Lisa Shames 2023-01-12 05:20:34
Pride is in full force at these LGBTQ-friendly shops, restaurants, and nightlife spots found in the city’s welcoming neighborhoods. SHOPPING With new items coming in daily, Northalsted’s CRAM Fashion offers the latest in casual menswear designer brands plus athleticwear, swim, and loungewear in its Underwear Lounge. A knowledgeable, friendly staff and unparalleled selection of books, including an extensive collection of LGBTQ+ literature, has earned Northalsted’s Unabridged Bookstore many fans. Check out the sale book section. Stocking more than 20,000 books, including works by and about women, children’s books, and the latest LGBTQ+ literature, Andersonville’s Women & Children First is one of the country’s largest feminist bookstores, celebrating underrepresented voices since 1979. Andersonville’s Cowboys and Astronauts believes shopping for men’s apparel, accessories, travel supplies, home goods, self-care, and gifts should be a fun adventure, with each hand-selected item offering a unique story. Equal parts bookstore and art showplace, River West’s Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery celebrates community and inclusion, reflecting its provenance as the city’s first bookstore owned by a Black woman. In the heart of Logan Square, female-owned and operated Wolfbait & B-Girls lovingly celebrates artisan clothing, gifts, personal care, art, and jewelry made by more than 300 Chicago designers. DINING Expect continuous party vibes at Northalsted’s Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club, which features nightly drag queen diva performers, 30-plus martinis, and delicious contemporary American cuisine. Six-time Michelin Bib Gourmand-recipient Wood, a stylish Northalsted restaurant, spotlights local purveyors in dishes like house-made charcuterie and pasta. Its innovative bar program adds to its charm. Coastal Southern cuisine, heirloom ingredients, heartfelt hospitality, and an extensive whiskey and bourbon selection all define Andersonville’s charming Big Jones, from beloved chef Paul Fehribach. Paying homage to her grandmother, chef Dominique Leach of Pullman’s Lexington Betty Smokehouse offers Chicago-style barbecue brisket and pork with plenty of soulful sides, including gussied-up candied yams. Family-owned Hing Kee Restaurant has been a Chinatown favorite since 2007, earning plenty of loyal fans for its handmade soup dumplings, traditional pulled noodles, and authentic Cantonese food. From the same owners of one of the city’s oldest gay bars, the South Loop’s Williams Inn Pizza & Sports Bar celebrates Chicago’s Black and LGBTQ+ communities, serving made-to-order deep dish pizza. Specializing in comfort food made with impeccable ingredients and paired with inventive cocktails, West Town’s Split-Rail is a cozy neighborhood restaurant paired with a retro basement cocktail bar called Dorothy. At Kale My Name, Albany Park’s globally inspired, 100% plant-based restaurant and bar, dietary restrictions are fully (and deliciously) embraced, with dishes ranging from cauliflower buffalo wings to veggie sliders. NIGHTLIFE Since 1982, Northalsted’s Sidetrack has been providing a welcoming and inclusive space for its many fans with boozy slushy drinks, a year-round rooftop, showtune nights, and pride for the community it serves. Since its Pride Week 2003 opening, Northalsted’s Hydrate quickly became Chicago’s top place for dancing, drag shows, theme nights, and music sets from the industry’s best DJs into the wee hours of the morning. Nobody’s Darling, a James Beard Award nominee in Andersonville, offers a classy, laid-back lounge vibe with a menu of creative cocktails inspired by influential women. For 53 years, Uptown’s The Baton Show Lounge has been wowing guests with its award-winning drag revues. Up the festive atmosphere with boozy frozen drinks and gelato-infused cocktails. Five nights a week, the South Loop’s Lips Chicago offers Vegas-style drag shows paired with contemporary American cuisine and festive cocktails. Sunday Lips Drag Brunch features unlimited beverage specials. A laid-back Uptown neighborhood bar with good vibes to spare, Big Chicks consistently tops Chicago’s best LGBTQ bar lists. Revive the next day at sister spot Tweet, which specializes in hearty breakfast, lunch, and brunch fare. As one of the country’s longest-running Black-owned gay bars, Jeffery Pub is a beloved LGBTQ+ gathering space in the South Shore neighborhood. ATTRACTIONS Along a half-mile stretch of Halsted Street in Northalsted, The Legacy Walk features rainbow landmarks that commemorate notable LGBTQ+ individuals whose achievements have helped shape the world. Located in Rogers Park and founded in 1991, the Leather Archives & Museum offers community archives, a library, and a museum of leather, kink, fetish, and BDSM history and culture. Founded in 1981, Gerber/Hart Library and Archives in Rogers Park is the largest circulating library of gay and lesbian titles in the Midwest, with more than 14,000 volumes, 800 periodical titles, and 100 archival collections. Celebrate the life and work of social justice activist Jane Addams at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, the settlement house she co-founded in 1889, which still stands today. AUTHOR’S TIP Be sure to make time to explore Northalsted, the oldest official LGBTQ+ neighborhood in the country. TOP 6 LGBTQ+ EVENTS Chicago Pride Fest is a two-day celebration of music, live performances, and local food in Northalsted, followed by the lively Chicago Pride Parade the following weekend. chicagopride.gopride.com Grant Park’s Pride in the Park, typically a two-day music fest celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride, never fails to attract a varied, impressive lineup of top national and local music headliners and DJs. prideintheparkchicago.com Northalsted Market Days features live music on multiple stages, unique vendors, food and drink booths, DJs, and nonstop dancing along its half mile-long stretch, making it one of the Midwest’s largest street festivals. northalsted.com/marketdays Chicago’s Reeling Film Festival, the second longest-running film festival of its kind, showcases LGBTQ+ stories from around the world each year with movie screenings in the fall. reelingfilmfestival.org Held in Lakeview, the popular Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade features live musical performances, marching bands, fire twirlers, and a costume contest. northalsted.com/events/halloween The Disability Pride Parade marches along a two-block area in Chicago’s Loop, with a mission to challenge the way people think about “disability.” disabilityprideparade.org
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