Not even the outstanding views from Market’s rooftop deck could detract attention from the Blackhawks’ nail-biter of a win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. Our photographer headed to the one-year-old West Loop sports bar, just a slap shot from the United Center, to capture the drama, the elation, the beer, as patrons watched... Read more
Tag: Seen on the Scene
Crobar didn’t quite make it to legal drinking age—after 19 years in business, the clubbing institution closed in April for renovations—but its heir, The Vibe, debuted Saturday with a party atmosphere and a familiar line out the door. “We’re going for a diverse mix—a broad cross-section, not unlike the city,” says the longtime owner Joey Vartanian. “We’re... Read more
What to pair with pork? An apple martini ($8), according to Ken Pospiech, a co-owner of northwest Lake View’s new porcine palace, The Piggery (1625 W. Irving Park Rd.; 773-281-7447), which opened April 22nd: “We do an apple-cider glaze and we do our own applesauce, so the martini goes great with that.” Our photographer stopped by the 170-seat spot on... Read more
You don’t have to be an Ayn Rand fan to hang out at Fountainhead, a new bar on the border of North Center and Ravenswood that shares its name with Rand’s 1943 novel—but you do have to like beer. Phil Kuhl, the bar’s manager and beer director, won a local following as the headmaster... Read more
From a tadpole comes a frog: Now open, from the mother-and-son owners of Blue Frog Bar & Grill (676 N. LaSalle St.; 312-943-8900), River North’s charmingly scruffy go-to karaoke dive, is Blue Frog 22 (22 E. Hubbard St.; 312-527-1200), a more polished and spacious second location stocked with board games, 14 flat-screen TVs, an expanded menu—and, yes, karaoke... Read more
Just ask our nightlife writer Amalie Drury, who lives nearby: Old Townies and Lincoln Parkers alike spent the better part of winter drooling in wait for this new wine bar to open—and finally, last week, it did, with a list of 21 varieties available both by the glass and the bottle, plus a menu of Southern European small plates. Our photographer dropped by Friday night and found a chic crowd in a... Read more
Cue the pipe organ: The Shady Lady (712 N. Clark St.; 312-624-9008), a new circus-meets-burlesque lounge in River North, opened to the public last Friday, and our photographer was onsite to catch early adopters mugging for the camera. The bar marks the return of the once and future nightlife entrepreneur Dion Antic to Chicago’s bar scene. Antic is... Read more
The Cubs aren’t the only ones who emerged victorious from Monday’s home opener against Milwaukee. Directly across Sheffield Avenue from Wrigley Field, the longtime haunt Sports Corner officially reopened to a full house following a ground-up overhaul. Now triple the size of... Read more
The Lake View bar formerly known as Fearon’s Public House (3001 N. Ashland Ave.; 773-248-0990) reopened over the weekend with a red-washed facade and a renewed dedication to all things Irish—including its new name, an ode to the flagship pub of Dublin’s nightlife quarter. While the spot is owned by... Read more
Word is out: Lolla godfather Perry Farrell (that’s him in the checked blazer) unveiled the August festival’s full lineup late Monday night at Debonair Social Club in Wicker Park, and our photographer was on the scene. The 2010 roster includes megabold-face music names from Lady Gaga to Arcade Fire to Chicago’s own Mavis Staples... Read more