1. Gino's North — The dive bar/pizza joint where we will weather the recession just fine, because the place looks so sketchy from the outside that the Trixies and Chads won't even come in to frown at the cash-only policy and because the place is so affordable — even after recent drink price hikes — that we can wash down the sweet, crackery pies with cheap wine and still feel like Rockefellers.
2. Coffee houses that aren't Metropolis — Skip the attitude and stale pastries of that overrated study-hall on Granville in favor of Edgewater's more comfortable, tastier and less Starbucks-aping indie coffeehouses such as the curiously cozy Kopi Cafe in Andersonville (mmm, tasty veggie-friendly treats!), the airy aesthetic of Pause by the Berwyn L stop (ahh, stained glass and exposed brick!) or, our favorite, the Stella Espresso Co. on the border at Devon & Lakewood (yesss, really well-crafted coffee!).
3. People-watching in Andersonville — When the weather warms, so does this lil' sub-’hood chock full of cafes and clever shops, with just enough licensed patios now to make an afternoon out of an umbrella, a patient waiter and a lot of "Did you see that?" and "Check out the _____ on him!"
