“It was kind of a random accident.” That’s how chef Mark Steuer (Funkenhausen, Carriage House) describes the backstory of Common Decency, his new bar that just opened in Logan Square (3154 W. Diversey Ave.). A partnership between Steuer and cocktail maven (and his fiancée) Kelsey Kasper, Common Decency has taken over the spot that used to house Lost Lake and is serving up an interesting all-day mix of elevated bar food and cocktails.

“I live right down the street,” Steuer says, “I bumped into a realtor friend two years ago, and they asked if we wanted to see the Lost Lake space.” Steuer didn’t have any plans to open a new concept and had no financing lined up, but because it’s such a good location and so close to his home, “we thought we’d kick ourselves every day if we didn’t get it.” It took the whole two years to get the place open, and there were a ton of delays, since it turns out the building needed a lot of work. Don’t go expecting tropical vibes; Steuer and his team took the building down to the studs.

The name comes from Steuer’s approach to this project, and some of the less savory experiences his team has had in the hospitality business, no pun intended. “We all wanted to collectively take the negative experiences we’ve had and do things differently — not just say it,” explains Steuer. In practice, that means employees will get insurance, profit sharing, and, as he describes it, “a lot of respect.”

This new approach extends to the food; Kasper is gluten-intolerant, and another partner in the venture is vegetarian, so the restaurant is very conscious of having options for every diner and is entirely gluten-free. In addition, Steuer is taking a hard line on food waste, with all the scraps being reused in interesting ways and often for the bar. He’s created an entire pantry of powders, vinegars, and syrups, which Kasper draws on for cocktails. For example, apple peels have turned into a green apple powder, and the whey from housemade ricotta ends up in dumplings. “Some of these are really delicious accidents that I never thought about before,” says Steuer.

The cocktails don’t fit into a particular genre; in fact, Steuer sort of refuses to categorize the bar, other than saying he wants it to appeal to everyone. If I had to impose a label, I’d probably put the drinks in the “culinary cocktail” family, since they incorporate a lot of ingredients from the kitchen — think sticky rice syrup for a coconut/vodka/mango drink, or brazil nut orgeat for a cachaça cocktail with banana. Sure to please those cutting back but still drinking, the menu has a low alcohol section, including a reverse martini made with sherry.

The food is creative, approachable, and reasonably priced. If you’re a vegetarian and despair about getting a good French dip sandwich, you’re in luck — Common Decency’s is made with roasted portobellos, caramelized onions, and mushroom jus and served on gluten-free bread. A dish that may be my new favorite snack is a ricotta dip, combined with herbs, pepper, sea salt, and black garlic aioli, and topped with ham. “These are ingredients we are taking our time with,” explains Steuer. “But it’s really just bread and a dip.”

The bar also has extended hours, meant to appeal to the neighborhood but particularly to industry folks. It’s open from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Steuer admits that the hours are, in part, because he was tired of getting up early in the morning. Industry folks who start their shifts at 4 p.m. are part of the target afternoon audience, but also there is a ton of foot traffic in that area that, Steuer hopes, will make Common Decency a regular stop. In addition to the Common Decency space, there’s another small space in the building that will become a second concept (for now, called Fever Dream) but the specifics of that are still a secret — stay tuned for more.