Imagine what the Wicker Park/Bucktown standby Northside Bar & Grill (1635 N. Damen Ave.) must have looked like when it served its first drink 27 years ago, before the teeming masses took over. Now picture that clean, shiny version transplanted to up-and-coming Logan Square, with a few nods to the 21st century thrown in—most notably, radiant-heated floors that keep the vaulted-glass atrium alfresco-friendly, even in October. In most respects, the new Logan Bar & Grill (2230 N. California Ave.) is strikingly similar to the original, with the same owners, two bars, two fireplaces, one Golden Tee, and six flat screens, although the neighborhood’s dressed-down couples and happy-hour drinkers make for a lower-key clientele. Food runs from falafel to burgers, and a rotating beer selection includes 10 to 15 drafts, plus 20 more by the bottle ($3-$5). Service, while spotty early on, gives the place a mellow, anything-goes-at-any-time vibe. A second location is such a natural move, we left wondering why it took 27 years.
Photography: Chris Guillen