Cafe Consume
Family-run specialty coffee shop next to the owners’ vintage store, with Mexican-cinnamon spiced pastries
Lost Larson
An acclaimed Scandinavian bakery in Andersonville, milling heritage grains for its breads and cardamom buns.
Stony Island Arts Bank
A 1923 bank reborn by artist Theaster Gates as a gallery, archive, and community space on the South Side.
Constellation
An intimate room for adventurous jazz, new music, and dance, programmed with serious curatorial care.
Empty Bottle
Chicago’s scrappy temple of indie, punk, and experimental music since 1992, with cheap drinks and a resident cat.
Dusty Groove
A world-renowned record shop and reissue label, deep in soul, jazz, funk, and global grooves.
Reckless Records
A Chicago vinyl institution, packed with new and used records and the friendly staff picks that made it famous.
Cafe Jumping Bean
Pilsen’s original coffeehouse (since 1994), a neighborhood living room that doubles as a gallery for local artists.
Quimby’s Bookstore
An independent institution for zines, small-press comics, and the wonderfully weird — a cornerstone of Chicago’s DIY scene.