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Chicago Magazine

Where the Locals Go

Raising the Bar

Top Honors • Love Beverly Kim [“Chicagoans of the Year,” December]! She is a force to be reckoned with. We’ve eaten at all her Chicago restaurants and have followed her food for years. She absolutely deserves this honor.

Your Best Holiday Decorations Photo

Talking Points • This month’s conversation starters

One and Done? • Can Lori Lightfoot overcome rising crime and her own political inexperience to win a second term?

The Power of “Y” • Nicole Robinson brings personal experience and a South Side perspective to her role as YWCA Chicago CEO.

THE BIG NUMBER 26

Sing the Auto Electric! • The Auto Show is going green, as Illinois wants more chargeable cars.

Villa in the Sky • When you’ve got a lawn overlooking Lake Michigan, who needs a house in the country?

Where It’s @

Sweet Sentiment • Claspless jewelry provides a pretty reminder of special bonds.

Hot Stuff • Make February sizzle with over-the-top displays of affection.

Joe Fisher • Wellness club owner, martial artist, cancer survivor

Eat, Drink, and Be Married • Ten local venues that still have availability to host the wedding of your dreams in 2022.

Finding Your Dream Team • Wedding planning can get more complicated when you add cultural customs and other provisions into the mix. These vendors try to make it easy.

A More Eco-Friendly Union • How to make your big day explode with joy that’s gentle on the environment.

Life of the Party • Artist Raub Welch celebrates Black history and culture with his festive affairs.

Love Bird

Super Snacks • Serving these local bites for the big game spread may upstage the commercials.

Listen Up • At the Exchange, a music-focused bar and restaurant is a respite from the chaos.

Disc Jockeys

The Hot List • 10 places everyone’s talking about (in order of heat)

Fresh Eyes • René Morales and a new team of curators hope to deepen the MCA’s ties with local artists.

The Reeducation of a Mom • Oak Park native Jessamine Chan’s dystopian novel about the repercussions of stepping outside parenting norms echoes our own unforgiving times.

New in Nonfiction

Chicago’s Best Neighborhood Bars • From a longtime University of Chicago hang in Hyde Park to a pizza and beer joint in Rogers Park, these 16 beloved spots provide community, sustenance, and a stiff drink.

Candlelite Chicago • Pizza and pols

Worth the Trouble • Actor Michael Shannon, who has spent a lot of time in Chicago’s neighborhood bars, pens an ode to some favorites.

Simon’s Tavern • Just happy to be here

THE KEDZIE INN • A new old dive

The Long Room • A bar for all hours

Berlin • Chicago’s original queer bar

Sportsman’s Club • Boozy attractions and fun grooves

THE LEAVITT STREET INN & TAVERN • Bucktown’s backyard

Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap • Red sauce and Blackhawks

Rossi’s Liquors

M LOUNGE • Chillin’, chattin’, and cuts

Skylark • Modern meets old school

Osito’s Tap • No celebrity-backed tequilas allowed

THE FAMILY DEN LOUNGE • The Black Cheers

Bernice’s Tavern • Svyturys and Stingo

Woodlawn Tap • The easiest place to get into in Hyde Park (no minimum GPA needed)

THE...