Daley’s Restaurant The story goes that after the Great Chicago Fire, Irish immigrant John Daley was working on the South Side El. Tired of swinging a pick, he began selling coffee and sandwiches to workers from a wagon, the original “roach coach.” With so much construction underway near 63rd Street, Daley looked up and also saw the beginnings of the 1893 World’s Fair. He decided it might be a good place to open a restaurant. Over one-hundred-and-thirty years later Daley’s is going strong. The establishment has been in the hands of the Kyros family since 1918 (then Zee since 2005). It offers breakfasts, sandwiches and traditional “Chicago Greek diner” fare like meatloaf, chops, fish, baked and fried chicken and pies. (David Witter) 6257 S. Cottage Grove, daleysrestaurant.com
Newberry Library Did you know that anyone age fourteen and over can go to the Newberry Library? You don’t have to be a professor with elbow patches on your jacket—you can just go into that Spanish-Romanesque building by Bughouse Square, fill out a reader card, and get access to an astounding collection of historic manuscripts, genealogical material, photos and other artifacts. You can see an exhibit, take a class on something cool—like Russian music or mystery novels—attend a lecture, visit the bookstore, or stock up on used books at its annual sale. This is a great resource—make it a favorite place. (Mary Wisniewski) 60 W. Walton, newberry.org
Mies van der Rohe He’s got a street named after him, and people pronounce it right! There are many ways to look at the level lines of the prairie this city is splayed upon, among them the spires bursting skyward by even the most modest pretender to the name of “skyscraper” to the genteel CinemaScope rococo of Frank Lloyd Wright. But Mies mastered flatness in three-dimensions, with lines of stunning, perpendicular grace. Of the fourteen notable edifices, you can pick out the first residence, the twenty-two stories of The Promontory Apartments in Hyde Park, the first of his works to bare its exoskeleton. Or the more familiar restored 860-880 North Lake Shore Drive, favored by location scouts of all forms of media. The views, oh, the views: always the Lake, relentless with their timeless views. But even a building like the Roberto Clemente High School, you turn a corner, like Western and Division, and there clean, furiously efficient lines stand, unparalleled. (Ray Pride)
Marshall Field’s State Street Store (Macy’s) Founded in the nineteenth century, Marshall Field & Company was an upscale department store on Chicago’s State Street that grew to occupy an entire square block—it was the world’s largest when it was built and is now third in line. The ornate building features great, century-old clocks, a lavish grand hall, an intricate Tiffany dome ceiling, and the world-famous Walnut Room, the first-ever restaurant within a department store. Encapsulating the American shopping experience and conceptualizing mall culture—that comes hand-in-hand with consumerism—the department store is an integral part of Chicago’s history. From 1852 to today, old-school glamor prevails. And if you look out front, you’ll see the bronze placards that still read “Marshall Field.” (Vasia Rigou) 111 N. State, macys.com
Harold’s Chicken Chicago has two Harolds: Washington and Pierce. And as monumental as Washington was and remains, Pierce—who greets you with his now-legendary portrait in every franchise location—is the one the world references on a first- and single-name basis. The fried chicken king’s empire is one of the city’s greatest entrepreneurial success stories. Trust, the chicken is still fire AF seventy-three years later. And if all else in the future fails, the Harold’s Mild Sauce, at the end of days, will still be standing. (Scoop Jackson)
Sister Cities Flying out of O’Hare, I love riding the moving walkway beneath the banners showcasing Chicago’s Sister Cities International, the sixty-two-year-old program that fosters exchange across twenty-nine cities, from Warsaw (1960) to Accra (1989), Busan (2007) to Kiev (1991). City officials, small business owners, artists and others gather to discuss everything under the sun: engineering, medical care, music, poetry… life. Cultural diplomacy is complicated—last March Chicago suspended ties with Moscow (1997) after Russia invaded Ukraine—but imagine the other connections that decades of sisterly visits have cultivated. (Alison Cuddy) Chicagosistercities.com
2017 Cover Illustration: Jorge Colombo
Middle Eastern Bakery and Grocery The best spicy baba ganoush and hummus, tantalizing fatayer (savory hand pies), aromatic spice mixes of zaatar and sumac, creamy labneh, sour yoghurt drinks and grassy virgin olive oils, dried fruits, nuts, pitas and flatbreads… All fresh. All made in-house (except the imports). Enter the well-organized, beautifully displayed and packed shop at the corner of Foster and Clark, and you’ll understand Chicago’s love affair with Middle Eastern foods. The scents, sounds and the friendly staff will guide you to try new things. As a full grocery store, grill and deli counter, the Middle Eastern Bakery and Grocery is a must stop in Andersonville. (Sara Stern) 1512 W. Foster, middleeastbakeryandgrocery.com
Navy Pier Okay, so Navy Pier can be touristy and tacky, crowded with stuff like Amazing Chicago’s Funhouse Maze and a Dippin’ Dots outlet. But it’s still a fun place. Embrace the cheese, enjoy a walk on the pier, look at the Lake, the boats, the couples on first dates, the tired parents struggling with over-sugared offspring. It can’t always be the opera and artisanal salad—sometimes you need a merry-go-round and a churro. Plus, there’s Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the Children’s Museum. Pretend you’re from out of town, stop being so darn cool, and spend a day at the Pier. (Mary Wisniewski) 600 E. Grand, navypier.org
Binny’s Beverage Depot The liquor store game in Chicago was historic for being an independent, franchise and big box-free, neighborhood-only market. From House of Glunz to Al Par’s to Poor Woods to Warehouse Liquors and beyond. Al Capone never turned over once in his grave. Then Binny’s saw what Costco was doing and said: “Why not us?” And here we are. And here we gonna forever be. (Scoop Jackson) Binnys.com
2007 Best of Chicago item
Chicagohenge Both the spring and fall equinox can be exceptionally memorable in Chicago—if you’re at the right place at the right time, that is. Twice a year, the rising and setting sun lines up with Chicago’s east-west street grid, providing a highly Instagrammable moment as it is framed within the city’s skyline. As nature and architecture harmoniously coexist for a minute of peace and quiet amid the hustle and bustle of the Loop, time appears to stand still. (Vasia Rigou)
Former Alderman Ed Burke As the Great Pyramids have symbolized the civilization of ancient Egypt for eons, former Fourteenth Ward Alderman Ed Burke may be Chicago’s greatest living monument to corruption. Across a fifty-year career, Burke has made countless deals and is now under indictment for extortion, racketeering and bribery. Perhaps the best example of this is the legend that when Burke took bribes, he insisted they be delivered in shopping bags from the former Marshall Field’s. Thick and dark green, it was thought they better camouflaged the cash. These allegations have never been proven, but the irony of the combined symbols of old Chicago is noted. (David Witter)
The Rink For over forty-five years, The Rink has served as a South Side temple where rollerskating has been equated to a religion. (Scoop Jackson) 1122 E. 87th, therinkchicago.com
