It's safe to say GreenRiver (259 E. Erie St., Streeterville, 312-337-0101) is the hottest bar that shares a building with a hospital complex. To get to the restaurant/bar, you'll ride it up to the 18th floor of 259 East Erie, past many Northwestern Memorial doctors' offices, and enter into a dimly lit lobby. Then let the drinking begin.
You're in good hands with head bartender Julia Momose, who was last seen at the Aviary and now turns her talents to a menu of drinks inspired by Chicago history (each one comes with a little story explaining how its name connects it back to the city; more often than not, there's a mob tie). Take your Gray Wolf, a plummy twist on an old fashioned, out to the quiet terrace and take in the skyline views. It's a relaxed-yet-refined experience, unsurprising given that the bar's a collaborative effort between Danny Meyer's Union Square Events and Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry of NYC cocktail bar the Dead Rabbit.
Here's what all we saw when we stopped in.