Bixi SUMMER An Asian-inspired hang with brews and a rooftop deck from burger master Bo Fowler (Owen & Engine) 2515 N. Milwaukee Ave., Logan Square Cruz Blanca SPRING It’s surprising that it’s taken Rick Bayless, a guy who does a little of everything, this long to get into the beer game. Look for Latin twists … Read more
These three drinking spots got big makeovers last year.
Two to sip, two to skip
Yep, more Paul McGee (see No. 1), this time showing off a collection of rare spirits in a tiny nook of the Chicago Athletic Association hotel. In exchange for some inconvenience—you have to put down $50 in advance to reserve one of the eight stools for a two-hour seating—you’ll sip some of the smoothest cocktails … Read more
This bare-bones space loses points for a scarcity of creature comforts (such as seating), though it’s all in the service of the standout base menu of complex, malty beers, which are approachable yet still interesting enough for seasoned drinkers. But the “experimental brews” are a beer geek’s dream come true: Hop-obsessed staffers ask for your … Read more
After the Illinois legislature overturned a statewide ban on happy hour
last August, after-work drink specials proliferated, and not just at bars.
Here are some exceptional deals at top restaurants—and when to get ’em.
If you’re still remembering the summertime queues snaking past the elevator here, cheer up: Cold weather means no waiting for a perch at this rooftop spot. Like Milk Room (No. 3), it’s part of the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel. Reminiscent of a Great Lakes vacation house, complete with wood and picnic tables, Cindy’s delivers insane … Read more
GreenRiver’s perch on the 18th floor of a medical building may put you off. But with one of Julia Momose’s intricate yet effortless cocktails in hand, you’ll forget all about the odd location. Leaning on the bar alongside a tie-loosened after-work crowd, you’ll realize that high-end cocktailing doesn’t have to be fussy to draw a … Read more
It’s a beer hall for people who wouldn’t otherwise be caught dead in one. This well-appointed space blurs the line between bar and restaurant, offering seasonal small plates matched to five carefully considered brews. Thanks to the deft touch of brewmaster Michael Carroll (who in a past life was Alinea’s baker), these beers drink like … Read more
The city’s best new bar is . . . a tiki bar? Didn’t Chicago name a tiki bar the best new drinking spot in 2014, too? Why is this magazine so obsessed with tiki bars? Yes, yes, and truly, we’re not. But when the legendary bartender Paul McGee (Whistler, Three Dots and a Dash) concocts … Read more
