Nomad - Chicago, IL
This was my first Nomad trip for Bartist to explore non-local bar scenes. I arrived early morning Thursday, May 22nd, and didn’t skip a beat. After arrival I got my weekly Ventra pass to ride the Chicago Lines throughout the city. I rode the Blue line to Logan square, where I met my good friend Patrick. After he met me we started to explore the city and he wanted to show me some prime spots in Chicago.
THURSDAY
We started Thursday at Collectivo, a nice coffee shop near Patrick’s apartment. We then went to Estereo, off of north Milwaukee, which was a craft cocktail place disguised as a corner diver bar with open garage style doors all the way around. I had one of the featured cocktails, which was made with Singani 63. The bartender was talking about the recent craze for it and how she loved making drinks with it. We then did a shot together. (Cheers!)
We decided it was lunch time after hitting some vintage stores and comic shops (there’s so many in this city). We headed to Big Star, which is known for its tacos and whiskey selection and specials. They had an amazing deal on Four Roses shots, so we had to dabble in a few, while enjoying a nice pint of Texas style lager. The best thing to follow early afternoon whiskey shots is more shots, but of espresso. We stopped by Wormhole Coffee for some espresso and mid 80’s nostalgia. There was a real DeLorean on display there! We decided to stop home and change our attire for the night, as it was rather hot from walking around.
After changing we went to Parson’s Café, home of the original frozen Negroni. We stopped in for a quick Negroni and to hang with all the dogs on the patio. Seriously, Chicago is so dog friendly, its amazing! Deciding it was time for my first Chicago meal we went to Small Cheval so I could try this burger everyone raves about. It did not let me down, especially for it being a fast-casual dining spot. I tried the Sweet Tea Old Fashioned on tap and it was delicious with the juicy, dripping burger. Right next door is Royal Palm Shuffleboard Club off Milwaukee Avenue. Its an awesome place with shuffleboards, a full liquor bar, and great happy hour specials. They had a frozen Painkiller for happy hour and it hit the spot after a round of shuffleboard. We stopped for a quick beer at Piece Brewery and then headed back to Logan Square. We went to Best Intentions because I had to try their Angostura Bitters shots on draft for 4$! It had the aesthetic of a New Orleans style pub inside with an awesome balcony with a separate bar. We stayed there for a few hours before hitting Scofflaw and calling it a night. Scofflaw was right around the corner from his place so it was a nice night cap. I tried one of their Amaro forward cocktails and finished it was a shot of Scofflaw’s Gin with the bartender. A perfect ending to the first day.
FRIDAY
Started off Friday morning at Nini’s Deli with their Extra Large Ice Coffee with Whipped Cream and their breakfast burrito. The portions were huge and the taste was just right for a hangover. The guy at the counter, NAME, son of owners was such a delight I’d go back just to see him! I was then heading to meet pat for a drink around 2pm in the heart of the city. I met him at South Branch Tavern and paid way too much for an overly sweetened drink, but it was outside his work so it was a convenient first stop. We then went to Pink Taco for some lunch and tequila. I got the fish tacos and the spicy mezcal cocktail on their menu. The décor inside was pretty hip but a little too pink. Patrick’s lady wanted to go to Hampton’s Social Club so we obliged. She insisted on the Frozen Rose. Even though I knew I wouldn’t like it, I ordered it, and boy was I right. It was very sugary with a sugar rim. Although that may be for some people, it is not my jam!
Following the let downs for the start of the day we continued to stop by Dark Matter Coffee for some mid-day coffee and to relax and decide our next moves. We went to Broken Shaker next and this was an awesome turn to the day. The bartenders were awesome, friendly, and informative of Chicago specific cocktails and spirits. I got to sample 2 Chicago Fernets and enjoyed two cocktails while there. The next stop was Moonlighter for a beer and a bar snack. We then got ready and went to Violet Hour where we had reservations for dinner. We all enjoyed 4 different drinks and got to try a wide assortment of cocktails. After dinner we hit up Emporium for some Craft beers and video games. There was pool, air hockey, pac-man, you name it! We stayed here for a while and really enjoyed the atmosphere. We ended our night at The Owl, dancing in a drunken haze (don’t worry we Uber’d everywhere). After that we grabbed some Chicago street dogs right outside of The Owl (smart thinking) and headed home.
SATURDAY
We started the day, extremely hungover, so it obviously called for brunch being it was Saturday. We went to Beatnik to try their nationally known brunch and it was pretty good. The food portions were a little light but the taste was awesome. We ended up ordering a few more items than normal and even tried their draft and daily cocktails. We then went to Bottled Blonde to watch some European Football and drink some beers. The bartender wasn’t the nicest, but the place seemed brand new. I would give it a second try. It’s a higher ended sports bar, but lots of TVs and bar snacks.
After that we hit my favorite spot of the trip, Three Dots & A Dash. Three Dots is a tiki-style bar, globally known, with their own tiki mugs, merchandise, and ever changing cocktail menu. The bartenders were awesome, accommodating, and friendly. We ended the day with some Fernet shots with the staff and headed to The Boiler Room. We got a “PB&J”, which was a slice of pizza, a beer, and a shot of Jameson Irish Whisky for 6 dollars. Quite the deal!
We decided to go to Ground Control to try some vegan cuisine and because they featured a beet burger (I love beets!). The food was good and the service was quick. We then went to Billy Sunday to explore their extensive Fernet list. We tried a wide variety of Fernets older than both of us combined. We ended up lapping back to Scofflaw and The Owl before calling it a night. The owl is how we ended most of the nights, following some hot dogs outside the bar.
SUNDAY
Today was a day we decided to chill and just grab lunch and bloody mary’s from Wyler Road. The food was gready and delicious and the drinks were strong. We then stopped by the class Logan Theatre to see the décor and see a movie. After the movie we went to Lemming’s to meet some of his friends. We had a few drinks there to start the night and then called an uber for Lost Lake. Lost Lake was an awesome tiki-style bar with a great cocktail list and cool décor.
After a quick bite and cocktail we went to Slippery Slope. It was overcrowded and smelled like sweat so we left and went to the Pink Squirrel. The pink squirrel had miniature bowling inside and a small 7-8 person bar top. It was fun to get great cocktails and play some games. We then headed to The Owl to finish the night with some shots and some street hot dogs.
All in all it was an amazing trip and a strongly suggest anyone itching for a place to visit to check out Chicago. Their cocktails, food, and locals are what make the city one of my favorite spots to head for a getaway. There are so many places I was unable to make on this trip, but I plan on returning and recording that trip as well. I highly recommend going for longer than 4 days in order to check all the spots out in time, otherwise make it a trip to come to once in a while and slowly mark off the cool spots.