Ada's is a familiar lunch spot for many East Loop cube-dwellers, who stop in for decidedly straightforward and affordable takes on diner classics, such as matzo ball soup and the turkey club. Worker bees in the know hit up the joint's 14 Karat Lounge (14 S. Wabash) after hours, to get all that Ada's menu has to offer, plus some of that sweet, sweet nectar.
On a recent visit, I wanted my nectar extra sweet, so I ordered a mai tai. Paired with my usual veggie omelette from Ada's menu, it made for a grown-up twist on a.m. OJ and eggs. The ability to order breakfast for dinner with a tropical drink cocktail isn't all the 14 Karat Lounge has going for it. An unpretentious crowd, baskets of buttery popcorn on every table, and perhaps the most enthusiastic, hardest-working bartender in the Loop give the place a special lustre. My only suggestion is that they turn down the music a couple of notches to make the lounge a less deafening option for friends who want to catch up after work over a drink.
- Mandy Burrell |
Bar Tue May 06 2008
It's a pretty bold move. To not only feature shochu so primarily on the drink menu, but also name the restaurant itself after the Japanese liquor, that is. Shochu, a type of distilled liquor made from things like barley, buckwheat, sweet potatoes and rice, is definitely not the most approachable of Japanese boozes. For one thing, shochu, at around 25 percent, is more alcoholic than wine and sake. The biting sharpness of alcohol is much more pronounced in shochu than in often-smooth sake. For another, shochu often has an aroma that may not be particularly appetizing to the uninitiated. Many Japanese swear by it, and many others avoid it like vermin. Still others venture into the recently rediscovered territory of shochu with ardent curiosity. Once considered a lower-class beverage, shochu has been experiencing a sort of a renaissance in Japan in recent years, with many shochu bars popping up like bamboo shoots after a rain. And that boom seems to be catching on in the U.S. as well. Shochu, a new shochu-and-small-plates bar in Lakeview, is a great place to try out some without spending thousands to cross the Pacific.
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- Yu Kizawa |
Bar Mon Apr 14 2008
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the 800 North Clybourn Goose Island brew pub location will be closing at the end of this year due to lease renewal issues. The Wrigleyville location will remain open and the closing is not expected to interrupt brewing services.
- Gemma Petrie |
Bar Sun Mar 30 2008
Keenan O'Reilley's (3916 N. Ashland) is a very solid neighborhood bar. It doesn't claim to be more than that, and in a sea of posers, that's more than refreshing enough. Even on a Saturday night blessedly dereft of snow, this place is full, but not ridiculously packed; however, it is out of frozen pizza. Such is life at a reasonably priced neighborhood bar in Lakeview on a Saturday night.
By the way, by fairly priced I mean $9 for two bottles of Goose Island and a rum and Coke. Yes, $9. I almost hate posting this because I feel like their prices will rise exponentially with demand, but you know what? I'll be glad if they do. Long live the neighborhood bar!
- Mandy Burrell |
Drink Mon Feb 11 2008
Most wine shops are charging a premium this week for sparkling wines, but Randolph Cellars is offering 10% off all the bubbles in house through Saturday. Use the extra couple of bucks to buy your sweetie some truffles or a decent card. Cue the Barry White...
- Christine Blumer |
The Edgewater Lounge is known as more of a summer spot. Its location at Ashland and Bryn Mawr features a sidewalk patio in the warmer months, and while the view isn't great (four lanes of speeding traffic on Ashland, a gas station and Jiffy Lube across the street), the atmosphere is festive and friendly, and the patio is often packed in the evenings. On a recent frigid Saturday night, however, there was plenty of seating indoors.
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- Dana Currier |
Bar Tue Sep 18 2007
The opening of this new bar/restaurant across from Millennium Park was met with several reviews that seemed to suggest that the place was almost but not quite what it could be. Most of the criticism focused on the food, which aspires to be quite high-end but falls a bit short of expectations. My solution? Skip the "restaurant" and head straight to the bar. As Heather Shouse writes in her Time Out review, the drinks do indeed "sport downtown prices," so my mojito rang in at just shy of $10. My friends who were in from New York didn't bat at an eye at the price list, but we Chicagoans grumbled a little. The beer list was decent, and I probably should have stuck to that since my drink was mostly full of big wedges of lime and mounds of mint leaves rather than alcohol. Still, the atmosphere is glamorous but comfortable, and big groups are definitely welcome. I have a feeling this place will stick around a while.
- Dana Currier |
If you haven't noticed by now, Uncommon Ground is setting up a new shop on Devon in the former Speakeasy Supper club space. Expect everything you get from the original: an eclectic menu featuring natural and organic ingredients often locally supplied, live local music and art-oriented events. The new location promises to be just as green as the original, and then some, with reclaimed woods for the décor and furnishings, a roof-top collection well for rainwater re-use in plants and toilets, solar panel heated water and a roof-top garden to grow vegetables, plants and herbs for the kitchen.
Expect Uncommon Ground on Devon to open in early fall.
Uncommon Ground on Devon is located at 1401 West Devon Ave.
Uncommon Ground is located at 3800 N. Clark Street
- Christian Scheuer |
Bar Sun Jul 22 2007
Newly opened West Town spot RelaXLounge is the prescription for whatever ails you. Owners David Lehtman and Brian Eldridge created a laid back space where a rock-and-roll meets pharmaceuticals. Until recently, the lounge was being referred to as Pharmacy and was mired in a bit of controversy. Neighborhood locals didn’t want another bar in the neighborhood and their protests resulted in a six-month wait for a liquor license, as well as a mandatory name change due an old law from the ’80s prohibiting use of the word "pharmacy" in a business name unless the business actually sells prescription drugs.
Inside you'll find a 30-foot, white subway-tiled bar lit up by candles in beakers, a vintage sign that reads "prescriptions” and beautiful chairs and other furniture all hand-built by partner Brian Eldridge. The bar features a simple menu with one-third-pound burgers and fries, a fried egg sandwich and signature milkshakes spiked with spirits (a Guinness float perhaps?) all served until close.
RelaXLounge is at 1450 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago.
- Christian Scheuer |
Bar Mon Jul 16 2007
River North has a new gastropub, English. Located in the historic Furla Photography building on LaSalle Street, this new offering from the people behind Union Park, Bar Celona and The Central, caters to the local lunch crowd during the day with a menu consisting of sliders, burgers, pressed sandwiches, salads and some higher-end entrees such as the Earl Grey tea encrusted center cut filet served with a black currant demi-glaze. English also serves as a neighborhood night spot for late-night lounging, boasting three floors, the first featuring a 30-foot main bar and casual dining, the second for more formal settings and the two free pool tables, and a third for private parties.
Though I think the beer selection needs a bit of work — most are pedestrian offerings in my beer snob mind — the standards of Coors, Bud and Miller and some English brews, St. Peter’s Porter among others — English looks like a nice place to lunch and a relaxing place for late-night hanging out.
- Christian Scheuer |
Bar Mon Jun 18 2007
Iggy’s3 will be opening in early July in the former Chicago Rib House space. If you were a fan of the original Iggy's (now Juicy Wine Company) you may be pleasantly surprised as this new incarnation promises to be more like the original River West location. Expect blood red walls, horror movies and artwork featuring sock monkeys (the true face of evil), and a menu that seems to be closely related to the original with favorites like grilled calamari, artichoke-heart fritters, bowtie pasta and, of course, lots of really big martinis.
Iggy's3 is located at 800 N. Dearborn St.
And speaking of former locations, Chaise Lounge is now open as a BYOB in the former Wicker Park locale of Iggy’s. Chaise Lounge comes from the same people who revamped Hunt Club and features a seasonal American menu with a bit of international flair. Newly remodeled with a South Beach-inspired décor (the sock monkeys most likely have made the trip to Iggy’s3), summer nights on the patio and yet to be opened rooftop sound even more appealing. Expect the liquor license to come through in late June.
Chaise Lounge is located at 1840 W. North Ave. 773-342-1840
- Christian Scheuer |
Bar Tue Jun 12 2007
If you have been wondering what happened to the back bar from the old Lava Lounge, it found a new home at The Blind Robin, the newly opened spot from the owners of Green Eye Lounge and Underbar. The Blind Robin promises to be a hip yet understated place to hang, with green walls hinted with orange — think robin’s breast — and board games, lots of board games. As an added plus, an exhibition of paintings by local artist David Rettker is up on the walls, and the logo was designed by Gapers Block alum Phineas X. Jones!
The Blind Robin, 853 N. Western Ave. 773-395-3002
Hours: 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday through Friday; Noon-3 a.m. Saturday; Noon-2 a.m.
- Christian Scheuer |
Review Wed Apr 25 2007
While enjoying excellent seats at Wrigley Field on Monday, I was obligated to indulge in some gameday grub. I gleefully put back a few vapid Bud Lites and stuffed my face with a couple of brats that looked and tasted like they arrived to the ballpark in someone’s back pocket. But it’s all about tradition at ball games and if I hadn’t gone for the Bud Lite and hot dogs, it woulda been Old Style and peanuts. So, price aside, I had no complaints… especially since we split well before the Cubs’ inevitable collapse.
It wasn’t until later, at the Hopleaf Bar in Andersonville, that I had the opportunity to right the evening’s previous culinary wrongs. Still being a bit full from the doggies, I kept it light by ordering the famed muscles mussels appetizer and a pint of De Koninck Bolleke ale. The slightly fruity, slightly malty, crisp brew was an excellent foil for the succulent, nautical sweetness of the Hopleaf’s mussels.
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- Bryan Delano III |
Random Mon Mar 19 2007
If you enjoyed a pint (or 2) of Guinness last weekend in celebration of St. Paddy’s Day you might enjoy knowing that this stout is lighter on calories and packed with nutrients. A pint weighs in around 198 calories which is less than low-fat milk and orange juice in addition most other non-light beer. Guinness is high in iron and contains all of the B vitamins except B12 and is full of antioxidants. Research has shown that the antioxidant properties in Guinness work similarly to taking an aspirin a day to reduce clotting activities in the blood. These antioxidants may also have other affects like protecting against blindness and yes guys, even impotence. However, these benefits are negated by over consumption so it’s a good thing no one we know tossed back more than their share and danced the jig on a table...oh never mind.
The Irish Oak on Clark is a great place to go for a pint of Guinness and even live Irish music on occasion.
- Holly Maloney |
