Vote and make a difference

...to the South Loop restaurant scene

02/22/2012 1:21 PM

By Bonnie McGrath

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Who says we South Loopers can't compete when it comes to the knife and fork, not to mention the greasy fingers and the drinks to wash it all down? You have a chance, South Loop neighbors, to put seven of our home-grown destination restaurants on the map. Yes, we've lost some old favorites in the last few years, but here are seven both new and old South Loop establishments vying in eight of the 15 categories listed in Time Out Chicago's 2012 Eat Out Awards competition. So get on that computer and help your neighborhood shine.


In the Best New Restaurant Cocktails category, Acadia at 16th and Wabash is first on the ballot. For Best New Sports Bar, The Scout at 13th and Wabash is the South Loop contender. Best New Breakfast? You can vote for Waffles at 14th and Michigan. And for Best New Burger joint? Vote for Burger Point at State and Archer.

For Cheap Eatery of the Year, vote for Bodega N. 5 in the Blackstone Hotel at Michigan and Balbo. Although another competitor in that category is from Chinatown, don't worry, Lao Hunan is also listed in the Best New BYOB category--and you can cast your vote there. In the Best Fro-Yo Chain, vote to support our Yogen Fruz at State and Van Buren.

And last but not least, our South Loop Epic Burger flagship at Congress and State is up for Best Local Chain, after putting its money where its mouth is and spreading out into other Chicago neighborhoods.

I've personally checked out all the above restaurants except for Lao Hunan and Acadia. According to the magazine, Mayor Rahm has gone to Acadia. And I do have an upcoming reservation there and am looking forward to it.

(By the way, there are still a few more days left of Restaurant Week... lots of Chicago restaurants are serving high-end lunches for $22 and dinner for $33. Here's a list they put out of yet another seven South Loop hotspots that happen to be participating. I've been to them all.)

Now go vote!



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