Posts Tagged ‘River North’

Zed 451

December 5th, 2008

BAR REVIEW: Zed 451 in the River North area of Chicago, IL

A recent addition to the River North drinking and dining scene is Zed 451. This hip destination reminds me of a Spa I frequented in Tokyo, Japan. Only of course, Zed 451 does not have hot baths, nor does it have a strong Japanese presence. I am primarily associating it with a Japanese Spa because of the beautiful wood decor and warm ambiance being emitted through out the space.

There are 2 ways to indulge at Zed 451: Dining Experience or Drinking Experience. As the host and bartenders will inform you, each experience deserves its due. At the bar/lounge area, the only food available is the wonderful appetizers and a nice international selection of wine, cocktails and, of course, beer. Although their beer selection is not as unique as I would have hoped, it does get the job done. They do get kudos for having a local beer like Goose Island 312…even if it is in a bottle.

Overall I really enjoyed the scene and vibe I got from Zed 51. Not only is it a great place to take a date, but also it is a great place to wind down your day after a long day at work. The attention to detail is evident through out the whole establishment.

Zed 451 is located at 739 North Clark Street in the River North area of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Phone: (312) 266-6691.

Zed 451 is Very Recommended by Gonzalo

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Vertigo Sky Lounge

November 13th, 2008

BAR REVIEW: Vertigo Sky Lounge in the River North area of Chicago, IL

Look! Up in the sky: It’s a new drinking destination. Welcome to new heights of drinking at Vertigo Sky Lounge. Situated at the top floor of the new Dana Hotel in the River North area of Chicago; Vertigo Sky Lounge is the new drinking destination other bars look up to.

Furnished with chic furniture, hip crowds and stellar views of the surrounding High Rises of the River North area, Vertigo Sky Lounge is not your average lounge. Primarily a mixed drink menu, Vertigo Sky Lounge does have a small selection of beers. Kudos to them for having local favorites such as Goose Island 312 and Goose Island Matilda on draft.

Since the beer menu is not extensive, the main appeal to this lounge for a beer drinker would be the cool vibe resonating off everyone and everything. Even the bathrooms are cool! Actually, the bathroom area is probably one of the coolest areas of Vertigo Sky Lounge. Never before have I seen a bathroom area where the set up encourages small talk with the opposite sex. You will realize what I mean when you go wash your hands or tidy up.

Overall, you should enjoy your visit to Vertigo Sky Lounge. If anything, sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds of Chicago as seen through the large floor-to-ceiling windows of this 26th floor Lounge.

Vertigo Sky Lounge is located at 660 North State Street in the River North area of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Phone: (312) 202-6060.

Vertigo Sky Lounge is Very Recommended by Gonzalo

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Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant (a.k.a., the place to watch Fútbol/Football/Soccer matches)

June 29th, 2008

BAR REVIEW: Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant in the River North area of Chicago, IL

Let us face the facts: In the United States, when you talk about Football in the United States, you think of the NFL. What is considered Football across the world is known as Soccer in the United States. Bars across Chicago, Illinois, showcase baseball, NFL football and basketball through out the year. Few bars across Chicagoland showcase Soccer matches through out the year. One such bar that has created a niche for itself as the “place to watch soccer” is Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant.

Located at the corner of Grand Avenue and Clark Street in the River North neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Fado’s is a pub where football/soccer fans can gather and enjoy the latest football match. There is no better place to catch international soccer matches than Fado’s. Recently, the 2008 Euro Cup was the center attraction at Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant. International citizens gathered around the warm atmosphere of Fado’s to cheer on their country. Great pints of Guinness are poured and traditional Irish bar food is served. The crowds at Fado’s are really into their soccer and they show the passion one would expect if you were at the stadium. Cheering and jeering are commonplace amongst the 3 floors of Fado’s. In the recent 2008 Euro Cup Final, there were more German fans than Spanish fans. At the end of the game though, everyone was thankful for a great match between two great European Nations. You gain friends while at Fado’s. During the 2006 World Cup Final, I befriended a passionate French woman and during the 2008 Euro Cup Final, I befriended some friendly German fans.

Fado’s has 3 floors where you can enjoy drinking and socializing. The rowdiest floor, in my opinion, is the top floor. Live bands perform on this floor and passionate fans gather on the 3rd floor to watch their favorite team. Of course, each floor has its appeal and by no means are you at a disadvantage being “stuck” on any floor. With great citizens found through out Fado’s, you will enjoy your time no matter where you settle.

A word to the wise, for high profile soccer matches, it is highly recommended that you arrive to Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant way in advance to get good seating and to avoid the lines that surely build as the place becomes too crowded. During the 2006 World Cup Final, the line was around the block early. Of course, whether you have a seat or forced to stand, there is no place better to watch an international soccer match than Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant.

Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant is located at 100 West Grand Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Phone: (312) 836-0066. Website: http://www.fadoirishpub.com/chicago/

Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant is Highly Recommended by Gonzalo

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ENGLISH

July 8th, 2007

BAR REVIEW: ENGLISH in the River North neighborhood of Chicago, IL

A new addition to the trendy drinking scene of the River North neighborhood is the bar ENGLISH. Situated on historic La Salle Street, English is the newest drinking establishment from “Eat Well. Drink Better. Inc.” As their namesake implies, not only can you eat well at English (I recommend the Shrimp and Avocado Pressed Sandwich), you can drink exceptionally better. Their signature drinks stand out, but the drink menu I was more concerned with was their beer selection. They do a great job offering some of the better-known quality beers. Beers such as Fuller’s London Pride, Grolsch and Affligem Blonde Ale are just some of the beers that make up this compact, but efficient beer list. Yet, the beers that stand out the most are the 2 offerings from the St. Peter’s Brewery Co. in the UK: St. Peter’s English Ale and St Peter’s Old-Style Porter. A very rare occurrence in my visit around Chicago bars so far has been finding Ales from the St. Peter’s Brewery. When found, you must make note of said bar and proceed to visit it on a regular basis. It was a great idea to have a fine English beer at a fine bar that is called English. My beer of choice for this bar though goes to Fuller’s London Pride…a fine and affordable pint of beer it is!

The atmosphere itself is inviting and offers plenty of opportunities to start conversation with neighboring tables or with the friendly bartenders. If you cannot find a seat in the main street level proceed to either the second or third floor…if you fancy playing pool the second floor is where you should settle, the pool tables are gorgeous and any pool player would look great taking a shot.

From its friendly staff to reasonably priced drinks and classic, but new, Chicago feel, English is a welcome addition to the lively River North scene. As you walk down La Salle Street keep your eyes open for their classy neon sign advertising their establishment, you should not be able to miss it.

English is located at 444 North La Salle Street in Chicago, IL. Phone: (773) 832-4000. Website: www.englishchicago.com

ENGLISH is Highly Recommended by Gonzalo

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Rockit Bar & Grill

May 3rd, 2007

BAR REVIEW: Rockit Bar & Grill in the River North neighborhood of Chicago, IL
www.rockitbarandgrill.com

No other Downtown Chicago bar mixes the hip factor of a new nightclub with the trendy factor of a new restaurant like “Rockit Bar & Grill” on Hubbard Street. This bar and grill brings everything that makes going out fun and exciting into a cool warehouse-type space in the River North neighborhood. You go to Rockit to see and be seen. The 2 floors that make up Rockit are filled with young professionals, trendsetters, established professionals and drinkers. Each floor has its own bar and vibe. The 1st floor has the restaurant vibe since you can sit down and enjoy a fantastic meal. The 2nd floor has the lounge vibe since you can play pool or crowd around the lounge seats. As far as the beer selection goes, it has your standard favorites accompanied with some unique selections. My suggestion: order a glass of Honker’s Ale and the Rockit Burger off the Entree Menu. Yes, the Rockit Burger comes with a steep price of $19, but if you had to pay around twenty dollars for a burger, the Rockit Burger gets my vote. The combination of Goose Island Honker’s Ale and a Rockit Burger makes you crave more even after you are done!

A great destination if you are in the River North area of Downtown Chicago, Rockit Bar & Grill does what a Chicago drinking establishment should do: provide you with a good time!

Rockit Bar & Grill is located at 22 West Hubbard Street in Chicago, IL. Phone: (312) 645-6000. Website: www.rockitbarandgrill.com

Rockit Bar & Grill is Highly Recommended by Gonzalo

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Chicago St.Patrick’s Day Parade

March 18th, 2007

CHICAGO ST.PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

My week of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in the great city of Chicago has been quite an enjoyable affair. The festivities began on a Sunday and drew to an end on Saturday. As I’ve stated before, few cities celebrate St. Patrick’s Day like Chicago. You can thank the Irish blood that pumps through the City and the strong party scene for this great celebration that comes around only once a year. Everyone becomes Irish when they celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the Second City. Green overfills the town as the inhabitants sport green attire and as the legendary Chicago River becomes Irish too (they dye the River green!). Our Saturday started off with a morning session of Green Beer and a savory breakfast buffet. We drank at Mother Hubbard’s in the River North section of Chicago. The original plan was to drink at Fado’s a couple blocks down, but all the Irish pubs and taverns in the city had lines that went around the corners. It’s in your best interest to arrive early or to booze up before you hit the bars so you’re feeling good while you wait in line. Mother Hubbard’s may not be as classy or cool as the surrounding bars of the infamous Hubbard Street, but it is one of the most enjoyable. They had a great draft selection (sorry, the draft list went missing after an hour or two of singing and drinking) and the crowd was a great mix of young and old people looking to drink some beers and have some fun.

After breakfast we proceeded to catch the dying of the Chicago River green. Spectators fill the bridges, sidewalks, docks, and plazas to get a glimpse of the magic. It was quite a site. 10:45 came and the boats and Irish bagpipes began the ceremony. Up and down they went spreading the orange dye that turns the Chicago River green. Once the ceremony was over, people either stayed or went back to their drinking ways. North or South, East or West: Would be Irish men and women roamed the great downtown that Chicago has to offer. There is also a parade that happens on Saturday, but after the dying of the river I decided to go back to the parties. It was remarkable to walk around the parks and plazas of the downtown area and be greeted by green men and women enjoying their beers. No matter where you went in the City, a party was just around the corner. Plus, if you get hungry, the best food from around the world is found at your fingertips (I indulged myself with some Gino’s East Deep Dish Spinach Pizza. Fan-freaking-tastic.)

Overall, the Chicago festivities that surround St. Patrick’s Day are not to be missed. I ran into people from all over the world: California, Japan, Ireland, Germany, Mexico, Australia and many more. They all came to Chicago because they knew Chicago does the St. Patrick’s Festivities right.

Mother Hubbard’s is located in the River North area of Chicago on the infamous section of Hubbard Street. http://www.motherhubbards.net/

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Brehon Pub

February 17th, 2007

BAR REVIEW: BREHON PUB

When you come across the northeast corner of Wells Street & Superior Street, you will notice an old fashioned Chicago building with a distinct Irish coat of arms hanging outside the building, this is the location of the River North neighborhood pub known as Brehon Pub. One of my first impressions of the pub was how it felt like I was in a “Chicago South Side Irish” pub. The decor inside is typical of a laid back pub you go to hang out in. The servers make you feel welcome and the beer keeps on flowing. I was very impressed to see that they offer Fat Tire on draft (you usually only find Fat Tire in bottles). In addition to Fat Tire, they have the Irish Trio (Guinness, Bass and Harps) and the standard beer found in Chicago bars. Brehon Pub does a great job of offering everything you would need to keep yourself occupied while hanging out: various wide screen TVs, a pool table, darts and plenty of character found through out the bar and the crowd. But do not confuse these offering as gimmicks, because as their slogan says: “Brehon Pub, serving Guinness not gimmicks since 1980.”

Brehon Pub is located at 731 N. Wells Street in the River North neighborhood of Chicago, IL. Phone: (312) 642-1071. Website: www.brehonpub.com

BREHON PUB is Recommended by Gonzalo

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