photo: Courtesy of Vida
A fancy dinner followed by a night on the town sounds like a luxurious way to jazz up the weekend. But getting a reservation at an in-demand resto and making it to the bars before the lines pile up can be more hassle than it's worth. Our favorite solution: Save yourself some time by making one of these nightspots your wining-and-dining destination for the evening. Each offers chic cocktails paired with beyond-the-basics bar food, served in a joint that's ripe for chilling in long after the dishes have been cleared. Come early, stay late and rise above the burger.
Enjoy an edible "treatment" at Stone Lotus
Chicago's first "liquor spa" elevates imbibing to a downright elegant affair. Stone Lotus's unique "Liquor Treatments" pair liquors with small plates (or assiettes) meant to bring out the alcohol's aroma and texture. Smoked salmon and trout, citrus-braised fennel with baby beets and homemade frites topped with tomato saffron puree accompany bottles of frozen vodka. Drink garnishes include vermouth-soaked olives, fresh basil and mint; mixers like homemade huckleberry soda make cranberry juice seem downright complacent. The champagne treatment comes with chic accoutrements like rosewater essence, pomegranate sirop and licorice sugar. Expect treatments to ring in in the $200-range.
Munch on fresh maki at Victor Hotel
Guests who check into this upscale lounge fit a sophisticated profile; a joint for slamming down tequila shots the Victor Hotel is not. Instead, expect super-VIP libations like Roberto Cavalli vodka ($325 a bottle, found at very few and select locations throughout the city) and the fit-for-Lifestyles-of-the-Rich-and-Famous Faberge Egg special: If you've got $2,000 to spend on a wildly opulent evening, order a Faberge egg that opens to reveal a crystal decanter filled with imperial Russian vodka. Four gold-leaf-encrusted shot glasses are included in the royal presentation. A bowl of peanuts just wouldn't get along with such upscale sipping, so select accompanying eats off a menu of fresh maki featuring the monster-size Godzilla roll and green tea creme brulee topped with fresh berries.
Order a round of rustic small plates at Virgin Lounge
Extra Virgin's little sister is a sassy lounge that spices up cocktail hour with low, candelabra lighting, day beds doubling as barstools and sultry tunes forming a city-chic soundtrack. A fully-stocked bar offers bottles of vodka, rums and scotches alongside all-grown-up liquors like cognacs and cordials; guests soak it all up with the lounge's beyond-the-basics bar nibbles. An array of Italian goodies comes served on rustic slabs of wood; menu selections include the charcuterie (a $15 assortment of pates, terrines and bread with stone-ground mustard) and the artichoke and truffle crostini. Look out for superiorly sweet desserts like strawberry mille-feuille and milk chocolate banana mousse.
Enjoy unique comfort fare at Lakeview Broadcasting Company
This buzz-garnering lounge has hip down to a tee: The staff sports attire made by the bassist from Fall Out Boy, a glass room peopled with models makes for an intriguing human fish-tank, and the dynamos behind the Co. sharpened their nightlife skills at hotspots like the Hard Rock Hotel. The food that's dished out beside top-shelf cocktails puts a whimsical spin on comfort classics; grilled cheese and tomato soup is served in a martini glass, mac and cheese comes with garlic and butter-toasted panko (kinda like bread crumbs) and wasabi mashed potatoes accompany hoison-glazed meatloaf. Thoughtful details make ordering the food even more fun; seared edamame comes with a side of Handi-Wipes.
Nibble on posh pizzas at Fulton Lounge
The loft-like Fulton Lounge is equipped to handle Chicago's ever-changing temperatures; in the summertime, French doors open to an alfresco sipping spot, and a fireplace cozies the space up for the rest of the year. A fruit-laden martini menu features flavors like White Winter Pear and Appleberry, while bottles of champagne are available for as little as $30; red and white wines fall into a similarly reasonable price range. The drinks pair peachily with a menu of posher-than-pepperoni pizzas. House specialties include the Rustica (white pizza with mozzarella, emmenthal and onion) and the Cesereccia, with mushrooms, gorgonzola and fresh tomatoes. Top it off with the Ananas Speziato: marinated pineapples with coconut sorbet.
Also worth mentioning:
J Bar The James Hotel's sleek lounge offers eats off the David Burke menu. Things get meaty with Kobe sashimi doused in truffle sauce.
Le Passage The underground Rush Street lounge offers upscale fare like braised duck and raspberry-chocolate terrine.
Vida This bi-level lounge-cum-restaurant offers Argentinean eats like hand-carved prosciutto with hearts of palm, grilled skirt steak and Argentinean sausage.
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