Bucktown's Club Lucky--Can 'Old School' Be Manufactured?

In this case, I think yes...

I don't know if I would necessarily call Club Lucky old school, per se, because it's been a restaurant for 'only' 22 years, unlike ancient competitors like Bruna's or Sabatino's. But this neighborhood Bucktown establishment has been a bar since 1937, at which time it was attached to a VFW hall, and that beautifully worn bar still remains upon entering Club Lucky, as does the 1940's/1950's vibe, which is reminiscent of what city dining must have been like in our parents' day. It sure looks old school, however, right down to the old-timey fonts & graphics used in the advertising. I know it's a manufactured look, but I've always felt if it's done well enough, accept it & go with the flow. Cool lighting & just enough neon to be transformed, if only for a little while.

We did a same-day early evening reservation, and it was interesting seeing the spacious room fill up as we dined. None of the 'hipster doofuses' prevalent in Bucktown/Wicker Park could be seen as large parties celebrating birthdays, multi-generational families out on a Saturday night, and romantic couples were seated one party right after another.

To the food. Being Italian, admittedly I have a tendency to be picky about this cuisine. But I must say that everything was solid without pretense. The calamari Calabrese, squid rings and tentacles sautéed in calabrése cherry peppers, roasted garlic, white wine, fresh herbs & topped with a few bread crumbs, were spectacular and reminiscent taste-wise of a very good shrimp de Jonghe, another old-time Chicago flavor. The veal marsala consisted of three thick but tender slices in a mushroom gravy redolent of Chianti. Daughter's pesto-encrusted salmon special in a basil risotto was mild but fresh, and my salmon Vesuvio was among the best of that style I've tasted--the garlic a little roasted but not overpowering, the potato wedges with a little crunch on the outside but soft on the inside, and of course the peas. And the large salmon fillet had to have been finished with a little broil which I thought was a nice touch. I also thought the side penne with marinara was great, al dente and topped with a really wonderful tomato gravy.

Tiramisu and piping hot decaf cappuccinos put a bookend on an unexpectedly fine & traditional Southern Italian dinner. I enjoyed Club Lucky much more than I had expected. It's a nice little gem tucked away in a great city neighborhood. And one more thing--although it's that serious, maybe dangerous pre-Cold War look they want to promote, there is none of the 'bada-bing' mobbed-up goombah shtick at this place. Good for them.


Club Lucky
1824 W. Wabansia
Chicago, IL
(773) 227-2300

http://www.clubluckychicago.com

As a neighborhood "Hipster Dooofus" I am glad to know that the super Southern Italian tradition of drinking Decaf Cappuccinos after dinner is well and good in my hood!

Bada bing,

Bourbon

Tongue in cheek, Bourbon, a Seinfeld reference besides (the 'hipster doofus') and it was wife & daughter that ordered the decafs. ME? I had some of their limoncello, 'cause I wasn't driving. I just thought Club Lucky was a kinda cool place that would have totally fit in that area 60 years ago but is relic-like in that same spot now. Whatever, it worked, paisan...

I live around the corner and did not have the same experience the few times I have been. I like the bar area, it's fun and kitschy and the cocktails are good, but the food is nothing more then standard at best and expensive for what you actually get. I'm actually surprised the place is still open. I always wonder who eats there when I walk by....

Sorry Jnm, nothing personal. In all honesty I have not been in five years, maybe I should check it out again.

I haven't been to Club Lucky in years, either. It reminded me of a Lettuce Entertain You style concept the few times I went. The food was fine, but nothing seemed to be cooked with any feeling, if that makes any sense.

I admit that I am biased because I am good friends with the former manager, but nevertheless I really like Club Lucky. I am especially fond of the lasagna and my wife loves the salmon vesuvio. Service is always solid and the fare is consistently good - I actually prefer it to some supposedly " authentic" places such as Tufano's Vernon Tap.

Yeah, I never purported Club Lucky to serve highly inventive, overly inspired fare. We will leave that to places like a tavola in nearby Wicker Park, an excellent restaurant in its own right, a GNR for God's sake.

But does Club Lucky deliver as implied? I say--albeit judging from one visit--so far yes. Southern Italian/Chicago-style cuisine in an atmosphere that we Chicagoans KNOW is contrived but doesn't really matter (at least to me) as long as the food is decent or better, which it is. What it is NOT is Buca di Beppo, the height of faux-Italian kitsch. In comparison to the Lettuce Entertain You concept mentioned upthread...I'll buy that if the similarity is to Mon Ami Gabi, which is very successful in pulling off the French bistro theme while serving high quality fare at the same time. I'm not bashful in saying I really dig Mon Ami, and Club Lucky's in that same vein.

I agree with the Mon Ami analogy and I like Club Lucky fine too, particularly the bar. Also, the place is no spring chicken by now, even if it doesn't go back to the 40s as it might appear. I really think the graphics and interior design at Club Lucky have the correct pitch for what they are trying to do - in contrast to the strained, gross caricatures of Buca or the generic Italianate of most Lettuce places. Is someone holding it against Maude's or Au Cheval that they are trying to look vaguely like Parisian bars from 100 years ago, or whatever that look is? I don't think so.

I like the wait staff. I was dithering about which sauce I wanted, and the waiter said "how about they put both on there?" And it really worked for me (a combo was what I wanted anyway, and why I was having a hard time choosing). They also have a nice outdoor patio, and their wine list is fine.