What smells so good? The year's best stories that defy categorization.

Chippewa Five: From a suburban guy who started honing his woodworking skills at a young age in his family's furniture business, C5 makes custom beer pong tables that also hold their own as a classy, permanent piece of furniture...more

BYOBandits: A pair of self-described "twentysomethings with little to lose", the ski-masked Bandits behind BYOB're casting a wide net in reviewing Chi's bring-your-own scene...more

Fisheye Vertigo: The painstaking project of a local photog, FV starts with hundreds of snapshots taken from a single spot covering every inch of familiar Chi scenes...more

Knockdown Barns: From a guy inspired by the reaction when his dog accidentally toppled a tower of dominoes, KDB turns the "knocking-stuff-down-is-fun" principle into an organized competition...more

Vessyl: Handmade in Chi by an MFA-trained glassblower who began honing his craft while attending college in Champaign, Vessyl makes one-of-a-kind, stopper-topped, growler-esque bottles...more