April, barring some prolonged cold weather, is going to be a welcome month for Naperville. Downtown businesses are going to be operating at full power; patio seating, outdoor promotions, and extra employees to handle extra foot traffic.
Any “best places in Naperville” list would be incomplete without first mentioning the Riverwalk. Living just outside of downtown Naperville has spoiled me, but the Riverwalk is a fantastic place to take the family, run through with friends, or even just take a walk by yourself. The scenery is the best in town.
My main shopping stops when I head downtown are varied. With spring weather on the horizon, I’ll be heading to Naperville Running Co. for some new shoes—they always get me exactly what I need. For books and toys, I’ll always head straight to Anderson’s. I’d for sure get in trouble if I went somewhere else!
Restaurants are a bit trickier to address for best-of lists, as everyone has different tastes. I’ll list my favorites for a few categories.
Best sit-down restaurant: Hugo’s Frog Bar. I always have great food and get great service at Hugo’s.
Best Steaks: Sullivan’s Steakhouse. Whenever I feel like going out for a steak, Sullivan’s is first on my list.
Best Italian: La Sorella Di Francesca. Their sauces are some of my favorites.
Best Mexican: Potter’s Place. I’ve been eating at Potter’s since birth. Do yourself a favor and order a Christmas Tree.
Best Pizza: Lou Malnati’s. A Chicago classic. Most of my college friends from the East Coast, New York-style pizza land, have heard of Lou’s. The reputation is earned.
And to end on a spring best-of:
Best Patio: Jimmy’s Grill. Watch the world of Naperville go by as you eat lunch or have a beer.
Editor’s Note / As the “next generation” of management at Oswald’s Pharmacy, now located in Naperville Plaza, reminisces about their childhood days along the Riverwalk in downtown Naperville, PN is remembering the time their father, Bill Anderson, provided parting comments, complete with family photos, when he finished his term of service on the Riverwalk Commission in 2016. It all seems like just yesterday.
