Chicago
Owner-chocolatier Katrina Markoff has earned a national reputation for her brand by blending exotic ingredients such as curry powder, chilies and wasabi…
Must-see shopping in Chicago
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
The ‘deli’ part is taken seriously here: after cooking (ie ironing a retro design on) your T-shirt, it's wrapped in butcher paper and served to you with…
Chicago
Water Tower Place launched the city’s love affair with vertical shopping centers. Many locals swear this first one remains the best. The mall houses 100…
Chicago
A serious university demands a serious bookstore, and as you descend the stairs to this basement-level shop you’ll know you’re in the right place. Its…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
Penelope’s is a warm boutique for twenty- and thirty-somethings. It offers both men’s and women’s fashions (they’re new, but look thrift-store-bought)…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
'Come In, We're Awesome' says the sign on the front door. Gregarious owner Julie has been running this Bucktown boutique for two decades and it's become a…
Chicago
Painters, sculptors and other visual artists and craftspeople get paid for creating their wares while teaching inner-city teens – who serve as apprentices…
Chicago
Koval distills organic, small-batch whiskey and gin in the shiny copper tanks that you see inside. It also makes ginger, jasmine, walnut and other unique…
Chicago
Whether you’re hoping to win at bingo, remove a jinx or fall in love, this Greektown store promises to help with its array of candles, incense, love…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
Myopic is one of the city’s oldest and largest used bookstores, with stacks upon stacks of tomes (about 70,000 by the shop's count). It rambles through…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
Rack after rack of ‘70s bowling, Hawaiian and western-wear shirts, leather motorcycle jackets, cowboy boots and secondhand jeans (including big-name…
Chicago
Even jaded consumers have to admit this is an amazing-looking Apple store. The all-glass facade looks over the Chicago River flowing directly outside. The…
Chicago
You might not know until you see it, but odds are good you'll find something you want in this neighborhood gift shop: snarky greeting cards, ironically…
Chicago
Sometimes you just need to let the world know how you feel, and the T-Shirt Deli is here to help. Customize tees, onesies, hats and more from a huge…
Chicago
Knee Deep offers a trove of vintage clothing for men and women. Browse the racks past the 1970s feather-print dresses and 1960s Hawaiian-style shirts…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
Held on the second Saturday and last Sunday of each month of the colder half of the year, this event at the Empty Bottle showcases Chicagoland crafters…
Chicago
The Logan Square Farmers Market is one of Chicago's best. The neighborhood operates it (versus the city), so it marches to its own progressive beat. Live…
Chicago
Northsiders love this small deli-market for its cases filled with fresh, housemade Middle Eastern food: tubs of smoky roasted-eggplant dip and creamy…
Chicago
This low-key, women-owned sex shop is good for novices, with explanatory signs and customer reviews to help you tell your anal beads from your bullet…
Chicago
A wall of drawers contains 200 different kinds of top-notch loose-leaf tea – Indian black teas, Japanese sencha, Chinese gunpowder, South African rooibos…
Chicago
Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo puts on a spread that draws men and women of all ages. Take the escalators up from street level to the rainbow array of…
Chicago
Whenever you’re at a club, dancing to the beat, Groove is likely the source of the music. The company provides record stores around the world with down…
Chicago
This nonprofit group trawls local landfills and scrap yards for junked bikes and then brings them back to its warehouse and refurbishes them. Half get…
Chicago
True to its name, this laid-back comics store is tucked down a narrow alleyway off N Clark St. The wide selection features single-issue and graphic novels…
Chicago
The big-box retailer's downtown store sits in the landmark Sullivan Center building. It's a bit more upscale than the usual Target and it's a prime place…
Chicago
Rolling Stone magazine picked Dave's as one of the nation's best record stores. It has an 'all vinyl, all the time' mantra, meaning crate diggers will be…
Chicago
Set inside a massive former movie theater built in 1915, this resale shop has an ocean of browsable wares: racks and racks of clothing, furniture,…
Chicago
After-Words is one of the few bookstores in this area. The new and used tomes spread over two floors. Upstairs holds children's, architecture and Chicago…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
Do some olfactory ogling at this high-end Parisian perfumer's Bucktown boutique – its heady blends come in woody, citrus, floral and other scent…
Chicago
This small shop seems something like an alchemist's lab – and that's not far off. Book in an hour-long 'Signature Scent Creation' appointment ($60) and…
Chicago
Located across from Wrigley Field, Sports World overflows with – that’s right – sportswear. It carries all shapes and sizes of Cubs jerseys, T-shirts,…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
The smell of incense greets you as you walk in to peruse the array of Bionic Woman lunch boxes, celebrity-saint pillar candles, New Kids on the Block…
Chicago
Who isn't tempted by a store whose windows beckon with a giant creepy clown face and wig-wearing dog mannequin in a velvet skirt? Hollywood Mirror…
Chicago
This store offers top travel and outdoor gear for those looking to escape the concrete jungle, or at least get some abrasion-reinforced fleece to protect…
Chicago
Crossroads sells funky, name-brand used clothing for men and women that you can count on being in good condition. Lots of jeans usually hang on the racks,…
Chicago
The front sign at this Asian snack and candy store says 'Munchies Paradise,' and so it is. Sweet and salty treats fill the bulk bins, from dried salted…
Chicago
This flashy, four-story Nike brand store is fun to meander. It has loads of Cubs, White Sox and other local team gear, and pays homage to Chicago Bulls…
Chicago
This sunny, pastel-colored children's shop markets itself as inclusive. Browse the shelves for wood blocks, progressive children’s books, kite-making kits…
Chicago
What is the bizarre, five-story building on Michigan Ave that has an exterior covered in plaid? It's the British luxury fashion house Burberry, of course…
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
Looking for a Street Sweeper or a pair of Lakais? Uprise is the city’s top spot for skateboarders to pick up gear, boards and tips on the local scene…