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Bars 2.0

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No one’s been able to come up with an adequate name for them—bastraunts? restobars?—but these restaurant-lounge hybrids have reached a critical mass. Their tantalizing promise of good cocktails, beers, and food is impossible to ignore. But are they any good? We ate and drank at ten spots that have opened in the past year to find out.

Burgers, Bagels, and Boasts

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Quick Hit

Perennial (1800 N. Lincoln Ave.; 312-981-7070), the newest spot from Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz (Boka, Landmark), looks sharp. Natural organic touches dominate: birch trees, wood-grained tables, aqua-striped upholstered banquettes. The canvas flaps stretched across the ceiling seem a sly reference to Boka’s décor. But that was the beginning and end of any connection to the team’s other enjoyable restaurants. Wings and beer sounded like fun but the weird combo of…

Beer Homework

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Three things to do this weekend: 1. Stage your own taste test of Bud versus Beck’s, and see if the possible InBev takeover of Ale Fest, the  traveling ode to craft beer that’s camping out in Soldier Field from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday the 12th.  Admission is $40 and gets you 20 samples, plus … Read more

The It List: This Week’s Nightlife Buzz

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1. Relive the 1990s, Peach Pit-style. Bucktown’s Silver Cloud goes back to Beverly Hills, 90210 tonight, July 10th, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. when tapered jeans-clad servers deliver liquid nostalgia in the form of sex on the beach shots ($3) and neon coolers (Effen vodka, Sprite, and a Jolly Rancher, with a glow stick; $6). On the tube: 90210 reruns, classic Bulls games, and throwback flicks like Pretty Woman.

2. Chicago’s premier eco-conscious lounge has gone even greener. Mark Klemen just completed an earth-friendly cleanup of his…