Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on March 22, 2010 at 8:43am

H3N3 said:

Stopped in for the first time last night-- tried the beer but decided to skip out on the 90 minute wait.
Will have to find out when the best time to go is. My impression is that they've been pretty much filled to and beyond capacity since the moment they opened their doors? The beer was very good; I'm not generally a huge fan of Microbrews since they tend to be just a little "too much" in some department or other, usually overflavored, but the one I had was fine (forget the name-- something with "cross") and I tried another (some sort of dark coffee/chocolate beer) that I also could have got down.

Cross of Gold I think. A reference to William Jennings Bryan and his famous speech of the same name. I had the opposite reaction to their beer. It was ok, but it didn't have enough in some department or the other, usually flavor. I was also disappointed by the decor. It was far too slick. The tempeh reuben on the other hand - THAT was awesome. As were the fries. And there were some really cool bikes locked up out front - a pair of A Homer Hilson Rivendells, - perhaps the most beautiful bikes I've ever seen locked up anywhere.

I loved how the brewery was visible from our table.

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Permalink Reply by Vondo on March 22, 2010 at 11:08am

I thought the beers were just OK at Revolution, they weren't bad but nothing to rave about either. The usual thing where "this beer is very similar to Blue Moon and that one is very similar to Dead Guy".

I agree with your take on Simone's, the interior is very visually interesting, and its cool to have a place like that near our neck of the woods.

H3N3 said:

Will be interesting to see how things evolve.
I didn't have much of a reaction to the decor one way or the other, beyond noticing a presumably noticable lack of adornmnet on the walls, but I'd like to note that the most impressive interior I've seen recently is Simone's, with which I'm guessing you're familiar. I absolutely love what they did with the place.

Tony Adams said:

H3N3 said:

Stopped in for the first time last night-- tried the beer but decided to skip out on the 90 minute wait.
Will have to find out when the best time to go is. My impression is that they've been pretty much filled to and beyond capacity since the moment they opened their doors? The beer was very good; I'm not generally a huge fan of Microbrews since they tend to be just a little "too much" in some department or other, usually overflavored, but the one I had was fine (forget the name-- something with "cross") and I tried another (some sort of dark coffee/chocolate beer) that I also could have got down.

Cross of Gold I think. A reference to William Jennings Bryan and his famous speech of the same name. I had the opposite reaction to their beer. It was ok, but it didn't have enough in some department or the other, usually flavor. I was also disappointed by the decor. It was far too slick. The tempeh reuben on the other hand - THAT was awesome. As were the fries. And there were some really cool bikes locked up out front - a pair of A Homer Hilson Rivendells, - perhaps the most beautiful bikes I've ever seen locked up anywhere.

I loved how the brewery was visible from our table.

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Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on March 23, 2010 at 7:22am

Vando said:

... I agree with your take on Simone's, the interior is very visually interesting, and its cool to have a place like that near our neck of the woods.

Yes! Simone's interior is a joy to behold. No one ordered that out of a catalog. My problem with the Revolution Brewing decor is not the lack of adornment though. I'm fine with simple and I prefer austere to overdone or kitschy. I hates me a disney Irish bar as much as the next pretentious hipster. But there is something I can't quite define about the Revolution Brewing's interior design that just seems too... I dunno, mainstream? It lacks funk. It has no discernible character. I want a joint in Logan Square to not look like it could just as easily be transported to Lincoln Park or Schaumburg or any generic American tourist strip.

Simone's also gets extra points for installing a lot of bike rack and not just depending on the city to install a couple of racks out front. They also get extra points for selling cans of IPA! And growing their own herbs and honey! on the roof. They lose a point for trying too hard to make clever cocktails. I've had two now which were just about undrinkable. (And I can drink Malort for g*d's sake! so I clearly have almost no grasp on the concept of undrinkable.)

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Permalink Reply by Kellie on March 23, 2010 at 8:04am

Wow, I love this thread. It is always welcome to find out about new places to sustain my finite energy in Chicago. Would anyone like to organize a ride hitting a couple of these spots?

Personally, I am particularly interested in Simone's...I don't make it to Pilsen nearly enough!

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Permalink Reply by rik on November 25, 2010 at 7:28am

If they do not have a bike rack then then that place should not be on any of our lists

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Permalink Reply by Melissa on February 23, 2012 at 9:56am

Kramer's Health Foods - 230 S Wabash Ave (at Jackson)

The cafe in the back of Kramer's store just got even better.  Last week they added a few cooks, as their original chefs are now also running their own restaurant elsewhere.  They've expanded the menu and, in my opinion, are making even tastier lunches.  Soups, fresh juices...everything is made from scratch with love.  With so few veggie (let alone, vegan) options in the Loop, this place is reliably good.  There are bike racks on the block.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on February 23, 2012 at 10:29am

Holy resurected thread batman!

I guess I'll add a couple of my own favorites:

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant (Andersonville)

5631 N Ashland Ave
(between Olive Ave & Hollywood Ave) 
Chicago, IL 60660

Best Ethiopian in town and they are in some pretty good company to beat.

-

La Cocina (Avondale)

2901 North Kedzie Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618

What LaBamba used to be like back n the 80's before they got popular and all fast-foody.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on February 23, 2012 at 10:56am

I am currently obsessed with Pho Lilly at 5100 N Broadway.  Their spring rolls are awesome! It's time for a shortest ever ride....

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Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on February 23, 2012 at 11:51am

lalibela is great. It's in a weird location and nobody knows about it because it's on Ashland versus Clark. I live a couple of blocks west of it, but sadly, I'm the only person in my family who likes any food aside from burgers, wings and dogs.

James BlackHeron said:

Holy resurected thread batman!

I guess I'll add a couple of my own favorites:

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant (Andersonville)

5631 N Ashland Ave
(between Olive Ave & Hollywood Ave) 
Chicago, IL 60660

Best Ethiopian in town and they are in some pretty good company to beat.

-

La Cocina (Avondale)

2901 North Kedzie Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618

What LaBamba used to be like back n the 80's before they got popular and all fast-foody.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on February 23, 2012 at 12:02pm

I went to Cafe Marbella last week. Exceptional tapas restaurant, AND BYOB! 5527 N. Milwaukee.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on February 23, 2012 at 12:27pm

Did anyone mention Irazu?

1865 N. Milwaukee  

Chicago, IL 60647

Awesome food and there is bike parking -but it seems there are so many bikes parked out front that  they could use 3x more. 

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 23, 2012 at 2:12pm

+1  Irazu's food is very tasty.

James BlackHeron said:

Did anyone mention Irazu?

1865 N. Milwaukee  

Chicago, IL 60647

Awesome food and there is bike parking -but it seems there are so many bikes parked out front that  they could use 3x more. 

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