Centerstage - Chicago's Original City Guide

Articles Sections >> Arts + Words Bars + Clubs Dating Festivals Fitness Food Lifestyle Music Theater Travel + Tourism Who's Who > View All Cheap Thrills Green Thumb

Damen (Blue)

And then there's more.

Monday Sep 05, 2005.     By Centerstage Staff

Lifestyle Feed

Just when we've got Wicker Park covered, new doors burst open. Francesca's Forno has finally dressed up the gaping hole left by Soul Kitchen, Romeo Romeo dishes its new take on caprese salad and former Mod lovers wait with fingers crossed in anticipation of coming-soon inhabitant del Toro. But hold your horses. There are a few newbies and some long-term residents (we use long-term loosely) that deserve your attention…or at least notice.

Safety rating: Watch your wallet. It's far too easy to lay down a Benjamin on dinner at this intersection.

Panhandler rating: Nothing that truly qualifies as harassment.

Where to chill
Big Horse Lounge
I have seen many dive bars in my day, and I've even pub-crawled through a few. The genre covers everything from a quiet watering hole to deep, dark hole-in-the-wall. Lying behind a tiny taqueria, the Big Horse Lounge resembles something of a backroom bar in Mexico. Come in the afternoon and you'll find yourself alone, taking in Tejano or maybe the Gypsy Kings with owner Armando Enriquez.

Band stickers mottle the ramshackle bar, put there by struggling groups of every stripe who have braved the Horse for little reason other than face time. The big draw at the Big Horse can be summed up in two words: cheap sauce. The music can be unpredictable, but $2 Pabst, $3-$4 beers and $4 mixed drinks are always on the bill. Cuervo shots are the only special (not to mention the only tequila) at $2 each, and nothing comes on tap.

Arena for the a.m.
Bongo Room
A study in contrasts, the Bongo Room takes what's best of urban and rustic and crunches it into a tiny, hipster masterpiece: think pistachio painted walls meets exposed brick meets experimental artwork meets fuzzy murals of fruit. Even with Tupac on the stereo and a line out the door, this places oozes tranquility.

Cherries jubilee French toast, one of the many unusual breakfast items here, combines caramelized brioche with dark cherry compote and vanilla bean ice cream. Bongo Room also does wonders in the egg department. The breakfast burrito with cilantro, jalapenos and scallions is a gooey work of art which, when combined with the croissant sandwich, covers almost every breakfast item in the northern hemisphere (muenster cheese and hollandaise anyone?). Fun specials such as the raspberry lemon pancakes may be a bit too sweet for some, but the Bongo Room's excellent coffee works as a nice counterbalance.

Late-night locale
Celebrity
If the beautiful people out there need one more place to see and be seen, step into Celebrity. On any given Saturday, 600+ patrons swarm the club for what could be a Stoli commercial. Flicks rotate on dual flat screens above the black tile bar, unless a game is on. Barkeeps say that if the Sox make the playoffs, you can forget about the music, too. Guest DJs drop in regularly, and during Monday night football a jersey-sporting staff plans to sling fifty-cent sloppy joes.

Celebrity takes pride in $10 specialties such as "The Perfect Drink," "The Signature Summer Drink" and "The Trashy Drink," which lives up to its name by muddling oranges in lemonade shaken with Makers Mark and topped with Miller High Life. Other mixed drinks run $5-$8 with beers from $3-$5, though those short on scratch can still get by on $10 forties and $2 cans of Hamm's. You'd be wise to soak up that St. Ides with a few mini tacos, quesadillas or grilled shrimp skewers before you go.

For the artiste
Around the Coyote Gallery
Though scarcely visible at street level, North Avenue's new Around the Coyote Gallery is a must-see: It could soon be leader of the Wicker Park pack. Nudged tightly between the Asrai Garden floral shop and Casa del Tobacco, the gallery is all too easily overlooked by passers-by. Those who seek it out, though, are in for a treat: professional artwork one can feel especially good about patronizing.

Through the sale of works and rental of its 2400 sq. ft. space, the not-for-profit gallery raises funds for Around the Coyote's festival and year-round programs. However, the gallery and its namesake festival are not synonymous. The two unite but twice per year, when the gallery hosts the Curators' Choice shows, featuring the curatorial picks of the seasonal, local art fairs. The rest of the time it's open season for artwork from across the nation and beyond. Anyone may propose and curate a show, and all media are eligible.

Best of the nighttime world
Parlor American
As Wicker Park artists make way for BMWs and baby buggies, Parlor American appears with a similar mix of traditional fare and upscale aspirations. Call the concept high-end home-style, and call it popular, as the restaurant already does brisk business in Soju's old location. At first glance the menu reads like Country Kitchen 101, with hearty classics like meatloaf, burgers, mac and cheese and pork and beans.

Keep reading though and discover such scintillating selections as broiled tomatoes, chilled mint cucumber soup and a pan-roasted chicken breast dressed in blueberries and sprinkled with spiced pecans. A hefty filet mignon in veal sauce practically melts before it hits the mouth, and the double-cut, smoked pork chop bathed in cherry brandy sauce sweetly surpasses all expectations. Doughnut fans swear by the revamped comfort food classic of Krispy Kreme bread pudding, but for a real experiment in dapper down-home, try chasing those chicken and waffles with one of Parlor's 50 wines.

Cheap eats
Taco Cafe
The very clean and smoke-free interior of Taco Cafe immediately impresses. Even more impressive, though, are the mostly-less-than-$5 tacos, tostadas, quesadillas and tortas that pack the menu. From there, you have your choice of four fillings: carne asada (steak) and pollo (chicken), followed by his good pal chorizo (sausage) and their worthy adversary, the veggie filling. Though I would imagine that all of Taco Cafe's fillings are good, the carne asada that I tried was friggin divine.

Opt for one of two preparation methods: the American way, which consists of lettuce, tomato, cheese and hot sauce; or the Mexicano way, which has all of those other bits, along with cilantro and onions. Either way, it's a trip to deliciousville. To top off your visit, try the flan or cap things off with a tasty Jarritos or horchata.