Chicago has plenty of bars, from speakeasies to gastropubs to wine bars and more.
Of the many establishments, some are especially extraordinary, at least according to some. Three Chicago bars recently made Esquire’s list of America’s Best Bars, all for different reasons.
Esquire editors seem to have been so impressed that they singled out a Chicago spot at the top. Meadowlark, described as an old library-like spot in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood in the article’s introduction, offers an avian-themed cocktail menu, with “each drink intended to resemble a specific feathered friend.”
This is what made Meadowlark and the other two Chicago establishments stand out, based on reviews.
After Lounge – 1338 W. Fulton St. – West Loop
“Like Ever, chef Curtis Duffy and Michael Muser’s epic tasting menu experience, After feels like an inner sanctum of tasteful delight, if a little more relaxing: After all, you can order a beer and a burger with cheese. It’s a sublime combination here, but allow the moody, elegant surroundings to lift you to a higher plane. The bar bites are in another orbit (get the duck wings), and the beverage director’s glorious creations Luis Rodríguez are some of the best libations in the kitchen and bar.
What you’re having: Vesper-Monkey 47 A5 gin washed in Wagyu and served with caviar on a puffed tendon.”KS
Easy Does It – 2354 N. Milwaukee Ave. – Logan Square
This is a wine bar, but as the name suggests, this is not a place to take wine too seriously. In fact, you can get a Miller High Life if you want, or a negroni made mostly with local ingredients. That said, the wines are really good and off the charts in a good way – let the simple descriptions guide you (“light and oceanic”, “str8 blueberry pie”) into whatever mood you’re in.
What you’re having: If the weather is nice, the pro move is to grab a bottle and head out to the expansive backyard and be soothed by the rumble of the Blue Line elevated train.”Kansas
The Skylark – 2812 W. Palmer St. – Logan Square
“The sign outside is marked with a single bird. Inside, dark exposed brick, Chesterfield sofas, and golden light create a tried-and-true library setting. What feels delightfully uncommon and why the thirties or more seats are taken by 6:30, are beverage director Abe Vucekovich’s inspired drinks based on… Midwestern birds? There are sixteen cocktails, many with strange combinations of high-flying ingredients, like chartreuse and sotol or brandy and mezcal, which are fascinating and listed on a field guide menu complete with Audubon drawings. Future menus will be inspired by eclectic themes like the World’s Fair and CBGB.
what you’re having: End the night with a turkey vulture. Like the bird, it’s ugly on the surface (blackstrap rum, agricole rhum, amaro, mole bitters), but fascinating once you get to know it.”KS
