Brewhaus617 E. Washington St., 525-6399BEST BARTENDERBrewhaus owner Mike Parkes, a perennial favorite in the best bartender category, seems to have trained his bar staff well. This count boiled down t

BEST OUTDOOR DININGPanera3019 S. Dirksen Pkwy., 529-6200 3101 W. White Oaks Dr., 726-5070With more than a handful of restaurants offering outdoor dining experiences, we were initially a bit surprised

For a sea of spring color invest now Planting bulbs this fall will pay off in the springBy Vicky Katz WhitakerIt’s apple-picking time! By Jennifer FishburnWhen to save your seedsThings to k

Autumn is showtimeThe season’s guide to theater in Central IllinoisFun at fall festivalsVisit Mt. Vernon for art and wineSurprising GreenvilleVisit the fun and quirky DeMoulin MuseumFall classic

The Earth Day issue: Save. Simplify. Grow. Make a difference.You don’t have to be Captain Planet, Al Gore or Rachel Carson to help the environment. Saving energy, preserving natural resources an

The warm prospect of more affordable home prices, attractive mortgage rates and a stable economy will likely draw more real estate shoppers to the market this spring. But it’s the opportunity fo

Avoid the New Year’s resolution trapJanuary, 2010…you’ve been handed a proverbial clean slate -- another chance to shrug off your bad habits and reach for your dreams. It never fail

About the issue This last week of the year Illinois Times takes a loving look back at some of the lives that ended in 2009. All across Springfield this past week, chairs were empty and hearts were a

KENNETH “GENE” WELLENREITER JR. Aug. 13, 1971 – July 27, 2009 {image-7167}Gene Wellenreiter came into my life about six years ago and taught me more about life and living through

The BEST OF SPRINGFIELD was a fresh idea in 1982 when we first asked our readers to identify the best burger in town. In the 27 editions since then we’ve worked to keep it fresh by shaking up categories, asking different questions. As you’ll see over the next 30 pages, there’s plenty to celebrate about the individuals and businesses that call central Illinois home. How we do it: The ballot was available online and in print for two full weeks. There were 2,500 voters who participated but fewer than 100 used the paper ballot. The best thing about the online balloting is the votes are tallied automatically – and we’re able to confirm one vote per e-mail address – so no one is able to stack the deck for any nominee.