Our Favorite Part of the Reader's Best of Chicago 2011? The Categories

By Anthony Todd in Food on Jun 23, 2011 8:40PM

We always eagerly await the Chicago Reader's Best of Chicago issue - especially the food and drink section, of course - for two reasons. First, it allows us to vehemently disagree with the results of the public polls (Paulina Meat Market beats Butcher and Larder? Margie's Candies beats Black Dog Gelato?) and because of the great categories the critics come up with so they can include the restaurants they want to include.

These include such gems as:

- Best Italian steak house where my dad felt at home in the 60s and I do now (Gene and Georgetti)
- Best restaurant empire founded the same year as the Reader (LEYE)
- Best place in Chicago to sample salumi from Mario Batali's papa (Chicagoist fav 694 Wine and Spirits)
- Best newly minted (if loosely defined) neighborhood for destination dining (Noble Square)
- Best place to feel bad about gentrification but good about your meal (M. Henrietta)
- Best soundtracked strawberry shake (M Burger)

The whole list (as always) is worth checking out.