Urban Oasis
Neighborhood: Near North Side

12 W Maple St Fl 3
Chicago, IL 60610

Dane K. writes: As if this place needs another 5 star review...

I've gotten a few massages from here, and they've always been extremely enjoyable... more so than anywhere else.  The environment is relaxing.

Do make sure to reserve the shower you want when you make…

Google Inc
Neighborhood: Near North Side, Magnificent Mile

401 N Michigan Ave Ste 1200
Chicago, IL 60611

becki s. writes: Whats not to love!? Great maps, that you can move around just by dragging the mouse, type in business names for map and phone numbers in a second. Google earth (for the spy's) and COUNTLESS other things google supplies us with that I didn't even know…

Francesca's Collections
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park

2012 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60614

Sara O. writes: Prrrrretty much the only place in Lincoln Park I can afford.  They have great clothes and accessories AND fun stuff for your apartment, gifts etc.  But really, I just like that you don't have to pay 70 bucks for a t-shirt.

However, I once bought a…

Halloween
Neighborhood: Chatham

Chicago, IL 60619

David D. writes: Samhain.  America's most popular Celtic holiday.  

The Coligny Calendar calls this the "Three Nights of the End of Summer," a.k.a. the first day of Winter.  We also know this as the Celtic New Year.  How does all this fit together?  

The sun points,…

Working Bikes Cooperative
Neighborhood: Tri-Taylor

1125 S Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60612

Sharlene K. writes: I don't how anyone would walk a mile to this place since it's only a quarter-mile in each direction from the blue Forest Park or Cermak lines.  

If you don't know anything about bikes, I suggest bringing a friend who does to help you sort through the…

Tryst
Neighborhood: Lakeview

3485 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657

andrea w. writes: I parted ways with the Wrigleyville nightlife a few years back, but I do make exceptions every once in a while...one of them being last night for a going away party for one of my fiance's friends.  The lucky guy and his wife are off to Australia for…

Big Herm's
Neighborhood: Near West Side

409 W. Washington Street
Chicago, IL 60610

Dan M. writes: Big Herm's is a dive that puts other dives to shame.  In being a dive, it excels in its sheer diviness.  Other "dives" can't be compared to Big Herm's- they're not even in the same league.  Hell, they're not even playing the same sport!

They've got a…

Bentonara
Neighborhood: Lakeview

1156 W. Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657

Jackie P. writes: Yum! Yum! Yum!  I am now and forever in love with Sushi!  I had the best dining experience at Bentonara and most say that this is my favorite sushi restaurant!  

Now with that being said I am a little bit of a newbie when it comes to sushi.  I met up…

Rosehill Cemetery & Mausoleum
Neighborhood: Edgewater

5800 N Ravenswood Ave
Chicago, IL 60660

Shane H. writes: How do you really review a cemetery without using it?!  And wouldn't you have to be dead to do so?  Well, I went here on Good Friday with a friend of mine.  She needed to take some photographs.  We drove around and looked at some of the points of…

Logan Square Neighborhood Association
Neighborhood: Avondale

2840 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60618

Lindley E. writes: Best place to live in the city...if you don't mind that there are no supermarkets around. Great housing, interesting mix of people, close to a very convenient el stop (if you travel for a living...so close to O'Hare, relatively speaking). A great…

Cafe Jumping Bean
Neighborhood: Pilsen

1439 W 18th St
Chicago, IL 60608

Rachel H. writes: Jumping Bean is a great place to stop by when you're dying for a jolt to your day or if you want to laze around pretending to get work done.  I've never gotten anything other than coffee, so I can't attest to the food, but the low prices and colorful…

John Hancock Center
Neighborhood: Near North Side, Streeterville

875 N Michigan Ave Ste 3614
Chicago, IL 60611

Julie K. writes: it was fine day..  no cloud in the sky..  no noises in the street..

I haven't gone up Empire Building in NYC yet..  cuz I am afraid of heights..  but my uncle..  sigh~  he didn't know..

well.. I was holding my brother's hand from the ground to the…

Pizza Rustica
Neighborhood: Lakeview, Wrigleyville

3913 N Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL 60613

Colleen C. writes: Edit: I got delivery last night, and it took them approximatley 15 minutes from the time we called until it was at my door. Fantazzzzmo!

1. Very beautiful waitresses.  (for the men out there, wink).

2. Caprese Salad. Beautiful.

3. Very cheap pizza…

La Quinta Restaurant & Bar

6431 Cermak Rd
Berwyn, IL 60402

Diana M. writes: I go to this restaurant about every other Sunday! And I will keep going there as long as they keep that Guac Lady there! Whom ever thought of having a table side salsa/guacamole order is a Genius! I can seriously just eat chips, salsa and guacamole…

Silver Moon
Neighborhood: Wicker Park

1755 W. North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647

Kyle R. writes: Silver Moon's clothes awaken past fashion.  And it is so cool.  I am sure that plenty of the clothes have out lived their original owners or have hardly been worn.  

Ladies this is where you can by your Kentucky Derby Hats!

Gennaro's Restaurant
Neighborhood: University Village

1352 W Taylor St
Chicago, IL 60607

Heather K. writes: The sauce, ohhhhhhhh the sauce. If you're a more-saucy-less-chunky red sauce fan (like me), you will go crazy for this stuff. If someone offered me a glass of Gennaro's pasta sauce and a straw and told me to drink it, I'd do so happily. Yeah that's…

P S Bangkok Restaurant 2
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park, DePaul

2521 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60614

Brenna O. writes: PS Bangkok 2 was clean, friendly, and average.

I think I've just been spoiled with some truly excellent Thai food in my lifetime, so I was not wowed by this place that seems to be a student staple near DePaul. Although the chicken was good meat, and…

Mirai
Neighborhood: Wicker Park

2020 W. Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622

Colleen C. writes: I always wondered about people when they talk about sushi in a euphoric, dream-like way...about it melting like butter in their mouths, and all of that. I would think "um...it's fish, tis not butter. I chewed it, it didn't melt."

Then. Mirai.…

La Luce
Neighborhood: Near West Side

1393 W Lake St
Chicago, IL 60607

Nicole V. writes: If you are looking for quality italian here in Chicago...this is a good option.  The menu is fairly standard but the brown butter ravioli is very good.  They have both a downstairs and upstairs area for seating, both have a bar.  I would recommend…

Smokin' Woody's
Neighborhood: North Center

4160 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60686

Katarina X. writes: Sweet Mother of all that is holy... and by that I mean: the crispy, greasy, glorious goodness called Sweet Potato French Fries may constitute as foreplay.
I'm just sayin' it made me ridiculously happy, especially as a side to my To-Go order of…

Sprout Home
Neighborhood: Ukrainian Village

745 N Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622

crister c. writes: i do enjoy this place, i've become conspicuous with my visits so i try to keep it to once a month or two. the staff remember you, they know what you bought last time, and they love plants. the owner is an artist who hand selects the home decor items.…

Carson's the Place For Ribs
Neighborhood: Edgewater

5970 N Ridge Ave
Chicago, IL 60660

carolynne r. writes: This place was a real treat.  Excellent food.  Too bad this location is closed now.

Salon Echo
Neighborhood: Edgewater

1134 W Bryn Mawr Ave
Chicago, IL 60660

Sheri S. writes: I have been going to Salon Echo since it opened and have been a client of Maria's (the owner) for years.  It's one of the few day spas with a salon attached which still maintains a sense of tranquility after you leave the spa.  

Its a spa, so if you…

Glenview Dairy Bar

1015 Harlem Ave
Glenview, IL 60025

Alan R. writes: Awesome old fashioned soft serve ice cream.  There is no place to sit, but they still have a line on warm summer nights. Get Vanilla with your choice of a dip.  I love getting cinnamon nuts (or something like that)  It's also great to support a local…

Streeters
Neighborhood: Near North Side

50 E Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60611

Kristin C. writes: Definitely a non-pretentious place to grab a beer, especially during the day (day drinking somehow seems more acceptable underground).  Also earns points for having Budweiser on tap.  This makes my boyfriend happy.  Recently I asked if he would…

New York Bagel & Bialy Corp

3556 Dempster St
Skokie, IL 60076

PJ K. writes: I don't even like bialys all that much, but my hypothesis is that they are an essential cultural marker: places that sell bagels but not bialys are typically just selling round bread with a hole in it, without the chewy crust and texture that makes…

Mulligan's Public House
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village

2000 W Roscoe St
Chicago, IL 60618

Liz S. writes: I think this might be on my new list of "bars I love".  There's nothing pretentious about this bar.  The entrance is simple a single door with no glowing "look at me" lights.  It's simply just a bar on the corner of a neighborhood.  My kind of bar.…

El Tinajon
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village

2054 W Roscoe St
Chicago, IL 60618

Amy H. writes: I stopped in one morning for breakfast and really enjoyed my juevos mexicana...but eggs with peppers, onion and tomato aren't really that complicated.  The side of beans was good.  The chips and salsa were good.  

The service was not great but they…

La Mora
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village

2132 W Roscoe St
Chicago, IL 60618

Amy S. writes: My fiance and I went here last Saturday as our Valentine's Day treat.  It was very romantic - dimly lit, small, cozy atmosphere.   The service was great and everyone we came into contact with was very friendly.  The only complaint I had was that the…

Sakura

105 S Main Street
Mt Prospect, IL 60056

Isabella W. writes: Sakura in Mount Prospect is one of the only true authentic Japanese restaurants (aka there's actually cooked food, and there's no makis/rolls).  I never knew this side of Japanese food even existed prior to dining at Sakura.  Here are some must-trys…

La Tache
Neighborhood: Andersonville, Edgewater

1475 W Balmoral Ave
Chicago, IL 60660

Mark S. writes: Another trip or two to this place with the same experience I had my first time and I'll revise my review to 5 stars!  

I absolutely hate Saturday night crowds- service tends to suffer and atmosphere tends to be hectic and weekend people tend to…

Spa Emilia
Neighborhood: Near North Side

21 W. Elm Street
Chicago, IL 60686

Jennifer D. writes: Great pedicure! I would skip the spa treatment and just get their signature pedicure. The hot paraffin wax hurt my feet and I didn't notice much of a difference from it. I got this pedicure over a month ago and my nails still look great. I will be…

Ashland Addison Florist Co
Neighborhood: Near West Side

1640 W Fulton St
Chicago, IL 60612

Kristine K. writes: This is the best florist in the city. Never had a problem with them and the bouquets I have sent to friends/family are always gorgeous. I recently sent flowers to a friend who works in Wrigley Field (which is not open for baseball yet AND undergoing…

J Alexander's Restaurant
Neighborhood: DePaul

1832 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL 60614

Matt L. writes: I'm giving this place what may be an unfairly positive review. I wasn't aware there was such a thing, but apparently I just invented it.

The lady and I went last Thursday for dinner. We were seated immediately and ordered some drinks. The ALCS game…

Costco

2399 Patriot Blvd
Glenview, IL 60026

Nancy K. writes: This is a very nice Costco

Asha Aveda

601 N. Martingale Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173

Jennifer B. writes: This is my gold standard for pedicures.  I swear if I win the lottery, Tracy will be part of my Entourage.  My toes always look like a million bucks and I come away laughing and shaking my head for a couple days because she is a riot!

Paper Source
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park

919 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60614

andrea w. writes: I had a new hobby for about a week last year...scrapbooking.  I put lots of time and energy into an amazing scrapbook for my dad's 50th birthday and then decided I was going to make scrapbooks for every special person in my life.  Well, I apologize…

Prink Salon
Neighborhood: Noble Square, River West

689 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622

jill l. writes: Ok, so, I guess I could be considered "that girl" who has been getting her hair professionally cut since the age of 10 while trying to follow in my mother's footsteps. I'm not ashamed to admit that I completely pamper myself when it comes to my hair…

Crew
Neighborhood: Uptown

4804 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640

Kelly M. writes: My friends and I ended up here randomly last night after getting to Green Mill too late to get in.  I am happy it worked out that way because we had a GREAT time hanging out, watching whatever insanely funny channel they had on their tvs (some odd…