Weegee's Lounge [Pictures]

LTHForum,

I've heard nothing but good things about Weegee's from two of my more discerning libation loving friends, Sula and Pigmon, so met Peter Daane for a couple of pre dinner drinks earlier in the week.

PIGMON wrote:If they're interested in getting off the beaten path, Weegee's is a great slightly hipster westside neighborhood bar where they take their cocktails damn seriously. Thoughtful and precise.

At first blush Weegee's put me in mind of Wisconsin bars of my youth, photo booth, sixteen foot wooden bar shuffleboard with a surface dusting of sawdust for extra glide, and a just-friendly-enough tough appearing fellow behind the bar. Then I started noticing detail, top shelf liquor, beautifully framed photographs, comfortable seating and, most notably, the place was way too clean to be any of the dives in which I misspent my youth.

Alex, co-owner Weegee's


No hipsterism in evidence the night we were there, though there was a solid neighborhood vibe with a meeting of the local photography club and greeting by name of everyone who walked in the door. A few drinks in, cocktail for me, Edmund Fitzgerald for Daane, we started discussing where to go for dinner at which point, in a burst of neighborhood pride, Alex offers "best fried chicken in Chicago right down the block." That's all it took for Daane, a know lover of all things chicken, and myself. Alex kindly placed the order, including a jibarito, and, ice broken, Alex gave us a little background on Weegee's, which is named for Arthur Felig, aka Weegee, best known for his NY crime scene photography, until we could pick up to eat in the bar.



Neighborhood pride aside, Fast Food Place has some damn good fried chicken, crisp, juicy, tostones crunchy with a nice schemer of mojo de ajo.

Fast Food Place Fried Chicken


While we both very much liked the chicken, Daane thought the jibarito was the best he'd encountered.

Jibarito, fried chicken, tostones


Just as we were leaving Alex's wife and bar co-owner walked in affording me the opportunity to snap a picture.

Alex, Lynne (Owners Weegee's Lounge)


Weegee's is exactly the type of bar I'd like in my neighborhood and don't have. Maybe I should phone up a realtor. Oh, one caution, while the neighborhood is swiftly changing normal City caution should be exercised.

Neighborhood tough.


A few additional pictures may be found here and an interesting Sun Times article about Weegee's by Dave Hoekstra here.

Enjoy,
Gary

Weegee's Lounge
3659 W. Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
773-384-0707

Fast Food Place and Ice Cream
3611 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
773-235-1768
Now correct phone number

Gary,

Thanks for the post. While I am not really a go-to-a-bar kind of guy, I had the good fortune to meet Weegee himself as a young boy of around 10 years of age when he was staying at my Dad's hotel. He was in town for the premiere of a movie called The Magic Fountain, of which he was the Director of Special Effects. I got a chance to see a bunch of work in his portfolio that he was carrying around with him and my whole family got invited to the premiere, which was at the Oriental Theater. I only mention this because my encounter with Weegee was probably one of the biggest reasons that I got into photography and film making.

I'll add that compared to drinks in more rarefied settings around town Weegee's cocktails are classic in the strictest sense--no bacon-mango vodka chocatinis here. They're also very deep and very inexpensive. I'm particularly partial to the Alice Mine--bourbon or rye with Gilka Kummel caraway liqueur, and a (real) maraschino cherry spear.

Great thing about the place is The Brown Sack is across the street:

http://thebrownsack.com/

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... brown+sack

Anybody have anything a little more specific to offer about the drinks? The first (and last) time I was there I found the drinks to be very disappointing and, for a joint that claims to take cocktails seriously, the cocktail menu was ridiculously heavy in vodka-based drinks. Actually, come to think of it, I'm probably most interested to learn if Weegee's has replaced the ice machine that was perhaps primarily responsible for the lame drinks I had during my last visit.

Yeah, I'm a cocktail geek. I won't deny it. That said, I'm not so far gone as to expect a nice little husband-and-wife-owned joint like Weegee's to care about ice to the extent that The Violet Hour does or even to buy a super-pricey ice machine but, for pete's sake, the little ice "circles" that watered down my Old-Fashioned in no time at all were probably only barely 32 degrees when the machine spat them out. If Weegee's still has the same ice machine they can't possibly be making proper cocktails. In fact, they can't even serve up a nice cold Coca Cola.

Let me point out that my visit to Weegee's was quite a while back, plenty of time for things to have improved. I've been meaning to give 'em another chance but due to the opening of The Violet Hour, that bad first impression and my laziness, I haven't. I did see the praise for they got in the Best of Chicago ish of Chicago mag a few months ago. That gave me hope that Weegee's had gotten its act together but as cocktail geekery is a fairly new topic to the popular media I take most cocktail-related articles with a grain of salt. After all it was the Weegee's hype in Time Out that got me there in the first place.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll get back to Weegee's eventually but in the meantime I'd appreciate any details about the current drink menu, the individual drinks and how they're prepared, and, yes, whether or not the ice they use now is more than just really, really cold water.

Thanks.

Kurt

I went here on Friday for a few drinks with a friend. It's a nice corner bar that grew a bit more hipsterish as the night went on, but not in an unpleasant way. While it was surprisingly clean, the closest thing this place reminds me of is what Tuman's Alcohol Abuse Center was like back in the early nineties- some neighborhood people early on in the evening and then as the night wears on, the dark frame glasses and interesting haircut crowd shows up. I like the fact that there is no TV, and classic jazz is played at a level where you can hear it but still have a normal conversation. My initial cocktail, a manhattan, was delicious and nicely set off by a house made maraschino cherry. $10 seemed a little steep for a drink, but it was large and I'm old and out of touch with the bar scene. Weegee's is a cool little joint that I wouldn't hesitate to return to. Thanks for the tip Gary.

tony

Wow, that neighborhood (Armitage/Lawndale) is getting gentrified? Who'd thunk it? It's still not that safe, and here's an interesting book on the history of the area for those that might be interested: http://www.amazon.com/Lords-Lawndale-Ch ... 1418482196

http://www.gaylords712.com/leadership.html

All those guys are long gone, the diversity in the neighborhood today is mostly hispanic.

RiverWester wrote:Wow, that neighborhood (Armitage/Lawndale) is getting gentrified? Who'd thunk it? It's still not that safe, and here's an interesting book on the history of the area from a teen's perspective for those that might be interested: http://www.amazon.com/Lords-Lawndale-Ch ... 1418482196

It sure seems safe enough to me every time I go to The Brown Sack. Honestly, such unfounded paranoia does little more than put a damper on life's enjoyment.

What happened to the post about the crime statistics for this area? No matter how much you want to say "unfounded paranoia" that link was sure an eye opener. 195 incidents in the 3600 block of Armitage (by far the most for the entire street)??!! And that's not useful information? Just curious why those posts disappeared.

When did this board become one for neighborhood critics? What does the neighborhood have to do with the quality of the food/drink?

Look up crime statistics for areas surrounding many places discussed on LTH and you may be a bit shocked, but why does it warrant discussion?

Jamie

yeah, i don't know - "eye opener" is a bit much. It's the city, crime happens, not sure if people were aware of this before. As many LTHers say, just exercise normal caution.

This is kind of ironic too, because i'm about 45 seconds away from walking out my door and heading over to the 3600 block of Armitage to get myself a BLT at the Brown Sack. If i had a camera, you guys would get a look but.....maybe for xmas.

djenks wrote:yeah, i don't know - "eye opener" is a bit much. It's the city, crime happens, not sure if people were aware of this before. As many LTHers say, just exercise normal caution.

I am far from one to walk around in fear and do exercise caution anytime I go somewhere. And I stand by my eye opener comment. If you look at the Chicago crime website, the 3600 block has many more incidents than anything else around it. I've never been there so maybe it's just one bad property.

Jamieson22, it warrants discussion because it's quite relevant. Good food and drink should not be followed up by a "it's a big city and crime happens" mugging.

I am sorry to threadjack and will go back to lurking.

blucrsr wrote:What happened to the post about the crime statistics for this area?

It was not specifically the crime statistics portion that warranted pulling the post from the board, but the overall myopic negative us vs them viewpoint of the post.

If you read back to the first post in this thread, which I penned, I make mention of the fact the neighborhood can be iffy "Oh, one caution, while the neighborhood is swiftly changing normal City caution should be exercised. .

There is a vast difference between suggesting one exercise caution and sweeping negative generalizations.

Enjoy,
Gary

OHHHHHkay let's get the thread back on track.

I live three blocks down the street, and I'm very glad a place like this opened up. The Time Out review started out with, "In Logan Square, there were two types of bars, old man dives, and Street Side." This is a very welcome addition to the now-slowly gentrifying 'hood.

They make their own Collins mix, which is a vast improvement over the Sweettart-in-a-bottle pre-made stuff most places have. The cocktail selection are a little vodka heavy, yes, but it introduced me to the classic (and my summer drink of choice) The Gin Rickey.

They have a great beer selection as well, with offerings from Dogfish Head, Unibroue (which had a tasting there a few months ago), and others I can't remember right now.

The free beer tasting brought the under-employed hipster element that populates the neighborhood out in droves, but it is much more sedate earlier in the evening.

They were featured in the New York Times Sunday Style Magazine in the spring:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/style ... 6tgin.html

as well as some other national publication that escapes me right now.

The owner and his wife are terrificly friendly and deserve patronage.

Ahhh. What an excellent bar. Tastefully decorated. Lot's of places to sit. Pleasant lighting. Good music (old jazz) played at a conversation friendly level. A shuffle board game.

The owner/barender (friendly enough without pretending to be our friend) prepared Kasha's old fasioned and and my rusty nail carefully and well. Classic, not newly invented, drinks.

This is really a fine place to drink. Gwiv nailed it with his comparison to Wisconsin (and especially Milwaukee) taverns of yore. As the depot diner is to great old diners, so Weegee's is to great old bars. It is a shame that places like this and its forebears are increasingly rare around here.

I really wanted to like Weegee's, as I had a great lunch a few weeks ago at the Brown Sack and was excited about the prospect of a fine dinner chased by a classic cocktail.

I visited Weegee's last Saturday night around 5:30, and co-owner Alex (whose name learned through the photos in this thread) must not have liked the look of my boyfriend and me, because he was extremely gruff with us.

When my boyfriend tried to make conversation, casually asking about one of the beers, Alex answered testily, "All of the beers are good here." He offered no further information about the beer in question. Nor was he forthcoming on the subject of cocktails. When I asked about them, he just pointed to a menu lying on the bar.

The worst was yet to come, unfortunately. We are happy to produce ID (my boyfriend is 40 and I am 33), but when Alex asked my boyfriend to remove his license from its plastic case, he sounded like nothing so much as a police officer. "Take it out of the plastic - ALL the way out," he said. Bear in mind that we hadn't given the man any guff, nor any reason to be so stern. We were both surprised and disappointed.

We had one drink, paid, tipped him $1, and bolted. In fairness, Alex did thank us and wish us a good evening as the door was shutting behind us, but the damage was done. I'd like to give the place another chance, but the reception we received was absolutely icy. My boyfriend, a native Chicagoan with a 20-year history of bar-going, vowed never to return.

I had high hopes that Weegee's could be a less formal alternative to the Violet Hour. I should point out that we had not been drinking and were dressed appropriately. We were all set to have a good evening. I wondered if Alex was having a bad night, but he greeted the owner of the Brown Sack warmly (she delivered some food to other patrons).
I am loath to criticize a small, local business, but we were made to feel very uncomfortable, and it ruined our evening.

the GF and I went in for a drink tonight on our way home from dinner at Kang Nam. We read about it in Time Out and wanted to try the "old man bar meets hipster ownership." We really, really like this place!

Great decor, classic back-bar and excellent selection of liquors and beers, and classic jazz on an actual turntable. Our bartender (not Alex) was very knowledgeable and personable. The GF had the Alice Mine and I had an Old Fashioned (made with Old Overholt Rye). Both cocktails were delicious and large. the brandy-soaked cherry in her Alice Mine was quite tasty as well.

We noticed that the bartender, my GF and I were about 10 years senior to the rest of the crowd (slowly growing at about 9ish) and many were quite excitedly playing shuffleboard. btw, this is not a "regulation length" table which I used to play on back in SF & Berkeley, but a quality table for the small space of the room.

Next time we go, I'm going to try one of the many gin-based cocktails (great gin selection).

Weegee's is exactly the type of bar I'd like in my neighborhood and don't have. Maybe I should phone up a realtor. Oh, one caution, while the neighborhood is swiftly changing normal City caution should be exercised.

I agree with Gary as we now both want to buy a house within walking distance.

Hi

Just signed up for this site... wading through all of the good posts and discovering lots of great places to eat and drink... thanks for everyone's input.

My comments on Weegees are here:

http://www.cocktailsnob.com/

Hi,

Why don't you copy and paste your comments here? I know I don't have time to go to every link people suggest.

Regards,

tikibars wrote:...My comments on Weegees are here: http://www.cocktailsnob.com/

Hope you don't mind my pulling a quote from your blog that has me a little confused:

We recently sampled their take on a Sazerac - soon to be added to their official menu - and were not disappointed. Alex used excellent rye, exactly the right amount of that oh-so-dangerous Pernod, and muddled an orange slice with some sugar until it was quite sufficiently pulverized.

"Oh-so-dangerous Pernod"?
I'm pretty sure Pernod is 80-proof. Did you mean "absinthe"? That's the original Sazerac ingredient with the high proof and the bad reputation.

A muddled orange slice in a Sazerac?
This may be Weegee's take on the Sazerac but I can't imagine why they'd make such a ridiculous addition to a recipe that has remained fairly standard for the 100+ years of its existence. I'm glad you enjoyed yours but, considering that only a cocktail geek is likely to order a Sazerac, I hope they're calling it a "Weegee's Sazerac" or, better yet, something else entirely.

Did you happen to notice if they used Peychaud's bitters in your sorta-Sazerac?

Kurt

kvltrede wrote:This may be Weegee's take on the Sazerac but I can't imagine why they'd make such a ridiculous addition to a recipe that has remained fairly standard for the 100+ years of its existence. I'm glad you enjoyed yours but, considering that only a cocktail geek is likely to order a Sazerac, I hope they're calling it a "Weegee's Sazerac" or, better yet, something else entirely.

FWIW, tradition aside, Violet Hour has a "Spring Sazerac" on the menu. I sipped a friend's and don't recall the details.

I drank a few Sazeracs when I was in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago and plan to work it into regular rotation, as best I can; I tried to order one at Matilda/Baby-Atlas recently after a show at the Vic and they had no idea how to do it.

germuska wrote:...FWIW, tradition aside, Violet Hour has a "Spring Sazerac" on the menu. I sipped a friend's and don't recall the details.

I drank a few Sazeracs when I was in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago and plan to work it into regular rotation, as best I can; I tried to order one at Matilda/Baby-Atlas recently after a show at the Vic and they had no idea how to do it.

I haven't had this latest VH variation on the Sazerac but the Summer, Fall and Winter versions were quite good. I don't think they're improvements but they're decent variations that are very much in line with the original. As such, calling them the "Summer (Fall/Winter/Spring) Sazerac" is appropriate yet distinguishes them sufficiently from a classic "Sazerac". It doesn't hurt that one can also get an excellent classic Sazerac at the VH....

Anyway, as I wrote above, I'm glad tikibars enjoyed the Weegee's version but, in this cocktail geek's opinion, the muddled orange makes that cocktail something sufficiently different from a Sazerac that a completely new name should be applied to it. A Sazerac is a clean, spicy, fragrant cocktail as are the VH variations. It's important that the chilled, slightly sweetened whiskey be strained into a chilled glass that has been only lightly rinsed with absinthe or an absinthe substitute. It's important that the lemon twist is an ingredient and not just a garnish. Adding an orange slice just doesn't fit the concept whether it's muddled into mush or hung on the side of the glass.

I'm not familiar with Matilda/Baby-Atlas but I'm never surprised to learn that a bar or 'tender hasn't heard of and/or can't make a classic like the Sazerac. In fact, it's my understanding that there are an unfortunate number of bars in New Orleans that can't make a proper Sazerac so hoping to get a Sazerac outside of the VH, The Matchbox or my house, well, I simply don't waste my time hoping.

If you're in need of some guidance in making a Sazerac at home I highly recommend checking out what the fellas at The Gumbo Pages have to say:
http://www.gumbopages.com/food/beverages/sazerac.html
http://www.gumbopages.com/looka/archive/2008-04.html#15

Kurt

I know that y'all know that Weegee's has great cocktails and craft beers, but now Alex has some tasty wines to offer as well (thanks to yours truly). When a few of us closed the place last Saturday night, we were talking to Alex about how the wine list quality doesn't match the quality of the other drinks, and since both the GF and I sell wine for a living, we humbly offered a few suggestions. So now you can find reasonably priced, quality wines there from Chile, Spain, California and Southern France...although he still offers the Peter Vella box wines for the "house pour" at $3/glass if you are so inclined.

kvltrede wrote:

tikibars wrote:...My comments on Weegees are here: http://www.cocktailsnob.com/

Hope you don't mind my pulling a quote from your blog that has me a little confused:

We recently sampled their take on a Sazerac - soon to be added to their official menu - and were not disappointed. Alex used excellent rye, exactly the right amount of that oh-so-dangerous Pernod, and muddled an orange slice with some sugar until it was quite sufficiently pulverized.

"Oh-so-dangerous Pernod"?
I'm pretty sure Pernod is 80-proof. Did you mean "absinthe"? That's the original Sazerac ingredient with the high proof and the bad reputation.

A muddled orange slice in a Sazerac?
This may be Weegee's take on the Sazerac but I can't imagine why they'd make such a ridiculous addition to a recipe that has remained fairly standard for the 100+ years of its existence. I'm glad you enjoyed yours but, considering that only a cocktail geek is likely to order a Sazerac, I hope they're calling it a "Weegee's Sazerac" or, better yet, something else entirely.

Did you happen to notice if they used Peychaud's bitters in your sorta-Sazerac?

Kurt

I called Pernod dangerous because it is really easy to use too much of it in a drink, and to thereby completely spoil the drink.

Pernod is an ingredient to be used delicately - the difference between too much and too little is a difference of drops.

"Dangerous" has other meanings besides "strong"!

And...
I am usually a purist, but that orange slice was a good addition, traditional or not, and not at all ridiculous... give it a try some time.

tikibars wrote:

kvltrede wrote:

tikibars wrote:...My comments on Weegees are here: http://www.cocktailsnob.com/

Hope you don't mind my pulling a quote from your blog that has me a little confused:

We recently sampled their take on a Sazerac - soon to be added to their official menu - and were not disappointed. Alex used excellent rye, exactly the right amount of that oh-so-dangerous Pernod, and muddled an orange slice with some sugar until it was quite sufficiently pulverized.

"Oh-so-dangerous Pernod"?
I'm pretty sure Pernod is 80-proof. Did you mean "absinthe"? That's the original Sazerac ingredient with the high proof and the bad reputation.

A muddled orange slice in a Sazerac?
This may be Weegee's take on the Sazerac but I can't imagine why they'd make such a ridiculous addition to a recipe that has remained fairly standard for the 100+ years of its existence. I'm glad you enjoyed yours but, considering that only a cocktail geek is likely to order a Sazerac, I hope they're calling it a "Weegee's Sazerac" or, better yet, something else entirely....

I called Pernod dangerous because it is really easy to use too much of it in a drink, and to thereby completely spoil the drink. . . . "Dangerous" has other meanings besides "strong"!
And...
I am usually a purist, but that orange slice was a good addition, traditional or not, and not at all ridiculous... give it a try some time.

Yes, it's very easy to use too much Pernod. I agree completely. I don't agree with your choice of words but take that for what it's worth--absolutely nothing. I'm just a former English major with a cocktail obsession and too much time on my hands.

And it most certainly is ridiculous to add muddled orange to a Sazerac but, of course, that's just a matter of semantics too. I don't take issue with Weegee's adding muddled orange to a Sazerac. I take issue with Weegee's adding muddled orange to a Sazerac and calling the result a Sazerac. If it works, great, but it ain't a Sazerac no mo', no way, no how. Cocktail experimentation is a good thing but if you're gonna do something fairly drastic to a recipe as well-established as the Sazerac not only should you give it a new name, you've earned the right to give it a new name. I would be very surprised--and a little disgusted--if, after ordering a Sazerac, I was given a glass filled with rye and orange pulp. That drink is getting returned but quick and I'm doing my best to keep myself from getting on my cocktail geek high horse and delivering a lecture to the barkeep.

Cheers!

wino66 wrote:I know that y'all know that Weegee's has great cocktails and craft beers, but now Alex has some tasty wines to offer as well (thanks to yours truly).

Not that I'm likely to trek out to Weegee's for wine, but I wish I'd remembered to take a peek.

I recently had an opportunity to visit Weegee's for the first time (after a couple beers at Resi's Bierstube), and I was quite pleased.

I started with a pretty decent Old Fashioned, followed by a well-made Manhattan. Between a few of us, I tried a Manhattan with Old Overholt Rye, Templeton Rye, and Maker's Mark (bourbon). That was an enjoyable comparison. At The Violet Hour a while back I was proferred a gratis sample of Templeton, of which I was considering a bottle purchase to bring back home to KC, where it is unavailble. Perhaps my palate had been dulled, because, tasting it on its own and in no particular context, it didn't really stand out from Old Overholt.

In this case, the two were quite different, with the Templeton having quite a bit greater depth of flavor, more complexity, and more floral notes. While delicious, and likely "better", I'm not sure I would want to drink them all night. Old Overholt may make a better session Manhattan.

As for the bar, I was charmed. The Depot Diner comparison someone made above seems like it would be appropriate if I thought the Depot was good. The patio space out back is great, and the weather was too nice not to take advantage of it, but the inside is simply cozy, like the neighborhood living room you couldn't help but want down the street. I look forward to going back in the winter.

the Templeton having quite a bit greater depth of flavor, more complexity, and more floral notes

I grew up where Templeton is produced, so I have to admit that I am biased due to tremendous civic pride, but Templeton Rye is fantastic. it is my prefered night cap. I agree that it is not an all-night drink, but sipping it straight on a warm summer night under the stars is a very good thing.

Working on a Great One-Two Punch for date night we started our night here.

We arrived at Weegee's at about 5:30 pm last Friday and found the front door locked and peering in the window we caught the eye of the bartender to which he opened the door and let us in right away. The place was cozy and dark. We took seats at the bar and relaxed for a few, perusing the cocktail menu while the bartender went about his business of finishing setting things up.

Soon our drink orders were in and we enjoyed watching them being prepared, then served.

Conversation followed and the bartender turned out to be the owner Alex and My Bride's Perfect Manhattan with olives (which made him stop and look quizzically at her when ordered) allowed him to launch into a discussion about the introduction of olives into modern drinks which also branched into the use of vodka. Alex was a very knowledgeable bartender who obviously took pride in his craft and enjoyed the history behind the mixology.

Even though he has only been in the city for a few years he is also enjoying being a part of a Chicago Neighborhoods with him and his wife being active with the local organizations.

With the nicely prepared and strong drinks consumed the discussion turned to our dinner choice which at first had been Fonda Del Mar which I had in my GPS on Fullerton and I had not checked the recent posts on the board and Alex enlightened me to the fact that there had been some changes, with the renaming of the old place and a new restaurant opening up. Now wanting to get mixed up in the turmoil I asked for a recommendation.

Which led to UrbanBelly...

We would not hesitate to stop back again. The quality of the drinks, the coziness of the lounge and the easy conversation with Alex made it a worthwhile and most enjoyable trip.

PitD, glad you enjoyed your visit to Weegee's. The GF and I have been going there for almost 2 years (they recently celebrated anniversary #3 I believe) and love the cocktails, the cozy ambience, great music and extensive beer selection (their small-but-quality wine list is supplied by yours-truly, just to be in full disclosure)

Next time try the Alice Mine (signature cocktail) or Alex's great version of the Sazerac or Old-Fashioned. And don't forget to "capture the moment" in their photo booth

Also, in the summertime, the back patio is a great hang-out. Alex has a grill you can use (BYOM) and also see up-thread for nearby take-away food goodies.

Glad you enjoyed the visit, and Urban Belly rocks the house too!

wino66 wrote:(their small-but-quality wine list is supplied by yours-truly, just to be in full disclosure)

So you're responsible for that! Everytime I go to Weegee's, I'm always surprised that, for such a cocktail-oriented bar, their wine list is quite good.

I think a return visit to Weegee's is in order.