Last year around this time we were standing in the middle of Lincoln Park Zoo with some of you, watching two of the female lions remind us that they’re actual wild animals by grabbing two ducks from the air and chowed down on them, right there in the lion enclosure. It was the Best of Chicago’s Animal Kingdom, a fitting if unscripted moment for our Best of Chicago party that night. We celebrated with our readers, our staff, board members, community vendors, and, most important, the winners and finalists for a fun- and frolic-filled evening in the middle of the city.
Last Wednesday night, because of the generosity of the 8 Hospitality group and their venue Joy District, we were able to have a smaller party that was just as fun. Due to capacity, we were only able to host our Best of Chicago top winners this time around. But the vibe was great: no chomping lions, but plenty of community-minded and curious people learning about one another’s businesses, artistic practices, and the state of our collective Chicago affairs.
The reader voting for Best of Chicago isn’t something that I have any influence over. We ask you to make nominations, you deliver, and we on the editorial side of the paper get a sense of what’s important to some of you as the voting period flies by. And when we make the Best Of issue, we try to throw in some curves, point out less-popular picks, and make sure you’re aware of our version of Chicago.
Wednesday was a chance for me to compare notes with some of you, and I was excited to find that you’re not just in it for the glory—you’re actually reading us. I was happy to meet so many of our winners and hear that you’re also our longtime readers: You chatted with me about everything from our movie reviews to our news stories, and you took our pleas seriously to “Tell your friends to donate if you want to read more.” I always tell people that Chicagoans are the best people in the world, and it’s great to be proved right. Feels like grabbing a prize out of the sky.
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