Chicago, Illinois

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*** Dinner ***

• Ada Street - Stuck between a weathered wooden portal and a truck-wide corrugated metal entryway, this sexy boîte somehow fits right in. A maze of brick-lined hallways leads to the dining room, in all its rugged glory. A foodie haven. <chicagomag>
• The Drawing Room - Trendy, but more high-end hip than hipster.  Small contemporary American plates by a James Beard award winning chef.
• Lokal - Edgy, urban vibe offers up creative takes on comfort food.
• Publican - The large open space bustles with communal tables and 90+ beers on tap.  Charcuterie, oysters, etc.
• Rustic House - Dimly-lit and covered in woods, from the floors to the furniture, RH features bare walls, candle-topped “chandeliers" and a small bar that serves a full menu. A romantic-yet-lively place, its dishes are “rustic,” too, from whole farm chickens to suckling pigs and Maple Leaf duck slow-roasted in a glassed-in rotisserie oven that's visible from the dining room. <gayot>
• Storefront Company -  Locally sourced farm-to-table meals in a high-end setting in in Wicker Park’s famed Flat Iron Building
• Tavernita - Trendy restaurant offering Latin(ish) dishes and kegged cocktails (yes). Wood trimmed dining room, big lights and checked floor. Have a drink at Barcito, next door, before or after.
• The Trenchermen - Trenchermen means "one who enjoys eating and drinking in excess." So on the menu, progressive dishes borrow from all that is natural and holistic at an accessible price point. Cool decor, too. <metromix>
• Urban Union - The narrow space, anchored by a wood-hearth oven, is warm and unpretentious. New American small plates (with seafood and vegetables outnumbering meats) offered alongside craft cocktails.

*** Cocktails ***

• Aviary - This "cocktail theater" offers ridiculously, incredibly, intricately hand-crafted pieces of art (cocktails) served up in a swanky setting. Make a reservation!  Do it. 
  
• Bar Deville - cozy, speakeasy style with flea market-esque furniture
• Barcito - the party never stops at this bar next to the trendy Tavernita restaurant (see dinner)
• Barrelhouse Flat - A sprawling cocktail menu including house creations and punches by the pitcher or bowl is offered alongside haute New American bar plates at this midpriced Lincoln Park hot spot; patrons can choose between the casual, convivial first floor bearing booths, barstools and Edison bulbs, or head upstairs to the intimate lounge with plush seating, vintage-inspired wallpaper and a pool table. <zagat>
• The Bristol - At this intimate neighborhood place the charcuterie menu's up on the rotating chalkboard, but if you have a 4+ party the food's going to end up on the communal table. <blackbook>
• Scofflaw - Expect a ramshackle farm-meets-parlor vibe – complete with tractor seat barstools, ornate settees and intimate nooks – at this Logan Square drinking den with pubby small plates and modern, carefully crafted cocktails sipped before a roaring fireplace or in sweeping, semicircular booths. <zagat>
• Telegraph Wine Bar - cozy, chic date spot
• The Office - An invite-only, super-exclusive den of strange potions, handcrafted elixirs and the occasional bottle of 60-year-old Irish whiskey. Located in The Aviary's basement. <urbandaddy>
• Untitled - Untitled takes after Prohibition-era speakeasies - meaning low profile, low light, craft cocktails, champagne and secret entrances. It doubles as a supper club serving burgers and chops, and regularly features live music. For a "speakeasy," the space should feel anything but quaint, clocking in at 18,000 square feet with a hidden outdoor patio planned along Carroll Street. The restaurant space is divided in several different rooms, including a "library" with velvet booths and a separate lounge with a 30-foot bar.<metromix>
• The Violet Hour - Don't order a vodka cran at this swanky joint where adventurous imbibers savor exceptional drinks; exaggerated furnishings and drapery enhance the seductive speakeasy feel (and keep the noise level to a hush). Worth the line. <zagat>

*** Brunch ***

• Publican - see dinner
• Kingsbury Street Café - This serene, art-filled cafe serves affordable American and Eclectic sandwiches, salads eggs and more for breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch, along with fruit coolers, proprietary house-blend coffee, craft beer and cocktails; simple modern furnishings fill the former carriage horse stables, now outfitted with a pastry case and seasonal outdoor seating. <zagat>
• Storefront Company - see dinner
• Lokal - - see dinner

*** Hotels ***

• Public