Chicago’s cityscape, to hip-hop, to Warhol and Duchamp—and pretty much anything he touches turns to gold—even if that’s an IKEA tote bag. There’s definitely no stopping him so you should be paying attention—he could be stepping out of his comfort zone to make his next big, bold move happen anytime now. canary—yellow.com

Kavi Gupta | Elizabeth Street (exterior installation by Jessica Stockholder). /Photo: John Lusis

A Gallery: Kavi Gupta
The Chicago-based contemporary art gallery Kavi Gupta is on a mission to amplify the voices of diverse and underrepresented artists to expand the canon of art history. With two expansive spaces in the West Loop neighborhood, an ever-interesting roster, and Kavi Gupta Editions, where they design and print monographs, exhibition catalogues and academic texts, the gallery is worth keeping an eye on for anyone interested in staying in the loop with the contemporary art world in Chicago and beyond. They also throw a great party. kavigupta.com

An Annual Summer Fashion Event: SAIC Fashion Show
When one of the most experimental Fashion Departments in the world throws a runway show, you keep an eye out for it. In their highly anticipated annual Spring fashion event, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s (SAIC) fashion design students present edgy, avant-garde and over-the-top looks, as well as more down-to-earth, wearable creations that showcase a masterful balance between concept development, skill-building and artistic boundary-pushing. The next generation of fashion designers starts here but during these hourlong extravaganzas of catwalk shows, performances, music and installations, you won’t feel like you’re in a school setting at all—not even for a minute. saic.edu/academics/departments/fashion-design

A Place to Shop Small and Have Fun, Too: Renegade Craft Fair
Founded in Chicago in 2003—this year marking their fifteenth anniversary—and growing into the biggest craft fair showcase in the world, Renegade returns home at least three times every year—once to kick off spring (usually in May around the Pilsen neighborhood), once to kiss summer goodbye (find it across Division street in Wicker Park, mid-September) and once right in time for your Christmas shopping (this time it takes place indoors at the Bridgeport Art Center). Bringing together a wide assortment of artists, designers, makers and entrepreneurs from across the country, the renowned event also does pop-ups—Pitchfork Festival is an annual staple—and apart from an opportunity to shop small and support local businesses, provides a genuine good time: Think beer, wine and cocktail samples, as DJ booths stretch across the fair. Bottom line: No matter how many times you’ve visited over the years, you’ll still find it fun—or necessary!—to go back. renegadecraft.com

Best of Chicago 2021