The Chaser - Chicago

07/23/09

Recreational Drinking

Heading to Andersonville on a beer mission is nothing new, but steering past Hopleaf is—and yet, last night I managed to close my ears to its sudsy call and continue on to a new microbrew destination: Mary’s Rec Room....

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07/16/09

Nine Questions for the Smallbar Guys

I spent Monday night engaged in just about the best possible Monday-night activity: drinking $4 Allagash Whites on Smallbar's dreamy patio. I named the Logan Square spot my favorite bar in my very first Chaser post, and things haven't changed much since then—for me. But for the guys behind the bar, and its sibling location on Division Street, change is afoot: namely, a third location, slated to open in...

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07/09/09

Summer, Part 2: A To-Drink List

The bad news: Summer’s unofficial halfway point, the Fourth of July, has come and gone. The good news: Counting Labor Day, we’ve still got nine weekends of summer drinking to go. The Chaser, for one, plans to make every sip count. Here, the top five bars on my to-drink list—from a few old standbys I’ve yet to see this season to a couple of newbies that deserve another visit:

Posted at 02:47 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

07/02/09

It's Greek to Me

It takes guts to start a business anytime—not to mention in this economy, in a location with a less-than-hopeful track record. So, I had my fingers crossed for 6 Degrees, housed in the Bucktown address that’s greeted and bid farewell to Darwin’s, Chinaski's, and Whiskey Road. I swung by a little before...

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06/25/09

Rebar? You're Fired. We Prefer Terrace

It's a shame it's taken Chicago so long to realize our skyline is begging for more rooftop bars. For years we've had little more than the few-stories-tall Rock Bottom, Plymouth, Citizen, and Twisted Spoke to keep us in the sunshine. But the rash of way-up-there openings in the last year—including C-View, Roof, and, as of today, the Terrace at Trump—has all but erased my memories of summers spent slumming on...

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

06/18/09

Sake Heaven

When I heard the 22-year-old Streeterville karaoke bar Café Shino had morphed into the sake lounge Murasaki, I imagined yet another generic spot for an afterwork drink.

I was wrong...

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06/11/09

Kuma’s New Neighbor

The very location that killed MoJoe's Hot House coffeeshop will likely save Square Bar & Grill. The storefront sits on a relatively unremarkable stretch of Belmont, which otherwise might doom the newly opened spot to a short lifetime of thin crowds. But as anyone who has ever elbowed her way into—or been turned away from—Kuma's Corner knows, this is a block that could use a plan B...

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06/04/09

Shanghai Surprise

While I pretty much love any place that serves a good drink, restaurant-bars (hello, Lula!) are a personal favorite: better chance of grabbing a seat, good food at the ready, ample wine list. So I was primed to try the year-or-so-old Wang’s (3317 N. Broadway; 773-296-6800), a sort-of restaurant bar attached to the Lake View sushi spot Wakamono that’s been on my to-do list for too long...

Posted at 03:35 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

05/28/09

Titillated Kilt

I hadn't planned on spending my Tuesday night staring at boobs. But I had planned to spend it drinking beer, and after a failed trip to Bronzeville's newly opened, and seemingly newly closed, Swagger Lounge (5048 S. Prairie Ave.)—the door was boarded up; the lights were off; phone seems to have been disconnected; does anyone know what’s going on here?—I still wanted a pint. And in true Chaser style, I wanted it some place...

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05/21/09

A Happy-Hour Hideaway; Plus, Your Weekend To-Do List

As soon as the temperature tops 65, I become obsessed with rosé. So, after polishing off an 80-degree Wednesday in the Loop, all I wanted was a dry, crisp glass. I pinned my hopes on Saluté, the new wine bar that opened last Thursday in the Gold Coast, and was disappointed: nary a glass or a bottle on the wine list. Luckily, I found a replacement to turn my pout into a happy pucker...

Posted at 04:58 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (1)