Cocktail Snob - quality matters!

Violet Hour opened quietly, with little ballyhoo, in the summer of 2007, in Chicago's formerly arty - and now very trendy spendy - Wicker Park neighborhood. The bar is owned by several different investors. One of them is Toby Maloney, a former employee of Manhattan's amazing Pegu Club. Although Violet Hour has a completely different style of decor compared to Pegu, Maloney has clearly been influenced by his erstwhile boss Audrey Saunders. Violet Hour brings to Chicago the classy atmosphere and amazing drinks that New Yorkers have been enjoying ever since finding themselves on the leading edge of the cocktail revival (vive le cocktail revival, by the way. HELL yeah.).

Violet Hour is invisible from the street, hiding in an completely unmarked space (perhaps taking a cue from another Manhattan cocktail bar, Milk and Honey), and will only allow as many customers through the doors as will fit comfortably in the room. The upside of this is that the room is never crowded, but the disadvantage is that you may have to wait in a very slow line, even on a weeknight. All of the doormen I have encountered to date (a few times each) are courteous and professional, and one of them is even downright friendly.

Inside, Violet Hour feels like some sort of 18th century French parlor, with periwinkle blue walls, and a big heavy drape (in that same shade of grey-blue) dividing the room in half. Candles provide most of the illumination in the dim space, but crystal chandeliers add a bit of light as well. The bar runs through both sections of the space, with the drapery landing in the spot where the centermost bar stool might sit. Tables and booths are surrounded with plush, high-backed seats that give each seating area a feeling of privacy. Music is always audible, but never loud, so you will always be able to have a conversation at Violet Hour. I have enjoyed some classic jazz there, but things also may shift to a mix of Tom Waits ballads (good), and another mix that alternates between Johnny Cash (good) and Kenny Rogers (someone's attempt at humor, I was told).

No television, no gambling machines, no video games, and a no cell phone policy.
I love this.

Violet Hour features a small menu of light food (a dozen selections at $8 to $12), but I know what you're here for: cocktails.

Let's go.

All drinks are $12.

The menu contains about thirty drinks, that (of course) rotate seasonally.

Gin and Rum drinks are the most plentiful, followed by Rye and Brandy concoctions. There are also a few cordials, some wine and champagne drinks, selected tequila cocktails, and (as it should be) only two vodka drinks.

The Cocktail Snob and Gal Friday Night have made a dent in the menu over the course of two dozen visits, and we'd like to tell you all about it...

My first drink was the Mai Tai Roa Ae, which is the proper name of the drink that Trader Vic invented in 1944. Using great Matusalem and Brugal rums with orange Curacao, fresh lime, and Orgeat, this drink is a worthy take on the Trader's signature beverage. The only thing they missed is the mint sprig garnish. More, please.

Sticking with the rum for a sec, we also tried a Golden Age, which sticks with the Brugal, and adds Cherry Heering, egg yolk, Lemon Bitters, and dashes of lemon juice and simple syrup. Toby served us one of these, and then a few weeks later Michael (another New York expatriate) served us another one that was more or less identical. Nice job on the consistency, guys. In the case of both efforts, we enjoyed the drinks, but we felt like it was not the best thing on the menu. Upon reflection we decided that if this drink were served in almost any other bar, it would be a miracle. But at Violet Hour, miracles are daily occurrences, and there are a grip of drinks on the menu that are much better than the Golden Age.

For example: Poor Liza. I ordered this one because the list of ingredients on the menu made it look like it might be a complete train wreck. I wanted to see if they could surprise me by making it work. They definitely did. It rules. Pear Brandy, Green Chartreuse, simple syrup, lemon juice, and Peychaud's Bitters.
Whaaaa?
Trust me.
Go get one.
They also do the flaming orange peel.
Flaming cloud of zest.
Dig it.

Cocktail Snob is also a fan of the Corpse Reviver #2. Bombay Gin, Lillet, Orange Curacao, and a few drops of Absinthe in the bottom of the glass. This is great stuff, and once again we found that ordering this drink from a different barkeep on a different night still resulted in more or less an identical beverage.

I am a Sidecar fan.
I like that the drink is simple, consisting of three basic ingredients (lemon juice, Brandy, and Cointreau), but can be easily made more tart, more sweet, or more boozy just by altering the ratios a little bit. The variations are endless. I sometimes use it as a litmus test in borderline bars: if they can make a Sidecar, they're in, and if they can't then too bad, so sad. Violet Hour's Autumn Sidecar uses Landy Cognac, Cointreau, lemon, and adds a few drops of Pimento dram. Perfecto. Their Summer Sidecar substitutes homemade Limoncello for the Pimento dram. Good stuff, recommended.

I am not much of a Tequila fan.
Nevertheless, we sampled the Spanish Margarita along with the El Diablo, and found both to be agreeable drinks.
The former is Sauza Plata, lime, Licor 43, and Hell-Fire Bitters. Licor 43 is tasty stuff (and a key ingredient in my pal Dave Wolfe's classic drink the Concubine). The latter is made of Sauza Hornitos, lemon, soda water, and ginger syrup, with a float of Creme de Casis. This is the better of the two, with the soda's fizziness giving way to a lingering ginger flavor on the tongue.

We're not done yet!
Exploring the whiskey section, it was mandatory that we take a cruise with the Irish Pirate, which is Red Beast Irish Whiskey, Sailor Jerry Rum, Demarara syrup, and house-made Autumn Bitters. This one is an ass kicker. There's no subtlety here, just a glass of booze with a big iceberg in the middle of it all. Sailor Jerry isn't exactly my favorite rum, but I guess it fits the theme of the drink.
It'll put hair on your chest.

In the wine and sparkling section, the Cocktail Snob testing team perused an Airmail (Gruet Sparkling, Brugal Anejo, lime and honey) which we found to be a tasty treat, worth ordering a second time. The Rio Jockey Club (Gruet again, with pineapple, Cointreau, and Orange Bitters) seemed like it might be another winner at first, but our eventual reaction was a bit indifferent.

Finally, Violet Hour offers a dozen wines mostly in the $7 - $10 range (per glass) and another dozen beers, mostly $5 per bottle.

....and this is all from the first few of our 2007 visits.
We've been back many times and are never disappointed.

See you ~~in line~~ there!

Violet Hour Nacional 27 Weegee's Lounge
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Nacional 27
325 W. Huron St., Chicago, Illinois; (312) 664-2727
back to cocktail snob

October, 2007
v1.1

Nacional 27 is a trendy Latin restaurant in the spendy West Loop area of downtown Chicago. It has been delighting Chicago area foodies and wine fans since opening in the late 1990s. A modern-feeling dining room serves a variety of dishes inspired by adventures in South America. Live music and Salsa dancing happens in the lounge area on weekends.

The restaurant is owned by a company called Lettuce Entertain You. Lettuce owns several dozen Chicago-area restaurants, each different in vibe and approach, but all united by serving food that ranges from above average to very good. The atmosphere in many of them can be a little corporate; Lettuce-owned places will never be able to give their customers that homey warmth that comes with going into a restaurant and knowing that the owner might walk over at any minute to greet you, and that his family are all at work there.

Of all of the Lettuce restaurants, we like Nacional 27 the best, and that is because of their secret weapon, Adam Seger.

Adam is the General Manager and sommelier at Nacional 27 (the job description on his business card is "El Presidente"), and is also the designer of the cocktail menu. He has contributed to the cocktail menus of other Lettuce restaurants as well. The man has a real feel for the art of cocktails, and has advanced his craft to degrees rarely seen anywhere. Having moved past the limitations of sweet / sour / fruity / bitter, Adam is known for raiding the kitchen in order to incorporate a vast array of flavors and spices not normally found in cocktails - and with great success.

These recipes in the wrong hands might be recipes for disaster, but the man knows his flavors, his textures, and his balances, and has a real passion for booze to boot. As if that wasn't enough, he passed the Advanced Exam of the Court of Master Sommeliers in one try. (That sounds pretty serious, and very secret, and kind of creepy. If you accidentally learn their secret symbols, you'd better forget them, or else some guy is going to attack you in your sleep with a corkscrew and leave arcane symbols scrawled in Merlot on the nearest wall).

Anyway, Adam has got his bar team at Nacional 27 trained well, and this crack squadron of shaker monkeys can usually be counted upon to bring his creations to life with skill and enthusiasm. Given the South American vibe, there is an emphasis on original Tequila and Mezcal drinks, as well as a few different takes on the Mojito, Caipirinha, and yes, even Margaritas.

Blood Orange Caipirinha

Trinidad Beachcomber is a great tropical drink for $9.
Were Don the Beachcomber still alive, he'd have been proud to have come up with this drink, which is clearly named in homage to him. By the way, Don would have been 100 this past February (2007), and yes, there was a party. Speaking of celebrations, this drink needs to be celebrated in it's own right. Jeff Berry, please write book #5, and put this one in it! Trinidad Beachcomber is essentially Adam's recreation of Pimm’s Cup #4. It is tart and and refreshing (Ten Cane Rum, Grand Marnier, house-made lime aid, and of course a 'secret ingredient'... which would sort of have to be Pimm’s... right?). A few places serve the Pimm's Cup #1, but you don't see the #4 too often. That's a problem. Spread the word about this one.
I tried three of these over the course of 2007; two of them were absolutely great, and the third tasted like overly-sweetened lemonade (see above, re: "can usually be counted upon"...).

Nacional 27 keeps things lively by continually rotating their menu, including drinks made with seasonal fruits. One example from early 2008 is a Blood Orange Caipirinha, a variant on the classic made with - guess what - blood oranges. It is a completely different drink from what Caipirinha fans will be used to, but it is a beverage well worth having sampled.

We have also sampled -- several times -- the house specialty at Nacional 27, El Corazon, $12 (ask for it ‘pimped’).
The Del Maguey Co. makes a variety of Mezcals, each named for the recipes used in one of several local villages (such as Minero). Nacional's El Corazon uses the Minero Mezcal, with a passion fruit and pomegranate vibe going on, a salt and peppercorn rim, a dash of Del Maguey single billage Mezcal for that smoky flavor, and then a variable seasonal fresh fruit. This is probably a good place to mention that all of the drinks at Nacional 27 use seasonal fresh fruit from a local market. All of the herbs are grown on site in the restaurant, and a wide variety of interesting bitters are hand made by Seger. Out-freaking-standing.

Mango-Ginger Habenro

Nacional 27's Smoking Orchid is $11.
We like the rich, fruity quality. Lime, Ten Cane Rum, Aqua de Jamaica, Hibiscus infused Rum, Navan, Mezcal. Sugared glass rim.
Good stuff.
Also worth having sampled, but not our favorite, is a Mango-Ginger Habanero. This creamy drink is made with mango puree, Ten Cane rum, a dash of house-made Ginger Habanero syrup, and then Chinese five-spice along the rim of the glass. Interesting flavors, but there are others that we prefer.

Nacional 27's take on the classic Sidecar is called a Havana Sidecar ($9), and uses Gran Torres Orange Brandy (sort of combining the traditional Brandy and orange liqueur into one ingredient there), lime (replacing lemon), and Bacardi Anejo Rum. A thin sliver of lemon and another sliver of lime float in the glass, which of course has a sugared rim. This configuration actually brings the drink closer to Jeff Berry's drink, the Outrigger (see his Grog Log for details) than the traditional Sidecar, but that is no complaint - we're just sayin'. It is delicious.

On a recent visit to the bar, we were treated to the joy of finding Adam in a creative mood, and he shared some of his current projects with us. First is a berry imported from South America called acai. This obscure fruit has antioxidant properties that put even pomegranate to shame. It inspired Seger to develop an organic, healthy cocktail (if such a thing is possible, he is the man to do it). Combining the acai with organic Tequila and a few ingredients that we won't reveal until he nails down a solid recipe, the man is on the right track towards another winner. The tentative name: Look Better Naked Margarita!
(Update: As of January 2008, it is on the menu).

Another improv that needs to be added to the Nacional 27 menu (and/or your menu at home) is a Brazilian Southside. This is essentially a Gin Mojito with added acai, garnished with a healthy sprig of mint and a thin slice of sugar cane. Adam told us that Cocktail Snob were the first people to try this one, and it is an honor to have inaugurated such a tasty treat. Hopefully, we'll see that one on the permanent menu soon.
(Update: As of January 2008, it is on the menu).

Weegee's Lounge

3659 W Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL 60647; (773) 384-9423

back to cocktail snob

October, 2007
v1.0

Weegee's lounge was opened in mid--2006 by Alex Huebner, in Chicago's slightly rough Logan Square neighborhood. Like the work of the bar's namesake - Arthur "Weegee" Fellig, a famous 1940s street photographer - there is a gritty feel to the neighborhood. This may actually enhance the flavor of the bar, which feels vaguely retro without going over the top or hammering customers over the head with a "look how vintage-hipster we are" attitude. Still, the photo booth, the shuffleboard game, the Weegee photos on the walls, and a giant antique photo enlarger all make Weegee's feel sufficiently mid-century. Huebner was once a photography student himself, so the choice of theme seems relevant. The vibe is made complete by a restored tin ceiling, classic Baldwin back bar, and the soundtrack of terrific classic jazz records that are never too loud. I think that if the real Arthur Fellig's photos and name were not plastered up in the place, he might have felt comfortable sitting in this bar, after working the crime photo beat in this neighborhood.

We've had good, if occasionally standoffish, service from a few different bartenders, but if you manage to make it to Weegee's on a night when Alex himself is manning the vintage mahogany bar, then you're in for a treat. Alex has filled a sorely missing void in the Chicago area, which is a bar that serves high quality classic cocktails, but in a low-key, unpretentious neighborhood bar atmosphere. Unlike Nacional 27 and Violet Hour - two other Chicago bars that the Cocktail Snob adores - Weegees has a casual midwest corner bar feeling to it, while still insisting on serving high-end cocktails. Their wine and beer lists are also impressive.

Most of Weegees drinks are in the $7 to $9 range, with a few peaking at up to $11.
We recently sampled their take on a Sazerac - soon to be added to their official menu - and were not disappointed. Alex used excellent rye, exactly the right amount of that oh-so-dangerous Pernod, and muddled an orange slice with some sugar until it was quite sufficiently pulverized.

Laird's Applejack and locally produced maple syrup are complimented by a touch of orange and a peel of lemon in Weegee's version of the Jack Rabbit.

Their Martinis are perfect, naturally, but our only real disappointment was that they used sour mix instead of fresh lemon juice in the Sidecar that we sampled.

Overall, we're going to put the cocktails at Weegee's at a notch below Nacional 27 and Violet Hour, but it should be noted that this also puts Weegee's about five notches above most of the other bars in town. Any town.

If you want very good cocktails in a vintage 1940s-feeling Chicago neighborhood environment (and really, don't we all?), Weegee's is strongly recommended.

Bonus points: No television, Savoy and Trader Vic's books behind the bar.

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In Fine Spirits

5418 (shop) - 5420 (bar) N. Clark St., Chicago, Illinois; (773) 334-9463

This Andersonville wine shop with adjacent bar was founded by Jill and Shane Kissack in 2004, with Johnnie Grozenski and Paul Hasenwinkel joining the partnership in 2007 to develop the bar half of things. The bar is a large and spacious place with a long bar, a dozen tables, and - of course - a great wine list. Their cocktail menu is several pages long and is also rather detailed.

I first visited in late 2008, and although that first visit to IFS was disappointing, I have since returned a half-dozen times throughout 2009, and have been served fantastic drinks every time. IFS has earned my respect and loyalty slowly, but extremely solidly.

During my first two visits of 2009, I was unable to get a seat at the bar either time, but perhaps this ended up being a good thing: on both occasions my waitress was the efficient, friendly, and adorable Erin D. The drinks she brought Gal Friday Night and I were made by the service bartender, whose name was Anne. All of Anne's libations are (within Chicago) second only to Violet Hour's drinks, and as such IFS has been rising to to top of my must-visit Chicago bars list fairly quickly.

One visit included:
Aviation - this classic was the weakest of the five that we tried this night; it was a little overshaken (watery) with too many ice chips floating in it.
Manhattan - a rock solid rendition of the old standby.
Deshler - Benchmark bourbon, Lillet Rouge, Prunier liqueur d'Orange, and Peychaud's bitters. Carefully built so as not to overwhelm the bourbon, the Lillet and orange balance nicely.
Old Fashioned - another standard, this one was dense, weighty, and proportioned just right.
de Amor - hibiscus-infused Pueblo Viejo Blanco tequila, Damiana (a herbal-based liqueur from Mexico), vanilla, lime, egg white, bitters. Carefully balanced and as delicate a tequila drink as you'll find.
All of these drinks were either $8.50 or $9. We also had a "pick three" cheese plate, which included hopelessly tiny portions of three artesianal cheeses for $15. The drinks were worth the price (which is a hair less than the going rate for a quaff of this quality), but the cheese plate could have been a touch more substantial. That said, the bites o' frommage were quite interesting and went well with the booze choices.

The following visit included similar drink choices but fewer notes; my only real gripe was that this place can get impossibly loud, even though the music levels are always reasonable and the crowd are not rowdy. The customers at In Fine Spirits tend to be mature and well-behaved, but a lack of sorely needed acoustic treatment means that even on a moderately busy night, it is difficult to hear someone sitting across one of the smallish tables. It can in fact be uncomfortably noisy in there as everyone fights to be heard above each other.

During several further visits, I had the pleasure of sitting at the bar and being served by the head mixologist, Benjamin Schiller. His creations have convinced me that In Fine Spirits makes the best drinks of any bar north of North Ave. in Chicago. Although the Andersonville nieghborhood is infrequently visited by tourists, the strip of Clark St. just north and just south of Foster Ave., is a thriving nightlife area for locals. In addition to IFS, beer lovers cannot miss Chicago's premeir brew destination, The Hopleaf (5148 N. Clark St.), or any of the two dozen good restaurants along this stretch of road.

The Whistler (The Whistle Stop)

2421 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, Illinois; (773) 227-3530

This is a small bar meets art gallery meets live music venue which opened in the early autumn of 2008.
A new site-specific art installation is unveiled in the front display window every two months. Musical acts on the small stage are alternated with local DJs. It is easy for volume to get way out of control in a room as small as this one (it feels crowded at half of its maximum capacity of 74, but at least there is a patio that holds another fifty in Chicago's brief annual temperate period). But when I visited the act playing was a solo fella who was a sort of Woody Guthrie cum early Bob Dylan sort of chap, and wasn't too overbearing.
The Whistler never charges a cover for this entertainment, and the cocktails are priced relatively reasonably at $8. The usual array of microbrews (mostly $5-$6) and ironic PBR (still only $2) is also available; the crowd I observed seemed equally interested in both ends of the spectrum. Said crowd is mostly skinny guys in their late twenties with a lot of facial hair posing with their arty Logan Square girlfriends.

The cocktail menu usually contains about eight drinks at a time, and is a mix of classics like Sazerac, Hemingway, or Blood and Sand with house creations like Hibiscus Sour and Violette Fizz. I tried the Hemingway and the Hibiscus Sour. The latter uses a house-made hibiscus syrup with Maker's Mark and fresh lemon. I found the Maker's and lemon to be predominant, with the hibiscus barely present. I would have upped it a bit. The Hemingway (Matusalem rum, fresh grapefruit, and maraschino liqueur) was a bit more precisely balanced, but is a bit sweet for my personal taste.

My bartender was friendly and enthusiastic about his craft.
This is one to watch: as long as the place doesn't become overcrowded and unpleasantly noisy (both risks), the combination of art, music, and cocktails in an unpretentious environment is an exciting proposition. I hope it succeeds.

Motel Bar

600 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, Illinois; (773) 227-3530

Motel bar is a relaxed and only modestly trendy bar, which also serves a menu of elevated bar food. The interior has an essence of mid-century modern retroness to it, but without being too heavy-handed or too obsessively committed to the theme. Vintage motel memorabilia adds to the vibe; sports television and prodigious amounts of exposed ductwork detract from it.

Owner Hubie and bartender Chris are committed to serving cocktails in keeping with the theme of the bar, and as such they are happy to serve a Harvey Wallbanger, a Blood and Sand, a French 75, a Gimlet, or a Rob Roy, prepared in keeping with the classic recipes, and untainted by modern twists on the themes -- or by the chronic indifference that is exhibited in the sad majority of other bars.

Gal Friday night and I tried a classic pairing: a Sidecar and a Sazerac. Both contained Pierre Ferrand Ambre; the Sidecar (naturally) also contained Cointreau and fresh lemon juice, while the Saz was completed with Wild Turkey, Ricard, and Angostura bitters. We finished with a Singapore Sling made with Hendricks Gin, Cointreau, B & B, pineapple, grenadine, fresh lime, Angostura bitters, and club soda.

The Sling and the Sazerac were very good, mixed carefully and with attention to detail. The Sidecar was made with the same care, but somehow didn't impress quite as much. Not sure why, since Chris seems knowledgeable and enthusiastic about keeping these classics alive. A momentary slip-up, I am convinced.

We also sampled the hummus plate ($8) and the grilled Yellowtail sandwich ($12). The food was fresh, tasty, and served in nice portions, but contained no real surprises. Thus it matches the drinks - neither food nor beverage are innovative, but both are familiar fare prepared with quality.

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Sepia

123 N Jefferson St. (between Adams St & Monroe St), Chicago, IL; (312) 441-1920

Sepia is a stylish west Loop restaurant that showcases a collection of century-old Chicago memorabilia. Sepia, as the name implies, has a warm and woody atmosphere. It is a bit on the spendy side, but does not feel stiff or snooty. Until recently, the person in charge of the cocktail program was a big fan of infusions, but was not much for careful preservation of the classics. This changed in February, 2009 when a new head bartender took over, having newly arrived in Chicago from Australia by way of Vancouver.

Committed to doing things properly, our bar host for the night served us Dale DeGroff's Sazerac variant, the Sazerac Royale (Sazerac rye, Herbsiant wash, sugar, Peychaud's bitters, and cognac - didn't catch the brand; $10). It was quite a solid drink, so Gal Friday Night and I moved on to a Monk's Daiquiri (Cockspur rum, yellow Chartreuse, grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup; $10). Crisp and well-balanced. One must love that Cockspur rum, no? Having just spent time in Canada, our mixologist insisted that we try a Toronto, a simple drink, but an effective one when made properly, as this one was (Rittenhouse rye, Fernet, and a dribble of simple syrup, just enough to take the edge off). He also recommended an untitled combo of Old Raj gin, green Chartreuse, and lemon in equal parts... sort of a Last Word without the cherry flavor and with a specific gin in mind. We'll give that one a go next time... and perhaps we'll try the food at Sepia then too!

More in Chicago...

Flo
1434 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL; (312) 243-0477

Autumn 2008
v1.0
Flo is a casual and slightly rustic-feeling restaurant on the rapidly trendi-fying strip of Chicago Ave. between Milwaukee and Damen.
On board with the cocktail revival, Flo's ownership enthusiastically mixed up a trio of cocktails for Gal Friday Night and myself. The Mississippi Mule ($8), Caipirinha ($9), and Hennessey Side Car ($9) were all well-balanced and true to the classic recipes.
More restaurant than bar, the South American-influenced Flo served us a portabella quesadilla ($7.95), and a Brazilian bowl (a sort of South American stew; $7.95) and we were pleased with both.
At Flo's price point, the food is better than it might otherwise be. Although nothing at Flo is overwhelmingly good, nothing was disappointing either. A casual meal with good drinks at a reasonable price is a hard thing to come by, so we'll be back.

The Green Mill

4802 N. Broadway, Chicago, Illinois; (773) 878-5552

October, 2007

v1.0

The Green Mill is an historic Uptown bar that was once owned by Al Capone's lieutenants. The bar opened in 1907, but had fallen into disrepair by 1986. At that time, Dave Jemilo bought it and restored the Capone-era decor. Now, the spruced-up Green Mill offers live jazz seven nights a week.

Although the period decor is often associated with cocktails, and although some people claim to enjoy the drinks at the Green Mill, I find them to be average at best. The staff there - from doormen to barmen - are universally surly and/or arrogant. I stopped going there a number of years ago, tired of paying too much money for indifferent drinks in an unfriendly atmosphere.

There are other historic lounges in Chicago, there are other jazz bars in Chicago, and there are other cocktail bars in Chicago. However: the Green Mill offers all of these things at once. So, if you're visiting Chicago this mix of history, a wide array of talented jazz players, and restored 1930s murals make it worth a peek.

Pump Room

Ambassador East Hotel, 1301 N. State Parkway, Chicago, Illinois; (312) 266-0360

October, 2007

v1.0

The legendary and no longer elegant Pump Room has been a staple of Chicago night life since 1938. It was the haunt of visiting west coast celebrities for half a century, as evidenced by hundreds of framed 8x10 glossies covering three huge walls. Unfortunately, the grandeur and class that the Pump Room once symbolized has slid into squalor over the decades, and as of my last (I do mean last, not 'most recent') visit there (December 2006) it was a mess.

None of the bartenders had ever even heard of a Sazerac or a Rob Roy, the place was stinky and run down feeling, and I was told that all of the classic photos were being permanently removed just a few weeks later in preparation for a full renovation.

I guess it is good that they're fumigating the place, but with the photos all gone, the complete cluelessness of the staff, and the final removal of any furniture or decor evocative of mid-century style, there is no longer any reason at all to visit the Pump Room.

Redhead Piano Bar

16 W. Ontario St., Chicago, Illinois; (312) 640-1000

October, 2007

v1.0

Spotting the Redhead while striding tipsily down Ontario Street, it seems as though the place could not fail to be amazing. From the cool 1960s winking cutie on the sign, to the dark garden doorway (that means a few steps below street level, in Chicago parlance), the stage is set for a classic.

Inside, things aren't as red hot as you might hope. The decor is a bit renovated-in-the-1980s, the cocktails are expensive and nothing special, and it all feels a bit run down. Perhaps you wouldn't want to see the place when the lights came on. The crowd will be almost exclusively tourists.

That said, the piano players are uniformly good to great (try to show up when Phil Baron is on the ivories - currently late-night on Tuesdays... you've got nowhere else to be then), occasional singers spice things up, people usually seem to be having fun, the wait staff are usually attractive, and a dress code is enforced - so the Redhead is making some effort.

Better cocktails would go a long way... but isn't that the case everywhere?

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