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
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…
Noodles, Budget Beat, Great Tip
The ultramodern new Japanese meat stronghold Ajasteak gets its Kobe beef straight from Japan.
Martini Park, Relax Lounge, The Boundary, Fat Cat Bar & Grill, Eno
Stunning cityscapes, posh patrons: Hotel bars go from meek to chic
Wentz, Westman, Eisler: the proud papas behind the new nightspot Angels & Kings
Monkey See, Monkey Eat
The Bristol, an “affordable artisanal neighborhood eatery and bar” from John Ross (former GM of One Sixtyblue) and a couple of other partners, is coming to Bucktown on September 9th. (We are sworn to secrecy on the location. Soon, readers, soon.) One of his partners, Chris Pandel, is a former sous-chef at Tru and right-hand man to Rick Tramonto; he says nothing on his regular menu at The Bristol will…
Tuesday night I had the chance to check out C-View, the 29th-floor lounge in the Affinia Chicago. The bar is the counterpart to C-House, the hotel’s new restaurant from the James Beard–recognized chef Marcus Samuelsson, but don’t expect his full seafood menu in the lounge—at least, not yet. A staffer told me they’re still trying to figure out how to bus the food from the lobby-level restaurant to the 29th-floor bar. At Tuesday’s media party, just about the only things served were…
The stars were aligned.
I’d just about given up on a former neighborhood favorite, Kuma’s Corner. There are only so many times you can hear “45-minute wait” before you gather your dignity and look elsewhere for ridiculously oversized burgers and ear-splitting heavy metal. But last night, signs pointed tentatively to yes: A full day of ominous skies meant the patio crowd might have stayed away, and, if we hustled, we could scoot in a hair before 7 p.m., the hour when all bets are off. Plus, I was…
