Chinatown bar recommendations?

I'm taking my friend to Lao Sze Chuan for lunch next week. LSC doesn't have alcohol and my friend is quite the drinker; he may love the meal, but if he doesn't have a drink with (or shortly thereafter) lunch, he won't be satisfied.

It doesn't have to be a bar, per se, it could be a restaurant with a bar, but where could you recommend we go after lunch for some libations?

Thanks in advance.

LSC isn't BYOB?

Skylark? But they don't open 'til 4 p.m., so it depends on what time you finish up lunch.

Skylark
2149 S. Halsted/Cermak
312.948.5275

Bertucci's is open for lunch, and the bar in that place is classic.

Bertucci's Corner
300 W. 24th St.
312-225-2848

If you just want a neighborhood dive-dive, Jack's Place (aka Eleanor's) is good for a beer or six, but I wouldn't go if cocktails are necessary. Drink-mixing is not their forte.

Eleanor's/Jack's Place
SE corner of 18th St. and Des Plains

dfawley wrote:It doesn't have to be a bar, per se, it could be a restaurant with a bar, but where could you recommend we go after lunch for some libations?

Chinatown is short on bars, a few restaurants serve liquor, Lao Sze Chuan* for one, Emperor's Choice is another, but no bar bars, unless you count Mulan, which is overpriced and most likely is not open in the afternoon.

In the general area the only two serious drinker bars, that pop into mind, are the Skylark, which is a terrific bar, but does not open until 4pm and Bertucci's on 24th street, an old school Italian restaurant with a terrific bar.

I was just at Bertucci's last week, bar was as always, convivial and concussive to serious drink, but the food was better than I remembers, quite surprisingly good. (post forthcoming).

Enjoy,
Gary

*Lao Sze Chuan had an 'issue' with their liquor license, it may very well be resolved by now

Bertucci's
300 W 24th St
Chicago, IL 60616
312-225-2848

Skykark
2149 S Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60608
312-948-5275

Lao Sze Chuan
2172 S. Archer Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616
312 326-5040

Looks like Crrush and I are on the same page.

Apparently they are BYOB, but my friend's a martini drinker. Maybe I should make him bring a cocktail shaker to the table, hee hee. When I was there a couple of weeks ago, alcohol was listed on the menu, but the waiter informed me they no longer serve it.

Thanks for the suggestions. Bertucci's is a likely candidate.

Edit: G Wiv and I are posting at the same time, apparently, because he cleared up the confusion mentioned above with LSC not serving liquor before I had a chance to see his post. I'll post again after our lunch to let folks know what the status is with their license. Bertucci's is a great backup option. Thanks again.

I agree with the Skylark recommendation. I lived near Cullerton and Halsted, a scant 4 blocks away from the Skylark before it WAS the Skylark. I wish they would have opened a few years earlier. Great bar, but it opens too late for us to hit it for lunch.

I used to frequent the August Moon Restaurant and I believe there is a bar at the corner (S/W) of 26th and Wentworth. I forget the name of it, but I wandered in one night and it wasn't a bad place. Since August Moon closed a few years ago, I'm not certain about the status of the bar.

What Chinatown's bars lack in numbers they make up for in quality. If I had to choose two bars on a desert island...

Penang has maybe a half-dozen seats at its (non-smoking) bar, located right next to the Red line platform.

For the love of God, if you should end up having a drink here for convenience's sake (I can see no other reason), do not order a martini, manhattan, etc. A glass of scotch is probably the safest order. Maybe they can do a highball. They cannot do a martini or a manhattan.

It's a useful trick to know if you are arranging to meet somebody in Chinatown.

I vote for the Skylark, but I do not think they are open at lunch time.

My friend and I had a wonderful lunch at Lao Sze Chuan today - still not serving alcohol, though. We had a beer at Penang beforehand and a martini at Bertucci's afterwards - thanks again for the recommendations.