Also new to the neighborhood, The Lucky Lady opened around the corner from Theory in late December courtesy of Michaels Bisbee and Kaulentis, a.k.a. the guys behind the popular River North hangouts RiNo, Manor, and Stay. “A lot of our patrons said they wished we had an early spot to go to after work,” Bisbee says. A departure from the partners’ 4 a.m. establishments, the less VIP-centric Lady houses a photo booth, a lone pool table, a crystal chandelier left over from the spot’s former incarnation as Gentry on State, a jukebox filled with rock and country classics, and three separate bars designed to accommodate the afterwork crush. By March, the owners hope to add a kitchen with a burger-heavy menu. According to Bisbee, the anticipated surge from two nearby hotels under construction was also a motivating factor—the two Michaels have been tapped to build the bar for one of them, the Hotel Gansevoort at the intersection of State and Illinois streets—but in this climate, Bisbee’s not holding his breath. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” he says.

GO: The Lucky Lady 440 N. State St. 312-670-0335

Photograph: Chris Guillen