Chicago Guide: August and Everything After
Our top five picks for things to do this week: A second shot at August: Osage County … Wilco on the silver screen … meet the Trocks, men in tights … plus, Huffington, Pfleger, and more—for free
Ad Categories: Dining & Drinking
The Band Played On: Hairbanger's Ball tonight at Uncle Fatty's
Remember that sweet, soaring flute solo in the 1992 Guns N’ Roses heartbreaker “November Rain?” I do. “November Rain” was released at the beginning of my estimable high-school flute-playing career. I watched the wedding-themed video and the subsequent MTV Video Music Awards performance on VHS at least once a day, and I always wished I had the sheet music and my own cover band so I could recreate the song’s… read more »
Weekend Photos: Ice Bar at Vertigo Sky Lounge
It turns out Saturday night’s low of 34 degrees was just chilly enough to keep Vertigo’s new outdoor bar, a ten-foot-long counter made from some 3,000 pounds of ice, cold—and most patrons indoors. Still, we spotted a clutch of jolly bar-hoppers hanging out on the 26th-floor terrace, ordering spiked snow cones and enjoying the view.
The Chaser’s Five Can’t-Miss Outings of the Week
Just when I was gearing up for winter hibernation, the bait nightspots are dangling to lure drinkers in from the cold got the best of me. I’d be on liver-failure alert if I tried to make it to every opening, promotion, special event, and unveiling, but here—in no particular order—are my picks for the five most tempting reasons to leave the house this week. Well, these and the fact that it’s not really that bleak out. You know, for January.
A Cuna Ma Cocktail
Pollack’s Dinner at Cuna in 161 Words
With its sleek industrial design, Cuna (1113 W. Belmont Ave.; 312-224-8588) looks every inch a lounge scene: black and smoky gray colors, brick walls, high-top tables, red leather–padded eggshell-shaped stools. But Kendal Duque (opening chef at Sepia) runs the kitchen, so the place is serious about…
Best Suburban Bars
Below, our picks for the top ten suburban favorites: Bars in Flossmoor, Aurora, Naperville, River Grove, Villa Park, La Grange, Oak Brook, Libertyville and Glenview
5 Whiskey Warmers for Cold Winter Nights
1 BIG STAR 1531 N. Damen Ave. This hot spot’s spirits director made six trips to Kentucky to tailor the 50-strong whiskey and bourbon list. If you take it straight, try the $3 daily shot. Related: Seen on the Scene – Weekend Photos 2 PITCHFORK FOOD & SALOON 2922 W. Irving Park Rd. Another … Read more
Land of Drinkin': Lincoln Hall bar review
Yes, Lincoln Hall has top-notch acoustics. But in a neighborhood of college kids, we’re just happy to see some adults
Weekend Photos: Cuna
On Friday the masses flocked to the grand opening of Cuna, a loungey new dinner and drinks spot in Lake View. Maybe it was the food, by the former Sepia chef Kendal Duque. Maybe it was the beats, spun by the longtime Chicago DJ Jesse De La Pena…
100 Best Bars in Chicago
We came. We saw. We quaffed. A discriminating guide to the area’s top watering holes