The Best of Today . . .
From a hole in Vegas to a microscopic bar in our very own backyard, Playboy.com has compiled a list of the top ten American dives. As Steve Dollar writes in the article, "Nothing satisfies man’s tortured soul and restless craving for misadventure quite like the dive bar." We couldn’t agree more.
A Measured Approach
“The logo is a carafe pouring wine into a goblet; then the sign in the window says it’s BYO,” says a sharp-eyed FOD who noticed Uptown’s new Fontana Grill (1329 W. Wilson Ave.; 773-561-0400). OK, to be fair, the Italian wine bar/restaurant doesn’t have its liquor license yet. But when it arrives, expect a unique concept: 24 bottles, changing monthly, each priced at either $22 or $44, and you will be charged by…
If you thought Twisted Spoke was wild, get a load of The Zoo (3369 N. Clark St.). Wrigleyville’s one-time biker bar (and, later, Brody’s on Clark) has been reborn as a nightspot that plays to the party animals. We spotted folks congregating at the watering hole on Saturday night. And you know what they say—“When in Wrigleyville”—so we ambled down the block to check out Red Ivy.
One of the perks of being a nightlife columnist is occasionally getting asked to help judge bartending competitions. This past Monday I sat on a panel for the Woodford Reserve Ultimate Manhattan Competition, hosted by Chicago Sport and Social Club at Angels & Kings. Along with four other judges—including Mike Miller of Delilah’s and Bottom Lounge, and last year’s winner, Paul Stern of Suite Lounge—I sampled eight different Manhattans made by eight local drink slingers and judged the results based on presentation, creativity, and taste…
Continuing Adventures of Pizza
Standing on the shoulders of Ravenswood’s Spacca Napoli and countless others—oh, and 119 years of history—Andersonville’s new Antica Pizzeria (5663 N. Clark St.; 773-944-1492) has joined the Neapolitan pizza uprising. Mario Rapisarda, the chef-partner (his partner is Faris Faycurry who also has a stake in Dylan’s Tavern and Grill), is a Sicily native and a veteran of Spiaggia, so we’re guessing he knows from Italian food. “It’s a very small, simple menu, because Mario is all about quality control,” said a manager. “Everything is made fresh daily, and they shop for…
Waiting for Moretti
Giovanni Denigris, the Puglia-born owner of Trattoria Trullo (4767 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-506-0093) and chef-partner at Macello (1235 W. Lake St.; 312-850-9870) is building a mini pizzeria in the front of Trullo. It’s expected to launch on December 10th; right now he’s waiting for his 900-degree Moretti Forni electric oven to arrive from Italy. “I have a pizza guy from Bari,” says Denigris. “I’m not going to say his name until he gets back from vacation. We are going to make Pugliese pizza. Neapolitan is more chewy. Our pizza is much thinner and crispier. . . . I grew up with Puglia. That’s why…
One man’s plunge into extreme food-delivery etiquette.
We huddle with Dan Schwab of Avenue M for the 411 on his upcoming new sports bar.
This week, two newfangled neighborhood taverns in up-and-coming Logan Square: The Whistler, a
hipster-bar-slash-creative- space from the guys behind the local label
Whistler Records, and Logan Bar & Grill, a
sibling to the longtime Bucktown staple Northside Bar & Grill…
Tricky Rick
The decision leading to Rick Tramonto’s and Gale Gand’s split from Mid-America Development and its restaurant arm, Cenitare Restaurants, seems pretty straightforward. “We wanted to take the brand [Osteria di Tramonto and Tramonto Steak & Seafood, both at 601 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling] national, and I don’t think they were able to,” Tramonto says. “I’m looking at some…
