The Chaser - February 2011

02/25/11

Leader Bar: One glaring error but otherwise ahead of the pack

Truth is, when The Creative Director first alerted me to a newly opened bar somewhere in the vicinity of North Center and Irving Park, he did so with a smirk. “You should see this place,” he said. “They have their name cast in concrete over the door, and there’s this huge LED sign out front...

Posted at 03:53 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (1)

02/24/11

North Shore Nightlife: Five questions for Viper Alley’s Scott Greenberg

A Highland Park resident and developer of the Wit hotel, Scott Greenberg will unveil his latest brainchild, the 15,000-square-foot “boutique concert venue and nightclub” Viper Alley, on March 11th in Lincolnshire. With final sound checks underway, he explained to the Chaser why he thinks the North Shore is ready to rock...

Posted at 02:55 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/17/11

Five Things Sipped and Heard Lately

Even though I’m nursing a margarita seaside in Puerto Vallarta while you read this (destination weddings, don’t you love ’em?), I’ve got Chicago nightlife on the brain. The Chaser first, people. Here’s the lowdown on the latest trends, openings, closings, and general intrigue...

Posted at 04:27 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/16/11

Dixie Fix: Trying out Old Town Social’s new Southern bar brunch

I have this rule: No hanging out at bars in the morning. I don’t care if the World Cup is on, I don’t care if you’re supposed to take shots at 8 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, and I don’t care if the bartender makes a mean Bloody Mary (actually, I kind of hate Bloody Marys). In fact, unless I’m on vacation, I can’t get into bar mindset until about four in the afternoon—you know, when the British take their tea...

Posted at 01:15 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/11/11

Slim Chance: Taste-testing low-cal cocktails at Le Colonial

Egg foams, creams, drizzles, syrups: Sampling craft cocktails can feel like a bigger calorie fest than falling off the wagon at Sprinkles. And since loading up on who knows how many carbs before even glancing at a dinner menu is no way to stick to a New Year’s resolution, I’ve been wondering why no Chicago lounge that serves these 20-minutes-in-the-making concoctions had addressed the diet issue. Yet...

Posted at 12:54 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/08/11

Fate and Leopold: The Chaser checks out West Town’s new gastropub

I like talkative bartenders, don’t you? Well, at least the semitalkative ones who tell you a little something you wouldn’t have thought about otherwise, then slip down the bar to polish a glass or two, leaving you to mull over this tidbit before ordering your next round...

Posted at 01:21 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (2)

02/04/11

Name That Bar: A Wrigleyville contest could be your ticket to Cubs spring training

When you’re walking around a neighborhood in nearly two feet of snow, you tend to notice things that might not have registered from the comfort of your car. I saw something in Wrigleyville on Wednesday that stopped me in my (extremely deep) tracks...

Posted at 03:52 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/03/11

Blizzaster Beer Run: The Chaser Emerges

SNOMG! was so fun for a while, right? First there was the anticipation and the stocking up, followed by the hunkering down, the act of being bodily blown down the street during an adrenaline rush of a midnight blizzard stroll, the hours of happy tromping and shoveling, and then—what?...

Posted at 03:45 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

	02/25/11 Leader Bar: One glaring error but otherwise ahead of the pack Truth is, when The Creative Director first alerted me to a newly opened bar somewhere in the vicinity of North Center and Irving Park, he did so with a smirk. “You should see this place,” he said. “They have their name cast in concrete over the door, and there’s this huge LED sign out front... Posted at 03:53 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (1)
	02/24/11 North Shore Nightlife: Five questions for Viper Alley’s Scott Greenberg A Highland Park resident and developer of the Wit hotel, Scott Greenberg will unveil his latest brainchild, the 15,000-square-foot “boutique concert venue and nightclub” Viper Alley, on March 11th in Lincolnshire. With final sound checks underway, he explained to the Chaser why he thinks the North Shore is ready to rock... Posted at 02:55 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)
	02/17/11 Five Things Sipped and Heard Lately Even though I’m nursing a margarita seaside in Puerto Vallarta while you read this (destination weddings, don’t you love ’em?), I’ve got Chicago nightlife on the brain. The Chaser first, people. Here’s the lowdown on the latest trends, openings, closings, and general intrigue... Posted at 04:27 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)
	02/16/11 Dixie Fix: Trying out Old Town Social’s new Southern bar brunch I have this rule: No hanging out at bars in the morning. I don’t care if the World Cup is on, I don’t care if you’re supposed to take shots at 8 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, and I don’t care if the bartender makes a mean Bloody Mary (actually, I kind of hate Bloody Marys). In fact, unless I’m on vacation, I can’t get into bar mindset until about four in the afternoon—you know, when the British take their tea... Posted at 01:15 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)
	02/11/11 Slim Chance: Taste-testing low-cal cocktails at Le Colonial Egg foams, creams, drizzles, syrups: Sampling craft cocktails can feel like a bigger calorie fest than falling off the wagon at Sprinkles. And since loading up on who knows how many carbs before even glancing at a dinner menu is no way to stick to a New Year’s resolution, I’ve been wondering why no Chicago lounge that serves these 20-minutes-in-the-making concoctions had addressed the diet issue. Yet... Posted at 12:54 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)
	02/08/11 Fate and Leopold: The Chaser checks out West Town’s new gastropub I like talkative bartenders, don’t you? Well, at least the semitalkative ones who tell you a little something you wouldn’t have thought about otherwise, then slip down the bar to polish a glass or two, leaving you to mull over this tidbit before ordering your next round... Posted at 01:21 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (2)
	02/04/11 Name That Bar: A Wrigleyville contest could be your ticket to Cubs spring training When you’re walking around a neighborhood in nearly two feet of snow, you tend to notice things that might not have registered from the comfort of your car. I saw something in Wrigleyville on Wednesday that stopped me in my (extremely deep) tracks... Posted at 03:52 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)
	02/03/11 Blizzaster Beer Run: The Chaser Emerges SNOMG! was so fun for a while, right? First there was the anticipation and the stocking up, followed by the hunkering down, the act of being bodily blown down the street during an adrenaline rush of a midnight blizzard stroll, the hours of happy tromping and shoveling, and then—what?... Posted at 03:45 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)

February 2011