GREENEST BUSINESS

Food Fantasies

1512 Wabash Ave., 793-8009

www.foodfantasies.com

Eat from the fruits of the greener side of life at Food Fantasies. Every item in this environmentally friendly and socially conscious store supports quality and sustainable living. Food Fantasies is a wonderland of the gluten-free, the organic or the all-natural. Products such as household cleaners don’t pollute the environment, fresh vegetables come from local growers and dietary supplements contain natural ingredients. In addition, at a time when the small neighborhood grocery is almost an endangered agave in the desert, Food Fantasies remains an orchid in the rainforest. They are, as Food Fantasies folks call themselves, a “quaint” little place to shop. You can grab a healthy bottle of vitamins, soy milk or a great-tasting whole-grain loaf of bread, and get out. Manager Stuart Kainste and staff always have a friendly “hello” and “how are you” when you’re browsing the aisles. On top of that, employees plop a nickel in a jar each time you bring in your own shopping bag, then donate the accumulations to a local cause. October’s cause is Friends of the Sangamon County Animal Control.

Runner-up: American Harvest