Outdoor eating

I am looking for the best spots with an outdoor patio now that summer's here. Any favorites/suggestions?

Great rooftop, great views, adequate bar food.

Slow Down, Life's Too Short
1177 N. Elston Ave.
Chicago

Timo Supremo. My good neighbor and superb chef, John Bubala, has one of the nicest outdoor patios in Chicago with some of the best food (arguably in the top 20 restaurants) in Chicago.

Timo
464 N. Halsted St.
Chicago IL 60622
(312) 226-4300

Bistro Campagne in Lincoln Square.

I haven't eaten there yet myself, but my friends rave about it, and I saw the garden last week on a pass through--it's beatiful!

My favorite outdoor venue is Moody's Pub up on Broadway in Rogers Park/Edgewater. It's tiered and has lots of different sized tables and nooks and crannies and waterfalls.

Great burgers and fries and a wonderful outdoor mood -- it's not too loud and really really fun and at the right times, even romantic. Your beer choices aren't really that extensive but it's a lovely place to drink something.

Moody's Pub
5910 N. Broadway
773-275-2696

earthlydesire wrote:My favorite outdoor venue is Moody's Pub up on Broadway in Rogers Park/Edgewater. It's tiered and has lots of different sized tables and nooks and crannies and waterfalls.

Great burgers and fries and a wonderful outdoor mood -- it's not too loud and really really fun and at the right times, even romantic. Your beer choices aren't really that extensive but it's a lovely place to drink something.

Moody's Pub
5910 N. Broadway
773-275-2696

Moody's: one of my favorite things is relaxing and noshing on burgers, beers, and superb onion rings with friends who come and go as the gloaming turns to dusk and the arboreal shade darkens then sparks with year round Christmas tree lights

and part of the magic is venturing through the grease-laquered dungeon-esque main room to get there...

Here's a thread from last summer on this topic. Enjoy!

nr706 wrote:Great rooftop, great views, adequate bar food.

Slow Down, Life's Too Short
1177 N. Elston Ave.
Chicago

They're closed.

aschie30 wrote:

nr706 wrote:Great rooftop, great views, adequate bar food.

Slow Down, Life's Too Short
1177 N. Elston Ave.
Chicago

They're closed.

For over a year now!

Although according to my compatriots at the Neighbors of River West, they will reopen later this year, and a park will be built in the area directly south of the bar/restaurant along the river. We saw architect's plans and a mockup of the park facility at a meeting last year, and it was supposedly green-lighted by the alderman and the city. Why it has been held up so long is anybody's guess. Welcome to the Chicago bureaucracy, I suppose!

Yea, Life's Too Short has been closed for years.

Are you looking for a bar or restaurant environment? Volo has one of the nicer outdoor gardens in the city, and the food is great.

Volo Restaurant - Wine Bar
2008 W. Roscoe St.
Chicago

Palmer Place in La Grange has pretty good food and an excellent beer garden. Their selection of beers is pretty impressive as well. I've spent many summer nights soaking up tunes and conversing over suds at "Palmer's" as it's known in those parts. http://www.palmerplacebeer.com/

Re: Life's Too Short

YoYoPedro wrote:Although according to my compatriots at the Neighbors of River West, they will reopen later this year, and a park will be built in the area directly south of the bar/restaurant along the river.

I remember they used to have a great sand pit for volleyball and bags when they first opened but they stopped opening it for some reason. Will the new park be affiliated with the bar or will it be run seperately? Remember to bring nose plugs as you can experience some interesting smells coming off the river when the wind is blowing certain directions.

Sweet Willi wrote:
Re: Life's Too Short

YoYoPedro wrote:Although according to my compatriots at the Neighbors of River West, they will reopen later this year, and a park will be built in the area directly south of the bar/restaurant along the river.

I remember they used to have a great sand pit for volleyball and bags when they first opened but they stopped opening it for some reason. Will the new park be affiliated with the bar or will it be run seperately? Remember to bring nose plugs as you can experience some interesting smells coming off the river when the wind is blowing certain directions.

It was to be part of Chicago Park District, with kayak/canoe put-in, etc. I drive by almost daily, and it sure doesn't look like anything is in the works any time soon. Kind of a shame. I'm sure that some FOD (Friend Of Daley) will end up owning it through some underhanded scheme.

Already so many great responses...thank you so much! I'd love to hear more! There's so many places in the city, it's hard to know which ones to hit first, so thank you!

YoYoPedro wrote:It was to be part of Chicago Park District, with kayak/canoe put-in, etc. I drive by almost daily, and it sure doesn't look like anything is in the works any time soon. Kind of a shame. I'm sure that some FOD (Friend Of Daley) will end up owning it through some underhanded scheme.

My understanding is that it will in fact be a park, but it was once a People's Gas facility, and so there is a thorough cleanup and recertification process to wait through first.

germuska wrote:

YoYoPedro wrote:It was to be part of Chicago Park District, with kayak/canoe put-in, etc. I drive by almost daily, and it sure doesn't look like anything is in the works any time soon. Kind of a shame. I'm sure that some FOD (Friend Of Daley) will end up owning it through some underhanded scheme.

My understanding is that it will in fact be a park, but it was once a People's Gas facility, and so there is a thorough cleanup and recertification process to wait through first.

I ride my bike past here as I go to and from my studio. . .I could never figure out why they were still paying their electric bills. And, I've seen people going in and out occasionally. Now I know why.

AVE M has a great patio and Fonda Del Mar

Avenue M
(312) 243-1133
www.avenue-m.com
695 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622

Fonda del Mar
3749 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago
Tel: (773) 489-3748

This is the last summer to enjoy the lovely garden/patio at Meritage Cafe. From what we were told last time we were there, the city is taxing them at the same rate for the vacant land as if it were developed, so they are going to expand the restaurant into the space. It's a great enclosed garden and we eat there every chance we get.

http://www.meritagecafe.com/home.html