Bars

Sean Ludford, BevX.com

In the dark days of 2003 the emerging Chicago neighborhood of Buena Park was seriously underserved in regards to bars and restaurants (we could still use a couple more). One of our local haunts was a dingy little dive known as The Side Bar Cafe. It eventually closed and while for the best, many of us were a bit sad to have our slim options further narrowed. We, the neighborhood, soon learned that there would be new owners coming soon. We anticipated a not so careful reduction of grime and perhaps a few buckets of paint splashed about.

A restaurant’s bar is solely for waiting on the rest of your dinner party or killing time before your table is ready, right? Not so fast. Sometimes treasures can be found in the least expected places. Such is the case for the bar at Sepia.

Sepia opened in the summer of 2007 in Chicago’s Fulton River District. The feel is that of an old speakeasy which is your first clue that something might be going on at the bar.

There is a cocktail resurgence in San Francisco—think classics like the Sidecar, Manhattan, Negroni—and Cantina is the latest downtown offering that aims to bring back appreciation for the art of the bar. What makes Cantina a standout, though, is the distinct lack of gimmick. Which isn’t to say that it lacks a compelling thread drawing you into this tiny lounge replete with wood paneled walls, yellowing candlelight and carefully appointed artwork.

The Duke of Perth is one of Chicago’s scant handful of Scottish pubs in a city of hundreds of Irish Bars. The pub itself is small and is certainly a hangout for locals. The colors are warm with hard wood floors, painted tin ceilings and collections of Scottish prints and artifacts adorning the walls. Best of all, the Duke of Perth is a “proper pub" void of televisions, a jukebox, and silly sweet and trendy cocktails. What you will find is straightforward and honest pub food (the all-you-can-eat fish & chips on both Wednesday and Friday evenings is a powerful draw).