The not-so-secret secret about the Chicago nightlife scene is that the velvet rope is more or less a formality. Big lines rarely form before midnight-if at all-and if you find yourself in a scrum around the bouncer, take a breath and relax. You’ll probably get in. On the other hand, there are some rules and priorities-as we discovered on a recent Saturday night
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| Lawrence Crowe, 24 Found at: RiNo (343 W. Erie St.; 312-587-3433) What happened to him: An out-of-towner-he was in Chicago for a wedding-Lawrence misjudged the late-night dress code by wearing a tie. He told the bouncer that a friend of his brother’s was the club’s liquor distributor, but to no avail. He and his posse of male friends were turned away. |
Sohena Patel, 33 (pictured left) Found at: RiNo What happened to her: Sohena is the kind of patron any club wants to have warming its banquettes: a young, tastefully dressed female. On this night she pushed her luck by bringing along four male friends. Normally a party like this would get split up, the bouncer said. Sohena’s party got in, intact. |
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| Angie Woods, 25, and Don Sillman, 28 Found at: Sound-Bar (226 W. Ontario St.; 312-787-4480) What happened to them: Attractive couples rank second in the desirability hierarchy behind beautiful women. Angie and her boyfriend, Don, radiated high energy and a sense of fun, and got in. Besides, Angie said, “they need us in this club. We’re good dancers.” |
Benji Hall, 39 Found at: Sound-Bar What happened to him: Benji showed up wearing a casual T-shirt and jeans. Typically, the bouncer said, the club weeds out people who don’t look like they’re in a clubbing frame of mind. Benji, of Lake View, received a minor interrogation at the door, which revealed that he had come from another bar and not a Cubs game. He got in. |
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| Andrea, 25 (pictured left) Found at: RiNo What happened to her: Andrea, a makeup artist who declined to give her last name, told us she’s a regular at RiNo and has been a patron for more than a year. Although the bouncer who let her in said he didn’t recognize her, she got in anyway-likely because she’s young and pretty, and arrived as part of a bachelorette party. |
Ali Masud, 22 Found at: Sound-Bar What happened to him: Ali, a trader who lives in Pilsen, was celebrating his birthday and had dressed up for a night out-a variable that bouncers say they take into consideration. Ali’s designer jeans and long-sleeved shirt made a favorable impression. He got in despite being male and with another guy. A tip: Sandals and shorts are never OK. |
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| Arry Nomani, 22 Found at: Sound-Bar What happened to him: Clubs like to let in people from other countries on the assumption that they’ll spread the good word internationally. And a posh British accent like Arry’s never hurts. An entrepreneur visiting from Nottingham, England, Arry happened to be carrying his passport-and it scored him half off the $20 cover. |
Rosemary Mancari, 26, and Joseph Lizzo, 41 Found at: RiNo What happened to them: Joe, who lives in Bridgeport, dropped the name of a friend who is a regular. These two are not actually a couple (they’re cousins) and the bouncer noted that Joe was older than the club’s usual clientele. But the pair worked their responsible-adults-just-out-for-a-drink vibe, and got in right away. |
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Trendspotting |
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Inspired Smoke-free bars |
Tired Bottle service-spending $300 to sit at a small table doesn’t make you a big shot. |
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