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Starfish
Category:
Restaurants
802 W Randolph St
Chicago, Illinois 60607
(312) 997-2433
If you're looking for sushi in the West Loop, look no further than Starfish, a great Japanese restaurant on West Randolph Street. (In the course of about four blocks of West Randolph, you'll find no...
If you're looking for sushi in the West Loop, look no further than Starfish, a great Japanese restaurant on West Randolph Street. (In the course of about four blocks of West Randolph, you'll find no less than *four* upscale sushi restaurants, and having sampled them all, Starfish is my choice for great sushi.)
Starfish features a terrific selection of innovative appetizers, salads, maki, negiri, "special rolls" as well as cooked dinners for your dining companions who might be wary of raw food. Their fish is of the highest quality...I've never had anything questionable. Presentation is beautiful and their desserts are absolutely delicious.
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This Lakeview restaurant offers a quick bite of healthy Middle Eastern food in a casual setting. There's a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, hot and cold dishes, and many items can be customized...
This Lakeview restaurant offers a quick bite of healthy Middle Eastern food in a casual setting. There's a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, hot and cold dishes, and many items can be customized to fit your tastes. (Salads, for example, come with about a dozen dressing selections, and for an additional price you can add meat/poultry to a number of dishes.) While I haven't tried their desserts, they look delicious.
Although Aladdin's isn't the most authentic Middle Eastern restaurant in town (their chicken shawarma, for example, isn't a shawarma at all, but simply a chicken kabab), it's a decent place to sit down for a healthy bite to eat.
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As an authorized BMW dealer and repair facility, Perillo BMW guarantees all of their repair work for at least a year. And once they get the work done, it they do a good job at fairly average "dealer...
As an authorized BMW dealer and repair facility, Perillo BMW guarantees all of their repair work for at least a year. And once they get the work done, it they do a good job at fairly average "dealer prices." (Meaning, it's more expensive than you'd pay at a place that's not a BMW dealer, but if you're having it repaired under warranty, you're not paying anyway, are you?) That's the good news.
The bad news is that they seem to have very little quality control, and seem to pay not attention to whether or how well the work's been done when they let cars leave their shop. On multiple occasions I've driven out of the shop, around the block, and straight back into the dealership because I've realized that the problem still exists. I even went so far as to write Joe Perillo a letter listing the shoddy service I got. (And got several calls from people throughout the dealership swearing things would be different.) On my last visit before my car went out of warranty, I needed my oil changed. They did it...I think. But they forgot to reset the light telling me to get my oil changed. (What a surprise.) I now get my oil changed at Midas. It costs a lot less. They don't have the tool to reset my "change oil" light. But every day when it lights up, I'm reminded why I don't go to Perillo any more.
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If you live in Wrigleyville/Lakeview and believe in supporting locally owned businesses, then you can't afford to miss Unabridged Books. This longtime Lakeview business has a terrific selection of...
If you live in Wrigleyville/Lakeview and believe in supporting locally owned businesses, then you can't afford to miss Unabridged Books. This longtime Lakeview business has a terrific selection of fiction and non-fiction books (including a sizable gay and lesbian selection).
Unabridged Books has a great reputation in the literary community, and well-known authors frequently make it a stop on their book tours for readings and signings.
I particularly appreciate the handwritten notecards taped to the shelves adjacent to many books, describing books that a particular staff member recommends.
Don't be deceived by the relatively small storefront appearance -- the selection also extends into the basement.
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4 Legs
Category:
Pet Foods Equipment & Supplies
3809 N Clark St
Chicago, Illinois 60613
(773) 472-5347
If you live or work in the Lakeview/Wrigleyville neighborhood and have dogs or cats, don't miss this gem of a pet store just north of Wrigley Field. In the age of Petcos and PetSmarts, this store...
If you live or work in the Lakeview/Wrigleyville neighborhood and have dogs or cats, don't miss this gem of a pet store just north of Wrigley Field. In the age of Petcos and PetSmarts, this store stands apart from the crowd. You'll almost always find the owners at work in the shop. They're friendly and eager to please. (I've found them wiling to ship things, special order, etc.) The store sells a great variety of toys, supplies and premium/super-premium food (none of those brands loaded with low-quality byproducts and fillers).
If you want your pet to eat food that's as high-quality as what you eat, you'll find it at a place like 4 Legs, not one of the chain pet stores. And if you like to spend your money at locally owned stores, 4 Legs is one of them.
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Nail Bar
Category:
Beauty Salons
3228 N Broadway St
Chicago, Illinois 60657
(773) 935-7700
In recent years, this local chain has done a good job of establishing a presence in the Chicago area. Nail Bar sets itself apart by creating an atmosphere that feels a little more "polished" (if...
In recent years, this local chain has done a good job of establishing a presence in the Chicago area. Nail Bar sets itself apart by creating an atmosphere that feels a little more "polished" (if you'll pardon the pun) than your average nail salon. Screens separate each manicure and pedicure station from one another, so you feel as if you have a little privacy. (As opposed to some salons, where you feel like you're interrupting the manicurists by asking for an appointment.)
Nail Bar does a fine job on nail services, though at a slightly higher price than you'd pay at a non-chain nail salon.
In addition to nail services, Nail Bar offers hair removal services--both waxing and threading. For those of you who haven't had threading before, it's a method of hair removal where threads are rolled over the skin. The threads grab and remove the hairs as they're rolled. If you're sensitive to waxing, threading is a great alternative that you traditionally could only find in Middle Eastern and Indian neighborhoods (though it's becoming more commonplace).
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Treasure Island calls itself "America's Most European Supermarket." Although that description might be a bit of a stretch, this grocery store is a worthy alternative to Jewel or Dominicks. You'll...
Treasure Island calls itself "America's Most European Supermarket." Although that description might be a bit of a stretch, this grocery store is a worthy alternative to Jewel or Dominicks. You'll find many items that aren't on the shelves of Chicagoland's two biggest grocery chains, and prices are generally comparable to the Jewel down the block. (Some items are more expensive, others are less expensive.)
The one thing to watch out for...after a few too many times where I've stuck my hand into a TI refrigerators or freezer case that feels warmer than it should feel, I'm cautious about buying some perishable items at TI.
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If you have a sweet tooth, look no further than Sweet Mandy B's! It's is a welcome addition to a town dominated by German and Polish bakeries. Particularly noteworthy are their cupcakes, which many...
If you have a sweet tooth, look no further than Sweet Mandy B's! It's is a welcome addition to a town dominated by German and Polish bakeries. Particularly noteworthy are their cupcakes, which many count among the top in the city. (Other great ones can also be found at Fox & Obel and Southport Grocery & Cafe.) Their chocolate-topped peanut butter rice krispy treaties are also amazing. (In fact, the only thing I've ever tried that I haven't liked are the red velvet cupcakes.)
The only downside to Sweet Mandy B's is that it isn't cheap. If you buy three or four cupcakes and a rice krispy treat, you'll spend close to $15.
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Although it calls itself a "day spa," Urban Oasis actually focuses its services almost exclusively on what it does best -- massages. With two locations, and dozens of massage therapists, Urban Oasis...
Although it calls itself a "day spa," Urban Oasis actually focuses its services almost exclusively on what it does best -- massages. With two locations, and dozens of massage therapists, Urban Oasis offers a variety of types of massages (Swedish, deep muscle, pregnancy, hot stone, sports, shiatsu, Thai) plus the options of aromatherapy and salt glow add-ons, and reflexology and reiki.
The setting is very relaxing. Clients are offered robes, sandals, juice, tea and water. There are private changing rooms, and a variety of showers (steam, European and rain) are available for use after the massages are complete.
Therapists are very professional and do a wonderful job!
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Most restaurants that call themselves "Pan-Asian" really aren't...Ecce offers a great mix of a variety of Asian cuisines at terrific prices. You'll find a good mix of appetizers, soups/salads, rice...
Most restaurants that call themselves "Pan-Asian" really aren't...Ecce offers a great mix of a variety of Asian cuisines at terrific prices. You'll find a good mix of appetizers, soups/salads, rice and noodle-based entrées, sushi and non-alcoholic drinks. (Be forewarned...Ecce's definition of spicy is inconsistent. Some things are only moderately spicy and others are very spicy.)
Ecce is a BYOB restaurant (you can pick up wine and beer from Treasure Island, which is about a block away). Delivery is also available. Service is friendly, though sometimes impersonal.
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