Chicago might be second city to the big guys, but hey, at least we've got Goose Island beer. Our very own brew pub serves up award-winning brews, with 13 on tap that vary by season. Brewer Will Turner's many-splendored brews include Naughty Goose (winner of a gold medal at the 2004 Great American Beer Festival), Midway IPA (Goose Island's number one pale ale seller by volume), the Chicago-favorite Honkers and Old Abernation Barley Wine, which checks in at 8.8 percent alcohol by volume. Under-age patrons can enjoy Goose Island sodas (choose from root beer, diet root beer, orange cream and grape) that are imported from the main brewery in southwest Chicago.

Though you can get a peek at the big brew tanks through a window by the entrance, the 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon brewery tours provide an even better look. For $5, a brewer will give you the skinny on everything you always wanted to know about how Goose Island brews their beer. The tours last about an hour, depending on the crowd, and your $5 includes a tasting session, which lasts for at least a half hour, if not longer; it takes a while to sample all the beers on tap.

But not all the attention is thrust upon beer: Goose Island's chicken wings and chicken tenders have garnered awards at Wingfest, and the BBQ pulled pork sandwich, chicken pot pie, fish and chips and chili are equally well loved. The weekend brunch serves the pancake classics, plus creative dishes like spring onion and goat cheese spoon bread, a layering of eggs, scallions, sour cream and goat cheese on sourdough bread.

Centerstage Reviewer: Stephanie Sims