Chicagoans of the Year 2012

By Cassie Walker Burke, David Zivan, Noah Isackson, Bryan Smith, and Geoffrey Johnson

Holiday 2012 Gift Guide: Made in Chicago

Locavores, rejoice! The season’s perfect presents—from fine jewelry to modern furniture—were made or designed right here in Chicago. For everyone on your list, buy something from home for the...

By Megan Lovejoy, Seth Putnam, and Lena Singer

Rita Crundwell and the Dixon Embezzlement

THE $53 MILLION BAMBOOZLE: How the trusted comptroller of a small Illinois town became the biggest municipal embezzler in U.S. history, according to the feds—and no one noticed

By Bryan Smith

Broadway’s ‘War Horse’ Hits Chicago

HORSE POWER: The most dazzling thing about the Tony winner may be the living horse sculpture itself

By Catey Sullivan

Holiday Hot List

We chart the holiday shows most worth a visit before New Year’s

By Emmet Sullivan

Changing Chicago’s Radio Dial

AIR QUALITY: It’s been a dramatic year on the local airwaves, with several mainstays switching call letters and changing playlists.

By Selena Fragassi

Holiday Tip Line

Our tips for shopping smart, finding Santa, and taking a break from all that Christmas music

By Emmet Sullivan

Five Best Things to Do in December

THE SHORTLIST: Five musts from our December culture calendar

By Philip Butta

Caroling the Holidays in Chicago

CHOIRS OF ANGELS: Get your choir fix at one of these terrific concerts

By Emmet Sullivan

December Deal Estate: Home Sales, News, and Trends

By Dennis Rodkin

Reviews: Belly Q and Embeya

EASTBOUND & UP: In Randolph Street’s latest Asian rush, Bill Kim’s BellyQ dances, while Thai Dang’s Embeya is still learning to walk.

By Jeff Ruby

The Hot List: 10 places everyone’s talking about and dining at in December in order of heat

Chicago’s most-buzzed-about restaurants this month

By Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby

A Guide to Old Town: Where to Eat, Shop, and Play

INSIDER’S GUIDE: From bars to boutiques, a flurry of recent additions keeps this hood feeling as new as ever

By Carly Boers

Chicago’s Best and Worst Politicians of 2012

ANGELS AND DEMONS: The political heroes and zeros of 2012

By Geoffrey Johnson

The End of the World with Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Our cartoonist imagines December 21, 2012, at City Hall

By Corinne Mucha

How to Save Football From Head Injuries

FOOTBALL’S FUTURE: The push to reduce concussions won’t ruin fans’ experience of NFL games

By Steve Hendershot

Lisa Yun Lee, UIC Director of Art and Art History, on Her Favorite Things

NEW SCHOOL: The 43-year-old loves art—but also the Audi R8 and the Bulls

By Heiji Choy Black

Masa Azul’s Makeover Brings Innovative New Cocktails

“No one else is doing what she does with tequila.”

By Carly Boers

Masaki, Chicago’s Most Extravagant Sushi Restaurant

The tiny new Gold Coast spot serves up the city’s most expensive fish

By Carly Boers

What’s Coming and What’s Cheap in Chicago Dining

In December, a look at Del Frisco’s, Reno, and 5411

By Jeff Ruby and Joanne Trestrail

Curtis Duffy Opens the Refined New Grace

A restaurant so civilized it’s almost out of step with the times

By Penny Pollack

Mark Palicki’s Tour of Bangkok

CURRY FAVOR: The VP of marketing for Fortune Fish Company leads the way to the cultural and culinary prizes of the city

Anne Pramaggiore Becomes ComEd’s First Female CEO

The utility player talks about how the electricity giant can restore consumer confidence

How to Get Schvitzed in Chicago

THE NAKED TRUTH: Can the torrid ritual purge the bashful author’s bodily impurities and his lifelong inhibitions?

By Jeff Ruby