Amber Gibson 2020-01-22 03:21:19
Whether you’re looking for cocktails, wine, or beer, these bars and brewpubs have upped the game with equally strong eats. Tucked away in an alley behind Frontera Grill in River North, Bar Sótano specializes in mezcal drinks paired with modern Mexican bites, including baby corn elotes and roasted grasshoppers, by celebrity chef Rick Bayless. Boasting panoramic views of Millennium Park, Cindy’s is best known for juicy cocktails like the Jillian, made with spiced clementine shrub, along with refined American fare. Expect the same tacos and late-night shenanigans at the second location of Big Star in Wrigleyville, just steps from Wrigley Field. Drinks are bourbon and tequila-focused — a perfect mash-up of Mexican and Midwest flavors. The new Moody Tongue Brewing Company space in the South Loop features a laid-back taproom and a fine dining restaurant serving seasonal tasting menus by Michelin-starred chef Jared Wentworth. The first-ever Michelin-starred brewpub, Band of Bohemia in Ravenswood has a half-dozen beers on tap, plus draft cocktails, to accompany dishes like sweetbreads and waffles with spiced maple syrup. Build your own New Haven-style pizza at Piece Brewery and Pizzeria in Wicker Park and wash it down with beers on tap from the most-awarded brewpub in Chicago, open since 2001. The bar at The Aviary resembles a science lab producing molecular drink experiments in the Fulton Market District. They’re some of the priciest cocktails in town but are guaranteed to dazzle, served with small bites like crab tempura. Chow down on Middle Eastern mezze and Lebanese-style roasted lamb in a bohemian hideaway at Beatnik on the River in the Loop. Sample the colorful European-inspired cocktails and eclectic wines. With a funky new Logan Square taproom, Middle Brow Bungalow slings thin-crust pizza pies (available in vegan and gluten-free varieties) that are as good as the beers on tap. Inside popular River North tiki bar Three Dots and a Dash, The Bamboo Room features extravagant rum drinks, along with tropical-inspired bites. Kumiko is an intimate Japanese cocktail bar in the West Loop from the team behind Oriole, which holds two Michelin stars. Try an omakase-style cocktail flight, along with tempura prawns and Japanese milk bread with truffles. The sexy, candlelit Gilt Bar in River North serves pitch-perfect negronis, martinis, and mules, along with great house-made pasta, steak tartare, and burgers. Z Bar on The Magnificent Mile is a hip rooftop hangout, with posh cocktails using rare spirits, as well as spirit-free drinks. Shareable small plates include Chicago-style pizza pockets, daikon frites, and Vietnamese spring rolls. Right next to McCormick Place in the South Loop, VU Rooftop Bar is the perfect rooftop gathering spot, where you can pass plates of pork belly bao and crispy Spanish octopus with cocktails, wine, and beer. Tanta Chicago, helmed by celebrity chef Gastón Acurio, has great happy hour specials and a lively River North rooftop. Pisco sours and Peruvian beers are paired with ceviches, tiraditos, and anticucho street food skewers. It’s only natural that many cocktails at Wicker Park’s Machine have a floral influence, thanks to the restaurant’s on-site florist. Signature dishes include carrot tartare and coconut milk shrimp risotto. Income Tax is worth a trip to Edgewater. The European wine bar’s menu changes often, with fresh simple dishes like roasted baby cabbage with Calabrian chilies and hazelnuts to match curated French, German, and Italian wines and brandies. Logan Square’s Asian-inspired Bixi Beer is a two-level brewpub featuring cool sci-fi murals and a sunny rooftop patio. Nibble on Vietnamese egg rolls or panang curry with a pint of Unspoken Rule golden ale spiced with jasmine tea. The massive TAO Chicago is both a nightclub and restaurant in River North offering yakitori, dim sum, and sushi alongside sweet cocktails and sake. Mediterranean influences permeate the food and drink menus at Shore Club Chicago on North Avenue Beach. Try the cucumber, lime, and jalapeñoin-fused Beach Party cocktail paired with burrata or salmon ceviche. Offshore Rooftop & Bar at Navy Pier is the world’s largest rooftop bar, offering a grown-up lounge at the family-friendly attraction. Oyster shooters and Maine lobster deviled eggs pair with easy-drinking cocktails and wine. CHICAGO FRIDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS Chicago is home to more breweries than any other American city, and every summer the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, in partnership with Choose Chicago, hosts tasting events to showcase the vibrant neighborhood brewing corridors all around town. Go to chicagofridaynightflights.com for more details.
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