Midway area residents' picks

1. Nicky's Hot Dogs – Best fries ever! Pair them with a Big Baby (Nicky's take on a double cheese burger) or a Peta Burger (Big Baby plus gyro meat) and you can't go wrong. 

2. Mini Hut  – Order the chicken boat, thank me later. 

3. Obbie's Pizza – Among my friends there has long been a "best pizza" debate between Danny's or Obbie's, but with Danny's closing its doors recently Obbie's has claimed the top spot.  

4. Three Sons Restaurant – Featuring typical diner fare, Three Sons is the go to spot for family dinners and the after church crowd. 

5. El Gallo Giro – Can you tell we like to eat? This delicious Mexican spot is a staple for the after bar crowds.  

6. Lawlor's Bar – Largely because of the great owners, this popular spot is always a fun place to be on the weekends. 

7. Guide's Sports Bar – If you like wings and sports then Guide's is your place.  

8. Valley Forge Park  – Most kids in the neighborhood learn to socialize at the local parks through sports and eventually drinking.  For me that park was Valley Forge.  

9. Portillo's – Anyone who has spent time in Chicago knows how great Portillo's is and we have our very own. 

10. Archer Dive Bars  – There are so many to choose from and everyone has their favorite.  But at mine, I get my drinks served by an actual dentist named Rick.

1. Mayors Mansion – My family has celebrated all of our special events here. The staff is incredible and made sure the wedding showers, baby showers, and baptism celebrations we hosted here went on without a hitch. Have the pickle soup!

2. Weber’s Bakery – Legendary bakery that has numerous accolades. Some favorites are the atomic cake stuffed with strawberries and banana, chocolate cake donuts, and coffee cake!

3. Salon Blu – Great little salon that uses high quality products like Moroccan oil and Surface

4. Shrimp Shack – The shrimp diablo is great!

5. Cipriani’s Pizza – Best deep dish pizza in Chicago.

6. Bree Thai – Fantastic Thai food! Get the egg rolls.

7. Elegant Nails – When I have time to get a mani-pedi, this local spot does a great job.

8. Valley Forge Park – Nice playground for little ones. My favorite feature is that there is a gate that can keep fast toddlers safe from going too far.

9.Peaches and Pears – Great breakfast spot.

10.Tom’s Tap – A great low key local bar. Lots of big screens for watching games and lots of tables and chairs if you want to get a large group of friends together