Chicago Hearts Trivia Awards: The Best of 2009!

We're pleased to present our very first Chicago Hearts Trivia Awards! 2009 was a great year for trivia nights. Click through our slideshow to see the highlights!

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We heart Paddy Long's beer list. They've got 18 beers on tap and plenty of bottles, from imports, like Delirium Tremens and seasonal varieties, to local brews from Two Brother's, Metropolitan, and Three Floyd's. Other bars may have bigger beer lists, but we appreciate the thought and effort Paddy's puts into crafting a dynamic list that has something for everyone. Slainte!
We heart the burgers at Harrigan's. Harrigan's actually doesn't have a kitchen, but you can order food from the neighboring Select Cut Steak House, whose burger was once voted one of the Chicago Tribune's Top 5. You can also order way too many wings for not a lot of money. (Second place: The delicious-smelling skillet cookies at Schoolyard, Kirkwood, Brownstone, and Sidebar...mmmm.)
We heart Rebel's dollar tacos on Fridays, where you can choose between chicken and steak. Our wallets really heart when a team of 4 can eat for under $15 (in theory) or under $30 (in practice).
We heart Jeremy, and not only because he's the hardest working trivia MC, hosting 3 trivia nights in a row every week. According to our sources, Jeremy is a genius-- he writes his own questions, knows the answers to everyone else's, and in a pinch can create an entire round of trivia (any topic!) off the top of his head. Kudos to Jeremy!
We heart what Let's Go Trivia has done for trivia nights in the last few months. Trivia is sparse in the Loop so we were glad to see one start up on Madison. Play trivia at Market and you can get fun hosts, giant pickles, TV theme songs, a ride to the bar, free pizza & beer, and Bulls tickets!
We heart Bungalow's video round. Working together to pay attention to both the song lyrics and the video's minutiae really promotes team unity. Plus, any trivia round that gets us to watch Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Gone Bad" video twice in one night gets an automatic win.
We heart DJ Mike, the former Quizzo host. In many ways, we shouldn't have loved him...he was a slow grader, sometimes spouted profanities at teams, and was not prompt. Despite all that, he had an X Factor that made us look forward to seeing him again and again. He quit Quizzo in early 2009 to pursue a full-time acting career. We wish him all the best, but trivia nights are just not the same without DJ Mike.
We heart that Clybar is back! After Clybar ended trivia night with Maggie and dollar tacos, they attempted and failed to resurrect trivia in early 2009. Just a few months ago, they became a Purdue bar, teamed with Whaddayaknow Team Trivia to start up a brand new trivia night that reminds us why we once loved it so. Dollar tacos never reappeared, but we'll forgive that.
We heart Quizmaster Dave, but his questions are so. darn. difficult. Where else can you get rounds that combine history and math (In the Year 2025) or simply ask you to fill in the lyrics to an obscure David Bowie song? Is there an non-obscure David Bowie song other than The Little Drummer Boy?
We heart the $800 first prize at State. And the $200 second prize. And the $100 lightning round. And the random raffle prizes: DVDs, gift cards, TVs, Wiis, etc. We heart it all. (Second place: cash at Harrigan's, Third place: Bulls tickets at Market).
Sister Mary hearts the Lord and we heart her. Sister Mary is smart, sassy, encouraging, but stern and efficient. And above all, Sister Mary is always right. She runs a great trivia night. When she's not there, Sister Margaret Cootersnatch is a dazzling substitute.
Our fans heart Bucktown Pub! Voting was tight until the last day, when loyal fans got online and voted for Bucktown Pub! We had a great time at Bucktown earlier this year: free popcorn, dogs, Tamale Man! Good choice, readers!
We heart Crew Bar! Sisters Mary and Margaret (aka Teacher's Pet) run the best trivia night in town. Between the incredible hosts, great questions, healthy competition, yummy food, mango-tinis, Beer Gods, and Monday Night Football on the screens, you cannot find a better trivia night in the city!