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Paulina

Out on the town, West Lakeview style.

Thursday Mar 10, 2005.     By Centerstage Chicago Staff

Lifestyle Feed

Sentences involving "late-night" and "Lakeview" generally conjure up images of Clark Street's bars and restaurants. Go west, young man. The Ashland/Belmont/Lincoln hub houses quieter sidewalks lined with places for eats and beats. From value-priced sushi to reputable live music venues to 2 a.m. burrito houses made for post-bar munching, west of Ashland has never been so hip.

Panhandler rating: Very rarely.
Safety rating: Lakeview gets quieter as you go west; there' no need to look over your shoulder.

Best of the nighttime world
Gunther Murphy's
Simplicity and a certain amount of laissez-faire make Gunther Murphy's a comfortable place to sip a drink with pals and see your favorite local band play. Its plain-faced style and agreeable service divert attention away from itself, to the benefit of performers. A minimally expressed Irish pub theme colors the bar area, with candlelight and a fireplace warming the atmosphere. Stool-warmers, a wide-screen TV and friendly barkeeps give the place a relaxed attitude, amid a tidy austerity that defies the label "dive." The partitioned venue space is small, sparsely decorated and well managed by skillful sound technicians. Its bills feature new and established local acts, with a variety that keeps the listening crowd shifting from one night to the next.

On the other hand, the bar maintains a wholesome and unique cast of weekly traditions. The band Leadfoot plays a no-cover bluegrass show every Sunday. Monday nights showcase the bar's on-tap Guinness at $3 per glass, and an Old Style can be had for $2. For the adventurous, or perhaps nostalgic, there are bean-bag tournaments every Tuesday (think Skee-Ball crossed with hacky-sack), and of course, more drink specials.

Late-night locale
Picante (Lincoln)
Picante's menu looks deceptively simple. Burritos, tacos, tamales, quesadillas, tortas and fajitas appear in the usual varieties, no surprises, right? Well, once you get a taste of the cooking at these tiny joints (there's also a Wicker Park location), you'll realize you're a long way from the usual.

The best seller is the white boy taco, which has all the components of the cafeteria tacos you can't erase from your middle school memories (hard shell, ground beef, lettuce, tomato, cheddar), but tastes fantastic. All the wrapped goodies come with fresh lime and hot or mild salsa on the side. The best deal is the pinto box, offered 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, which includes three tacos of your choice, rice and beans and a can of soda for $6.25. But the best deal is Picante's late weekend hours, as well as its proximity to popular bars.

Dinner-date destination
kite mandarin & sushi
Spanking new Kite is an extremely welcome addition to the Lincoln Avenue sushi scene. These kids seem to have the formula down, offering delicious sushi and heavenly Mandarin Chinese food, a BYOB policy and a jumbo, flawlessly prepared crab rangoon ($4.75) appetizer. That's step one: If you can rock out some awesome rangoon, then you're probably around for the long haul.

How can you go wrong with impeccable sushi that's cheap, healthy and tasty? Bottom line is, you can't. The spicy shrimp tempura roll ($5.95) is massive, perfectly rolled and chock full of delicate fried shrimp, while the sweet unagi cucumber roll ($4.95) puts most others around the block to shame. Nothing too offbeat comes out of the kitchen here; almost all the dishes are pretty standard in name, but it's the extraordinarily clean flavor of each dish that'll have the herds of folks who love simple sushi and mouthwatering Chinese food rushing back for more. The lighting is low, the tables are evenly spaced, the staff is friendly and the price is right.

Where to chill
Hungry Brain
Something about Hungry Brain (aside from its glorious name) elicits quiet conversation among friends, rather than the craned-neck and roving-eye standard of most bars. But if your eyes do feel like roaming, the large, dimly lit room is sufficiently peppered with stimulating vintage quirks like ceramic brains, funky lamps, two pinball machines and comfy sofas. Bring your quarters: Jukebox connoisseur friends of mine consider Hungry Brain’s music selection to be one of the most eclectic finds in the city. Perhaps not so much of a secret (but still the dear of connoisseurs) is the bar’s occasional jazz performances, which are staged in the elevated front corner; the well-established Transmission Series features improvised music on Sunday nights.

But beyond the curiously fun yet humble digs is the true reason to visit any tavern: remarkably inexpensive libations. Its shelves boast a straight-forward, familiar selection. Stop looking for the martini list; here, some of the city's cheapest nightly beer specials reign. The bartenders are notorious for pouring it on strong, so belly up to the long bar and hope that your brain is feeling hungry, not miserably hung-over, tomorrow morning. (Sarah Pearl)

In-the-know spot
House of Sushi & Noodles
It's time to rethink your definition of "buffet." Belgian waffles and overly yellow eggs give way to the ultimate in on-to-the-third-round eating: the sushi buffet. House of Sushi & Noodles does it right, meaning A) it serves more than cucumber maki and B) the all-you-can-eat deal is available at both lunch and dinner. There are some rules to keep in mind. It's $12.95 per person, minimum two people; each diner orders two maki at a time and must clear his plate before ordering more, at which time all buffet eaters need to order two. More simply, you and your date get four rolls, and have to get four or nothing if you want more (there's a fee if you don't finish).

Choose from reassuringly fresh options like Mexico maki (tuna, avocado, cilantro, jalapeno and cucumber) Santa Fe maki (shrimp tempura with lettuce, avocado, tobiko, cucumber and spicy sauce) and Florida maki (smoked salmon, cream cheese, tempura batter, tobiko, avocado, cucumber and mayo).