Best of the Best
Best Restaurant
Alinea
Best Chef
Michael Carlson (Schwa)
Best Dish
Copperblue’s lobster poached in rue-scented beurre monte, with whitefish roulade and warm caviar gelée
Best Dessert
The “s’more” at Parlor
Juiciest Fried Chicken
Pollo Campero (2730 N. Narragansett Ave.; 773-622-6657) swears by its secret recipe
Most Authentic Neapolitan Pizza
At Spacca Napoli (1769 W. Sunnyside Ave.; 773-878-2420), even the bricks in the oven are from Italy
Best Turkey Burger
Luxbar (18 E. Bellevue Place; 312-642-3400) uses freshly ground roasted turkey and no filler in these babies
Best Chef In A Bowling Alley
Eric Possa at Lucky Strike Lanes (AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St.; 312-245-8331) has a résumé that includes Avenues and Les Nomades
Amazing Barbecue
Bones worth rolling up your sleeves for at Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue (249 E. Irving Park Rd., Wood Dale; 630-238-8261)
Hot | Not |
| Brussels sprouts | Flavored popcorn |
| Pistachio nuts | Lincoln Square |
| Braised short ribs | Beet salads |
| Logan Square | Kobe beef |
| Burger flights | Portobellos |
| Mini ice-cream shakes | Meyer lemons |
| German rieslings | Grappas |
Best Of Brazil
The seafood on the salad bar at Brazzaz (539 N. Dearborn St.; 312-595-9000) tips the scale
Most creative small plates
At sexy del Toro (1520 N. Damen Ave.; 773-252-1500)
Quickest Morph
After an eight-year run, Thyme became the more Italianate Timo (464 N. Halsted St.; 312-226-4300)—in one week flat
Biggest Letdowns
Narra (Hotel Orrington, 1710 Orrington Ave., Evanston; 847-556-2772)
Banana Moon (730 Waukegan Rd., Deerfield; 847-948-1100)