Nominations for Local Businesses are Closed

Nomination process closed July 9.

  Nominations for Patch's Readers' Choice program are closed. The last noninations were taken July 9. Patch relaunched its Readers’ Choice program and asked readers to nominate the best businesses in the area. Once we have gone through the nominations, polls will be created for each category to give Patch readers a chance to vote for their favorite. Look for those to appear the week of July 23. Thanks for your participation.

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Readers' Choice: Spas

Just in time for Mother's Day, you tell us which spa is the best?

  Ahhhhhh....getting away to a great local spa can make you feel as though you are a million miles away. The best spa pampers its guests through special massages, gorgeous manicures and pedicures or soothing facials. With Mother's Day approaching, inquiring minds want to know - where is the best local spa? Cast your vote for your favorite spa in Grayslake, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff or Libertyville via: Preliminary voting will continue through 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 8. Based on your votes, we will post the finalists on Wednesday, May 9. The Reader's Choice Champion will be announced on Saturday, May 12. Remember, it all depends upon you. So tell us, where is the BEST spa in northern Lake County?

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Readers' Choice Champion: Best Preschool

Your positive comments have produced a winner for the Best Preschool in northern Lake County. But really, all of the entries in this category are winners.

  The results are in, and you determined who has the best preschool in northern Lake County, and the winner is...Grayslake Cooperative Nursery School. Grayslake Cooperative Nursery School received 44 positive comments of the 77 comments left on our Patch homepages in Grayslake, Lake Forest-Lake Bluff and Libertyville. Grayslake Cooperative Nursery School has been educating young children in Grayslake and the surrounding area since 1976. Grayslake Cooperative is unique in that it is a parent-run school and is the only cooperative preschool in Grayslake.

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Chowdown Showdown: Best Brunch Champion

After your votes were counted, Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest reigns as the Best Brunch champ in northern Lake County.

  From the start of voting on Tuesday until it closed on Friday, Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest staked a lead and never relinquished it to become the Chowdown Showdown Brunch Champion. Deer Path Inn earned 48 of the 70 votes cast on Patch, Facebook and Twitter in Grayslake, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff and Libertyville. The Grille on Laurel in Lake Forest took second with 20 while Alek's in Lake Bluff was third with 2. Here are just a few of the comments from Deer Path Inn fans: Why not try one of the top three places this Sunday. Check back Monday to vote for next week’s Chowdown Showdown topic.

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Steve Handwerker

12:18 pm on Saturday, April 14, 2012

Egg Harbor's five-alarm omelette and their customer service is unbeatable! (Deer Path Inn is great, too, but EH is my fave!)   more ›

Who is the Best Tax Preparer?

Leave a comment, review for the person, business that helps you meet that April 15 deadline.

  Do you have your state and federal tax returns done? With less than two weeks before April 15, Patch wants to assist readers with your input on who or where you have found the best place for tax preparation in the Grayslake, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff and Libertyville areas. Check the Directory in each town to get started: Since there are so many possibilities and people can be fiercely loyal to their accountants or tax preparers, Patch is departing from its usual method of selecting a winner with a poll and choosing the top enterprise based on who has the most comments and best reviews. You can participate whether you completed your return weeks ago or have not started yet. Just leave a comment below with your choice. If you then go to …

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Marcia Sagendorph

2:14 pm on Friday, April 6, 2012

Pam Navarre recommended Dave Leganger! in downtown Grayslake. Thanks, Pam!   more ›

The Chowdown Showdown

Chowdown Showdown: Best French Fries

Cast your vote now - who has the tastiest French fries in the area?

  We are on the hunt for the best place to get French fries in the Grayslake, Lake Forest and Libertyville areas. It's time for our weekly Reader's Choice Chowdown Showdown competition. You know the drill: All you need to do is sign into our site and then comment below with your vote. Feel free to elaborate on why this restaurant’s French fries are fabulous. You have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to let us know the best place for fries. On Wednesday morning, we will post the top three finalists in a poll — as determined by your votes in this article, on Facebook and on Twitter. Then it will be time to vote again for the weekly Chowdown Showdown champion. Voting will continue through 5 p.m. Friday. We will post the Showdown winner first thing …

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Reader's Choice: Mickey Finn's Brewery & Pub

Today, everyone is at least a little bit Irish, so head out to one of these favorite spots to celebrate.

Congratulations to Mickey Finn's Brewery & Pub, Libertyville for being selected as the best place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! In our recent Patch "Best Of" poll, Mickey's Finn's won the popular vote, while Emil's Tavern on Center, Grayslake and Bridie McKenna's Irish Pub, Highwood were close behind. As you go out to get your Irish on tonight, visit one of these spots. Tell them Patch sent you. Be sure to celebrate safely as many local police departments are having extra patrols out tonight. May the luck of the Irish be with you!!

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Best Of Patch: Places To Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is just a few weeks away and we want to know where is the perfect place to celebrate the holiday when we're all Irish for a day.

We are approaching St. Patrick's Day, a favorite holiday for the Irish and the Irish-for-a-day folks. In our Best Of Patch competition, tell us where you think is the best place to celebrate this special holiday. Here are a few of our favorite places in Grayslake, Libertyville and Lake Forest to get you started. If we're leaving one from these communities off of the list, let us know in the comments and we'll add it: Voting in the poll below is open until 9 a.m. Friday. Ties will be broken by whichever business has the most positive comments in the section below. We will announce the winner at noon Friday. So tell us where is the best spot to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. And don't forget to tell us why you love that spot in the comments …

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Marcia Sagendorph

9:39 pm on Monday, February 27, 2012

Alright - Bridie McKenna's sounds about as Irish as you can get! And run by an Irish couple? Perfect. Thanks for letting us know. Now spread the word and get out the vote!   more ›

Lake County Chowdown Showdown: Italian Food

You tell us — where is the best place to get great Italian food in northern Lake County?

It’s time for this week's Chowdown Showdown! This reader-driven restaurant review on Grayslake Patch, Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch and Libertyville Patch gives you the chance to vote on great local delicacies. This week, we are on the hunt for the best place to get Italian food in northern Lake County. It’s simple to vote for your favorite spot: All you need to do is sign into our site and then comment below with your vote. Feel free to elaborate on why this restaurant’s wings are so fantastic. First Round Vote early, and often. You have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to tell us your favorite. Casting your vote is easy. Tell us in the Comments section of this article, post on Facebook at Grayslake Patch page, Lake Forest Lake Bluff Patch page, or …

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Lake County Chowdown Showdown: Wings

You tell us — where is the best place to get great wings in northern Lake County?

It’s time for this week's Chowdown Showdown! This reader-driven restaurant review on Grayslake Patch, Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch and Libertyville Patch gives you the chance to vote on great local delicacies. This week, we are on the hunt for the best place to get chicken wings in northern Lake County. It’s simple to vote for your favorite spot: All you need to do is sign into our site and then comment below with your vote. Feel free to elaborate on why this restaurant’s wings are so fantastic. First Round Vote early, and often. You have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to tell us your favorite. Casting your vote is easy. Tell us in the Comments section of this article, post on Facebook at Grayslake Patch page, Lake Forest Lake Bluff Patch page, or …

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