When your shopping list includes your oma’s hard-to-find Nivea cream imported from Germany, trendy beard oil for the hipster in your life, and a natural remedy to cure your insomnia, Merz Apothecary is your one-stop shop. Opened by pharmacist Peter Merz in 1875, the store was bought by Abdul Qaiyum in 1972 and has been run by his family ever since. Merz occupies a double storefront in Lincoln Square and is stocked with all manner of natural personal-care products, homeopathic items, and supplements — some that have been part of the inventory for, like, ever (such as portion-size bottles of Underberg bitters, a popular European indigestion aid) and others with a newer cult following (Merz recently acquired Kobo Candles, a soy-based line known for layered scents such as saffron sandalwood and vetiver and shaved vanilla). A super-knowledgeable staff is always ready to help customers choose just the right thing. This is the rare store where generations of Chicagoans can happily shop together. 4716 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Square