CULINARY CULINARY NIGHTLIFE BY AMBER GIBSON 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 VU Rooftop Bar Offshore Rooftop & Bar 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. 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. TOP TO BOTTOM: VU ROOFTOP BAR; HEIDI HARRIS; ABEL ARCINIEGA 34 choosechicago.com
Chicago Visitors Guide 2020: Page 34
