Cover Story
Best Of Springfield (intro)
Illinois Times readers are an opinionated bunch, and more than 17,000 of you took the time to cast nearly a quarter million votes for your favorite people, places and things in the Springfield area. This is the 35th year for our Best of Springfield contest, but along the way we’ve continued to tweak both the…
Best Of Springfield 2019 (all Winners)
ARTS, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT BEST ABRAHAM LINCOLN HISTORIC SITE Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum 212 N. Sixth St., 558-8844 Finalists: Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site, Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, Old State Capitol BEST ART STUDIO/GALLERY Illinois State Museum 502 S. Spring Street, 782-7386 Finalists: The Pharmacy Gallery…
Norton can’t get out of his own way in Brooklyn
Passion projects are a difficult thing in that they often lack perspective. Case in point: Edward Norton’s adaptation of Jonathan Lethem’s novel Motherless Brooklyn, a project the actor has reportedly been trying to bring to the screen for nearly two decades. You have to admire his tenacity and bravado concerning the project as he’s not…
Not his first rodeo
State Rep. Luis Arroyo, D-Chicago, arrested and charged with attempting to pay a $2,500 bribe to a state senator, has been in trouble before. Chicago Police Department records show that Arroyo was arrested twice during the 1970s and once in 1997. In 1974, a police report shows, he was arrested on suspicion of auto theft.…
Illinois State Museum gives cultural artifacts back to Australian Aboriginal peoples
For over 75 years, cultural items handcrafted by Australian Aboriginal peoples rested quietly at the Illinois State Museum (ISM), cared for by museum curators. Last Wednesday marked the beginning of their journey home. They will play a dynamic role in revitalizing Aboriginal traditions and culture. Many of the objects were made with simple tools 100…
ComEd/Exelon struggles in wake of investigation
The political muscle of ComEd/Exelon aced its last major test in 2016, when the energy companies finally passed what one Illinois House member referred to at the time as a “multibillion dollar corporate bailout” by electricity ratepayers to keep two of its nuclear power plants open. The vote came after that year’s election during the…
Cello and chill
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra began its 2019-2020 season with “Beautiful and Bold” at the UIS Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Oct. 19. After a rousing rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” the concert proper got underway with Wagner’s “Forest Murmurs” (drawn from the opera Siegfried, part of the Ring of the Nibelungen cycle). Typical of…
Best Of Springfield 2019 – Profiles
BEST OF SPRINGFIELD (Intro) BEST OF SPRINGFIELD (All Winners) BEST IDEA (STAFF PICK) Eliminate library fines BEST LIVE THEATER PERFORMANCE – MALE LEAD BEST DIRECTOR OF LOCAL THEATER Gus Gordon Peter Pan at The Muni Hoogland Center for the Arts BEST THEATER PRODUCTION Hairspray at The Legacy Theatre BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC BAND Lick Creek BEST…
Best Idea (staff Pick)
BEST IDEA (STAFF PICK)Eliminate library fines Doing things is hard. If it wasn’t, we would have a homeless shelter and a functional mental-health care system. There would be free parking downtown and a law school on the Y (excuse us, North Mansion) block. The Pillsbury Mill would be no more, an overhauled Robin Roberts Stadium…
Best Live Theater Performance – Male Lead
BEST LIVE THEATER PERFORMANCE – MALE LEAD Gus Gordon – Peter Pan at The Muni BEST DIRECTOR OF LOCAL THEATERGus Gordon – Hoogland Center for the Arts It’s hard to imagine what theater life would be like in this town without the endearing and enduring work of Gus Gordon. Gus has done it all and…
Best Theater Production
BEST THEATER PRODUCTION Hairspray at The Legacy Theatre In 18 performances over four weeks this past July, The Legacy Theatre presented this amazing version of Hairspray, acknowledged by our readers as the best theater production of 2019. The stage setup was staggering in size, including hundreds of costumes, wigs and props, as well as breathtaking…
Best Original Music Band
BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC BAND Lick Creek Named after a local waterway, this six-piece band follows the stream to the river and on to the sea, taking their amalgamated sound of integrated individuals to places unknown, but soon to be discovered. Started by lead singer Lance Stone in December 2013 as a cover band with an…
Best Female Vocalist
BEST FEMALE VOCALIST Mary Jo Curry From her time over a decade ago as one of the most popular female theater performers in the area to her transition into a nationally known blues singer and songwriter, Mary Jo always brings her consistent professionalism, undeniable musicality and emotive voice to every performance, and that’s why folks…
Best Open Mic Night / Best Place For Karaoke / Best Live Music Venue – Small
BEST OPEN MIC NIGHTBEST PLACE FOR KARAOKEBEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE – SMALL Curve Inn BEST LIVE CLUB DJMikey at Curve Inn There is a special place for perennial “Best” champions and it’s important to remember if voters pick the same place year after year, the folks behind the curtain must be doing something extremely right.…
Best Use Of The Y Block / Best Free Entertainment
BEST USE OF THE Y BLOCKBEST FREE ENTERTAINMENTLevitt AMP Springfield music series Sometimes, less is more, and readers agree that’s the case with the Y Block, purchased from the state a mayor ago for north of $1 million – you can almost hear legislators chortling all the way to the bank. OK, so it wasn’t…
Best Bakery / Best Wedding Cakes / Best Farmers Market Vendor
BEST BAKERYBEST WEDDING CAKESBEST FARMERS MARKET VENDORIncredibly Delicious We haven’t gotten married in awhile, so we can’t vouch for the wedding cakes – which readers say are beyond scrumptious – but, if there is any doubt whether Incredibly Delicious is the best bakery in the city, if not on the planet, ask for a baguette…
Best Burger
BEST BURGERBurger Bar and Back Door Lounge In a bit of an upset, Burger Bar pulled off a well-deserved win for this year’s Best Burger. The restaurant offers a vast array of burgers, with an option to either build your own or try one of their specialty burgers. Build your own burgers come in single,…
Best Chilli
BEST CHILLIDew Chilli Since new ownership took over, things have sure been changing with Dew Chilli. While the original location on Fifth Street has closed, Dew Chilli opened up two new Pub & Grills with expanded menus. Now you can get Dew’s delicious chilli even more ways. The classic chilli is now available with or…
The Big Kahuna Award: Best Downtown Restaurant / Best Local Brewery / Best Outdoor Dining / Best Beer Garden / Best Server / Best Bartender
THE BIG KAHUNA AWARD:BEST DOWNTOWN RESTAURANTBEST LOCAL BREWERYBEST OUTDOOR DININGBEST BEER GARDENBEST SERVER – SHANE HOPPERBEST BARTENDER – DARCY DARLANDObed and Isaac’s Microbrewery & Eatery Obed and Isaac’s has the distinction of winning not one, not three, but six categories in this year’s Best of Springfield balloting, which is more categories than won by any…
Best Donut Shop
BEST DONUT SHOPMel-O-Cream Donuts Everything is better with donuts. The fact that Mel-O-Cream has been a staple in Springfield since the 1930s is testament to that fact. Mel-O-Cream has always been known for its high quality donuts, and the variety offered is unmatched. Mel-O-Cream has classic glazed donuts to jelly filled donuts to everything in…
Best Soul Food
BEST SOUL FOODMJ’s Fish & Chicken Express MJ’s Fish & Chicken Express has made a name for itself in the soul food category. What started as a food trailer and catering business has now moved to a brick-and-mortar location, although it’s off the beaten path and easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.…
Best Healthy Menu Options
BEST HEALTHY MENU OPTIONSCoreLife Eatery CoreLife Eatery is located across from White Oaks Mall in Sherwood Plaza. It’s touted as offering healthy alternatives to traditional fast food – and it definitely delivers. CoreLife makes everything from scratch and doesn’t use trans-fat, high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors or flavors. It’s also GMO-free and the…
Best Beer Selection
BEST BEER SELECTIONBuzz Bomb Brewing Company Buzz Bomb Brewing Company has been a great addition to downtown Springfield. It’s located next to the Kidzeum, which makes it the perfect place to stop for a beer if you need to unwind after the little ones got all wound up at the museum. The owners are genuinely…
Best New Bar
BEST NEW BARAnvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling Company Anvil & Forge offers a relaxed and hip environment with modern amenities – perfect for unwinding after a hard day at work or when you just want to kick back. You can tell the owners put a lot of thought into the space, which is very…
Best Scandal (staff Pick)
BEST SCANDAL (STAFF PICK)Adam Lopez The best scandals are ones pulled in full public view. Back in the 1980s, it was Frederick George Celani scamming the entire city with promises to establish a package delivery service that would put Federal Express out of business. Kaypro, his spun-from-straw company, closed the day after it opened without…
Best Place To Buy Paint
BEST PLACE TO BUY PAINTDellert’s Paint Company Dellert’s Paint Company, a family-owned business for nearly 120 years, is known for quality paint, paint supplies, window treatments, decorating advice and expert product knowledge. Fan of Route 66 also know Dellert’s for its retro neon sign that hangs out front. Third-generation owner Don Dellert, Jr., said that…
Best Landscape Company / Best Landscape Designer
BEST LANDSCAPE COMPANYScooter’s Lawn Care BEST LANDSCAPE DESIGNERJacob Godar Jacob Godar and his staff must be doing something right. This year Illinois Times readers named Scooter’s Lawn Care best landscape company and recognized Jacob as the best landscape designer for the second year running. The business has garnered a growing list of accolades since opening…
Best Drive-time Radio
BEST DRIVE-TIME RADIONPR Illinois – WUIS FM 91.9 Whether you’re headed for work or on your way home, readers agree that NPR Illinois is the place to be to get your head straight. While other media outlets have cut staff in recent years the folks at NPR Illinois have been hiring. The station – WUIS…
Best Local Living Author
BEST LOCAL LIVING AUTHORCourtney Westlake Not only thought of as our very own best local living author, Courtney Westlake is known as a popular storyteller across the nation and is a frequent contributor to major media outlets such as Huffington Post, NBC’s “The Today Show,” Yahoo Parenting and Good Housekeeping magazine. All this attention stems…
Best Windows, Siding And Doors
BEST WINDOWS, SIDING AND DOORSFeldco As the website states: “With over 400,000 homeowners served in the Midwest, it’s no wonder why Springfield homeowners can trust Feldco for quality windows, siding and doors.” Capital city homeowners agree. The Des Plaines-based business first opened its doors more than 40 years ago in Chicago and now has locations…
Best Place To Buy Home Furnishings
BEST PLACE TO BUY HOME FURNISHINGSHendricks Home Furnishings Jeff Hendricks likes to say that Hendricks Home Furnishings in Virden is a destination store for furniture. Now celebrating its 70th year in business, the Hendricks family believes in building friendships with its customers. “Once you’re a customer, you’re a customer for life,” says Jeff, who notes…
Best Clothing Boutique
BEST CLOTHING BOUTIQUEGypsy Soul Looking for that one signature piece that defines your personal style? Savvy locals know that they need look no further than Gypsy Soul. Readers recently named Gypsy Soul the best clothing boutique for the unique, distinctive merchandise they’ve come to expect to find. Owner Sue Schwartz was looking for a new…
Best Retail Shop Downtown & Best Gift Store
BEST RETAIL SHOP DOWNTOWNBEST GIFT STOREThe Cardologist As is painted on the storefront window at 229 S. Sixth St., if you are looking for “cards, socks, or other fun sh*t,” The Cardologist is the place to be. Owner Doug Mayol, a Springfield native, has been an entrepreneur even before he was of legal age to…
Best Used Bookstore
BEST USED BOOKSTOREPrairie Archives Prairie Archives hasn’t been in Springfield forever, it just seems like it, and every town should be so lucky. Smells of paper and aging carpet help feed a sense of familiarity and purpose perfect for its downtown venue, where an alleged quarter-million volumes, give or take, wait for new owners. We’ve…
Best New Business Not Downtown
BEST NEW BUSINESS NOT DOWNTOWNSpringfield Beer Company Springfield Beer Company is a newcomer to the craft beer scene in Springfield, having just opened last summer. The owner, Ryan Kunken, said his interest in craft beer started with a brewing class taken at the local community college. That led to home brewing, and then several years…
Best Thrift Store
BEST THRIFT STORELand of Lincoln Goodwill The question, really, isn’t whether Goodwill is the best thrift store in Springfield but rather which Goodwill is your favorite. There’s an outlet on Wabash Avenue and another on Dirksen Parkway and yet another in Chatham, on Plummer Boulevard. They all have their charms, but we prefer the Wabash…
Best Nurse
BEST NURSEBetty Ring – RN, HSHS St. John’s Hospital Betty Ring has been a nurse for 40 years and says, “I never remember not wanting to be a nurse. My mother was a nurse, and I know she was an inspiration to me in choosing this career.” Ring comes from a family of 12 children…
Best Day Care
BEST DAY CAREPam Scattergood Day Care For new moms, finding day care can be challenging. Moms want someone who is going to look after their child as they would. Springfield-area parents have trusted their little ones’ care to Pam Scattergood Day Care in Chatham for more than two decades. The business started when Pam, who…
Best Clergypersonr
BEST CLERGYPERSONRabbi Barry Marks Winner of the State Journal-Register First Citizen award? Check – Rabbi Barry Marks added that to his resume more than a dozen years ago. Tolerant of other viewpoints? Check, again – he helped found the Greater Springfield Interfaith Association. A thoughtful, eloquent speaker who sounds like a man ahead of his…
Best Place To Buy Accessories For Cannabis Use
BEST PLACE TO BUY ACCESSORIES FOR CANNABIS USEPenny Lane A visit to Penny Lane is an unforgettable experience. Packed to the gills with all sorts of lovely and strange items, it takes repeat visits to see it all. From T-shirts, tie-dye and other clothing to figurines, hair dye and incense, and everything in between –…
Best Place To Buy Cbd Products
BEST PLACE TO BUY CBD PRODUCTSSimply CBD Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is a non-psychoactive component in cannabis, meaning it does not invoke a high. Often touted as a medical and psychological panacea, CBD products are gaining in popularity as the amazing stories of health benefits keep rolling in. Simply CBD, located at 1039 Junction…
Best Vape Shop
BEST VAPE SHOPUpper Limits Midwest Upper Limits has been serving Springfield’s vaping needs for the last six years. Whether you are vaping in order to quit smoking, having fun with e-juice or vaping medicinal cannabis or cannabidiol (CBD), Upper Limits has a vast selection of vapes and accessories, as well as flavors. Not sure which…
