Jun 9, 2008

Rock Star Bar King

Plenty of bars claim to be rock-'n'-roll inspired (Rockwell Lounge, we hardly knew ye), but come this summer, Chicago finally gets a spot with an actual rock star leading the charge.

Earlier this year at an Obama fundraiser hosted by Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, Lakeview Broadcasting Company's Stephen Westman gave me the heads-up about Angels & Kings, a nightlife venture he's launching with pals Wentz and Matt Eisler (Elm Street Liquors, Empire Liquors, Victory Liquors). An opening date of sorts has finally been announced for the bar’s Chicago outpost (there’s already a New York location): Tuesday, June 17th, in honor of Wentz's 29th birthday, earlier in the month—but sorry, this one's a private party. (Here’s hoping the promised “surprise guest” is Wentz’s brand new bride, Ashlee Simpson).

Westman tells me the date of the public opening will be announced Saturday, June 21st during the Cubs/Sox Crosstown Classic, where Wentz is slated to throw out the first pitch. Whenever you do manage to score entry to the bar, keep an eye out for hotshot musicians; Crush Management, which oversees bands including Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco, is also an investor.

My first-scoop interview with Eisler—on Angels & Kings and his other new spot, Bar DeVille—hits newsstands Thursday, June 19th in the July issue of Chicago. Pick it up, then tune into Last Girl Standing the same day for a full report on the Angels & Kings private bash.

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And in other bar news: We've been getting updates on Loft Six Ten, an in-the-works spot from NoChance Productions (Goodbar, Cortland's Garage), since way back when marriage wasn't even a glimmer in Wentz's eye (May 2007, to be specific).

The NoChance folks have had a tough time securing the necessary licenses for their new spot in the former Paje space, but the group's Brad Tice say they're feeling optimistic about a summer opening. Even so, there's no date yet, but we'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, let this news wet your whistle: Exec chef Roxanne Spruance (Blackbird, Underground, Stone Lotus) is creating a menu that promotes sharing, sans utensils (this we can't wait to see), and is designed to pair with a craft-beer selection she researched while traveling in Europe. For a closer-to-home touch: an old gear wheel, used to plow Illinois fields a century ago, has been refitted to serve as the space's chandelier.

Posted at 03:44 PM in Nightlife | Permalink

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