Uncommon Ground...a fine place for a drink

It has somehow always escaped by attention that Uncommon Ground, in addition to their food and coffee offerings, has a small but considered range of alcoholic beverages on offer too. What a fine place for a drink.

We’d arranged for a sitter for the kids last night before making any real plans. I found myself really in the mood for something crazy like, I don’t know, a BYOB wine bar, or a wine and beer coffeeshop.…a warm, comfortable spot where we could go and split a nice bottle of wine without spending fifty bucks. Sure, there’s Cork or Volo, but even a $30 bottle with a small plate or two, tax and tip…call me cheap, but I just wanted a quiet night with my wife and a nice bottle like I could have at home but not at home and not having to pay much of a premium for the experience. “Uh, yeah,” says my wife, “but how could they make any money?” There’s the rub.

We decided to go to the Lincoln Lodge for local stand-up comedy instead.

But first…

We had an hour to kill before the comics began taking the stage, so I figured we’d run by Uncommon Ground, peek in, and get a feel for the place, scope it out perhaps for another night when the mood for sitting and relaxing and drinking a cup of coffee instead of a glass of wine sounded appealing. The place is well-known, of course, and I knew of it for a lot of things—good coffee shop, organic/vegetarian menu, smoke-free, live music. I didn’t, of course, know they had a bar.

The space is warm, with several rooms winding front to back. The main, front room is dominated by an L-shaped bar in the center and attractive light fixtures hanging above it, but has lots of tables and a couple comfortable looking couches arranged like someone’s living room. The living space appeared equally suited to waiting for a table or sipping your drink. The farthest room to the back was a fairly small space in which to fit a local band and 30 or so of there fans, but it looked quite cozy none the less, and the music served the space well. In between was the most “coffeehouse” looking room, with chalkboard specials and a couple large easy chairs.

After carefully considering where we ought to sit, we grabbed a couple stools at one end of the bar. We were quite happy with where we were, and quite pleased to see a nice handful of beers on tap…seasonal offerings from Bell’s (Winter White Ale), Sierra Nevada (Celebration Ale), New Belgium (Ichabod Pumpkin Ale), as well as Goose Island, Maredsous, and one or two others. Our waitress informed us all tap beers were $4 on Thursday. That reasonable price and my affection for Maredsous turned my attention away from the wine list.

Upon prompting, the bartender began listing the other specials of the week, usually a very fair $4 for the drink of the day (Bloody Mary on Sunday, margaritas on Monday, martini on Wednesday…actually on Wednesday you can get a martini and a manicure for $15 if you’re so inclined).

But Tuesday is when we’re most likely to return. Tuesdays are half-price wine bottles, no strings attached. There are lots of places that have an early-in-the-week half-price wine night when you get dinner. And that’s really a heck of a deal. But this…wow!

And the wine list is pretty nice, as far as I can tell. You can check it out on the website, though it’s not quite current. It’s not like they’re scouring the world finding things you’ve never heard of, but there are some good choices…a Gruet sparkler, Guenoc’s Petite Syrah, a couple Mendocino County zins, a Gruner Veltliner, etc. Mostly they are American wines ranging from about $25 to $60, but there are very few over $40.

The mark-ups were generally 100-150% from retail, which means on Tuesdays you’re not paying much more, if any, to drink there than you would be at home. And after the kids are tucked in bed, heading out for an hour or two to quaff a nice a bottle of red in this cozy café sounds like a pretty splendid way to spend some of the cold Tuesday nights the upcoming months undoubtedly hold in store. I’ll be back. And maybe I’ll get a cup of coffee sometime too.


By the way, after a drink at Uncommon Ground, we kicked back Old Styles at the Lincoln Lodge and rather enjoyed the show.

My fiancee and I were also at Uncommon Ground last night for dinner before heading down to the Metro.

We had the baked Guinness french onion soup and a corn chowder soup, both which we thought were pretty good.

For dinner, we had the pan roast Amish chicken and the midwestern meatloaf with creamy mashed potatoes. We were advised that the chicken would take about 20 minutes to cook so we had some beers until our meals came. They had a Rogue's ale which I like, and my fiancee had the Bell's winter white ale.

The meatloaf must have been plated and sitting under a heat lamp while waiting for the chicken to finish cooking. It was nice and moist on the inside, just a bit dry on top. It was bacon wrapped, though, so I can forgive the early plating. The chicken, however, was still raw in the middle, although we didn't discover that until we had eaten about half of it. I told our server, and she apologized and comped us a dessert and another round of drinks.

The dessert we chose was the bourbon pecan pie. It wasn't bad, but we have made better at home. It was also a pretty small slice so I would have been disappointed if we were charged the $7 price listed on the menu.

Despite the undercooked chicken at this most recent visit, we enjoy this place, and go here 2 or 3 times a year. If we lived nearer to Lakeview, we would go a lot more often, if only for the giant cups of cappuccino.


Uncommon Ground
3800 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60613
773.929.3680

I heart the Uncommon Ground. Though it's 10 times bigger than it used to be a year ago, and is very different than the tiny cozy coffeeshop I used to take my dog for breakfast and coffee outside on summer mornings. But I still love the breakfast there -- Montana omelet and white chocolate banana nut bread, yum. Nice to know about the wine and drink deals too.

i used to run the kitchen at uncommon ground, quite a few years ago, and i put the montana omelette on the menu, along with a few other of their offererings.

mike and helen cameron are the owners, and do a great job of keeping the place approachable and homey. they treat their staff well and pay them fairly....moreso than most restaurants.

good to hear about the positive experiences people have had there....

I worked wit Mike and Helen some years ago when they were at the Chicago Cultural Center and my theatre company offered English teas at Sunday matinees there. They did a great job of working through the unimaginable chaos of that whole arrangement. (A city department was involved; what more need be said.) I believe they were not treated particularly well and I was always glad that they have done so well since.

Uncommon Ground is the perfect place to go pre- or post-performance at Live Bait theatre just up Clark from them. The main menu is a bit pricey for me (not for the value offered, just for my personal circumstances), but a coffee and sweet, or a bowl of chili I can handle and it's a nice place to sit.

Odd reservation policy at Uncommon Ground. I like their food, but (and I write this somewhat tongue in cheek) I wonder if they actually want to fill their tables.

I called at a couple minutes past 5 to see if they had availability for tonight. I was told that they don't take same-day reservations after 5 pm.

Fine. I asked if there was likely to be a wait at 7 or 8 pm. I was told that they cannot tell me if there will be a wait until I actually arrive at the restaurant. :eyeroll:

I ask if all of their reservable tables were fully booked for 7 or 8 pm tonight. No.

Gee, Uncommon Ground, maybe you're turning away business every night, and you are able to max out the turnover on all of your table. In which case, that's to be applauded! But the odd reservation policy, combined with a refusal to tell me whether I'd likely encounter a wait, just guaranteed that I won't be dining at your restaurant tonight. Maybe next time, when I'm able to plan a little further in advance.

The Wife, Boy and I stopped by last night to see some a performance by some houseguests: The Loblolly Boy and Bearkat, two fun young'uns who sung songs of betrayal and despair. Very enjoyable, as was dinner.

I had the brisket with mashed celery root and roasted veg, just right for the night.



The Wife had mussels and outstanding sweet potato fries.



The fries were caramelized and crispy in a way that seems rare with the deep-fried version of this spud. They were served with a creamy goat cheese that paired very well, adding a bit of funk to the crunchy sweetness.

Boy had lamb chops, and pronounced them the best he'd ever had (going home, I gave him some gum, which he also pronounced the best he'd ever had).

Uncommon Ground provides a good value. Entrees are in the teens, with only a few hitting $20, and the beverages are also very decently priced, as reported by Aaron Deacon, an LTH founding father, back in ’05. The entertainment was provided at no charge, so during this global economic depression, Uncommon Ground should deservedly see more biz.

PS.

chgoeditor wrote:I called at a couple minutes past 5 to see if they had availability for tonight. I was told that they don't take same-day reservations after 5 pm.

They took my reservation at 6PM on a Friday night, so perhaps this policy has been modified.

I've been to the Clark St. Uncommon Ground 7-8 times over the years, and the place continues to be the most wildly inconsistent restaurant I know. From one visit to the next, the same dish can seem like it came out of a whole different kitchen. When dining with a crowd, there are sure to be some dishes at the table that are winners, and some that are clunkers. Even within a single plate, one shouldn't be surprised to encounter an overcooked piece of meat and an undercooked piece of that same cut. Service is always friendly, but sometimes indifferent or even downright strange. Other times, the service sings (literally and figuratively).

Last night, while listening to a soulful, artistic, sometimes mesmerizing performance by a talented young lady, we enjoyed a meal that paralleled her tremendous range of voice. Her jazzy vocals could really hit those low notes, as did a tough, rubbery, way overcooked piece of venison. But just as the song's crescendo arrived, I cut into a second medallion to find it juicy, rare, and delicious. The server had told us that the venison would be served with a sunchoke puree, but just as the performer changed course from jazz to festejo, the kitchen (albeit less successfully) subbed in some boring sweet potatoes for the sunchokes. Even our wonderful entertainment needed some time to warm up, so perhaps I should forgive the lousy start the kitchen had with our meal, when they served a "winter salad" with old, chewy shoe-string potatoes and tasteless, gritty greens. As with music, sometimes the relative enjoyment of a dish is just a matter of personal preference: I'm not a fan of Uncommon Ground's pumpkin ravioli, as I prefer a more traditional butter sauce to the thick, gloppy cream sauce they use. Plenty of people like it though, and I'll grant that the flavors are well executed - especially the strong dose of sage in the sauce. Though our meal and the entertainment could at times be described as spicy, in the end it was sweet innocence that shined (perhaps because her mother was in the audience). Uncommon Ground’s smores tart was delicious, with big, fresh homemade marshmallows caramelized and served over a graham cracker crust and some high quality chocolate ganache.

I'll keep going back to Uncommon Ground, because it's an intimate setting to hear some eclectic, often-wonderful live music. I never know what I'm going to get with the food, and I've come to consider that mystery part of the show.

Mods - if there is a more-recent thread for this place, feel free to move my post. I couldn't find one.

Uncommon Ground was just suggested on another thread I was posting to, as an alternative to M Henry for a weekend late brunch/lunch destination. And, now that I found out M Henry doesn't serve their brunch menu on Saturdays, I'm a little more inclined to go here instead.

Does anyone have an opinion on the two locations? Is one preferred over the other in terms of quality and consistency?

I see they have slightly different menus, but that really doesn't weigh too much into the decision. The Lakview location seems to have a larger menu for the time I will be there, so if there is no difference in your opinion, I guess I'll choose Lakeview.

But I haven't been to either and for some reason I can't find big threads with a lot of details. I assumed they were out there, but maybe I am just unable to find them. If I missed anything - please feel free to point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

DClose wrote:Does anyone have an opinion on the two locations? Is one preferred over the other in terms of quality and consistency?

I've been to both, and have enjoyed my last several meals at the Lakeview location, though, as with Kenny, I've had clunkers at both spots.

I've found the less ambitious and high-endy the thing you order there, the less likely you are to be disappointed. Soups, salads and burgers (both meat and veg) are reliable, as are the sweet potato fries. The bar makes a more than acceptable martini, and the beers are good.

Of the two locations, I like the vibe at the Lakeview one a lot better than the Rogers Park one. There aren't a lot of places left that have the "authentically aging hippie" feel of the Lakeview one, and for some reason, this makes most of the food taste better.

I've been this year for brunch and would not choose it over any of the other brunch spots, like M. Henry/M.Henrietta, Tweet, or Sweet Maple ( but all of those spots tend to be packed and they don't take reservations).

I love what Uncommon Ground is about. I love the rooftop organic farming on Devon. I love the physical space. I want to love the food. My meals at Uncommon Ground on Devon have been forgettable. Service was great. If I was on Devon street, I'd probably look for a lovely Indian place instead. If I was in Lakeview I would probably do Julius Meinl instead of Uncommon Ground, or head south to Toast (the marscapone stuffed toast is still a winner and my husband loves the steak or crabs benedict).

I'm a fan of Uncommon Ground, both locations. I've spent the most time at the one on Devon as it is closer to home. I haven't done brunch though, so that doesn't help.

There is another thread discussing the Devon location.

After the couple less than glowing posts in response to my question, I decided to go with M Henry.

But, I am still interested in giving this place a shot - post to come in the near future.

DClose wrote:After the couple less than glowing posts in response to my question, I decided to go with M Henry.

But, I am still interested in giving this place a shot - post to come in the near future.

So how was it? I didn't check if you posted on the M.Henry?M.Henrietta thread. I like the Latina omlette ( I adore sweet plantains & black beans & this is just lovely) & the breakfast bread pudding.

pairs4life wrote:

DClose wrote:After the couple less than glowing posts in response to my question, I decided to go with M Henry.

But, I am still interested in giving this place a shot - post to come in the near future.

So how was it? I didn't check if you posted on the M.Henry?M.Henrietta thread. I like the Latina omlette ( I adore sweet plantains & black beans & this is just lovely) & the breakfast bread pudding.

Report is here: http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... 56#p393356

=R=

Yes indeed!

Didn't want to de-rail this thread with a review from M Henry.

Uncommon Ground named greenest restaurant in America.

Just wanted to say I'm obsessed with the smoked tomato ranch at Uncommon Ground. I've tried to recreate something similar at home several times and it's been a total failure. I asked my waitress tonight if she could give me any hint as to how it's made. She said there is some smoked tomato powder in it. Hmmm... Anyone had it and have an idea of how to make it?

Anyone been to the Clark St. one recently? Was considering it for a pre-Metro show meal a week from saturday, especially considering how close it is to the venue. Because I'm boring/cheap, I was thinking of probably going there for a burger. Unless there are other nearby places I'm overlooking.

AaronSinger wrote:I was thinking of probably going there for a burger. Unless there are other nearby places I'm overlooking.

Rockit?

The new Edzo's is inside Deuces and Diamonds Club (3505 N. Clark) . . . if you want a burger, that would seem like the way to go.

AaronSinger wrote:Anyone been to the Clark St. one recently? Was considering it for a pre-Metro show meal a week from saturday, especially considering how close it is to the venue. Because I'm boring/cheap, I was thinking of probably going there for a burger. Unless there are other nearby places I'm overlooking.

BR wrote:The new Edzo's is inside Deuces and Diamonds Club (3505 N. Clark) . . . if you want a burger, that would seem like the way to go.

Edzo's is a fine suggestion, but we're talking apples and oranges here. Uncommon Ground makes an excellent pub-style burger, and as is their style, they do it with beef that is organic, free range, grass fed, local, blah blah blah. Edzo's, as you probably know, does a very good griddled, Steak 'n Shake style burger.

--Rich

RAB wrote:Edzo's is a fine suggestion, but we're talking apples and oranges here. Uncommon Ground makes an excellent pub-style burger, and as is their style, they do it with beef that is organic, free range, grass fed, local, blah blah blah. Edzo's, as you probably know, does a very good griddled, Steak 'n Shake style burger.

At the original location in Evanston, Edzo's offers the choice between a smashed-down, griddled burger, and a plumped-up, flame-broiled burger, with options for low-fat/grassfed/sustainable beef and 28-day dry-aged beef. I know the now-closed Lincoln Park location only had griddled burgers, and I assume from your post that the same applies to the Deuce's and the Diamond Club location in Lakeview. Do they not offer the beef upgrade options, either? I know they were available in Lincoln Park.

I've definitely enjoyed burgers at Uncommon Ground. Not all time most amazing ever burgers but really tasty and good - I'd never say no to one.

nsxtasy wrote:Rockit?

On second thought, if it's a burger you want, this might be the place. They have every kind of burger.
--Rich

nsxtasy wrote:

RAB wrote:Edzo's is a fine suggestion, but we're talking apples and oranges here. Uncommon Ground makes an excellent pub-style burger, and as is their style, they do it with beef that is organic, free range, grass fed, local, blah blah blah. Edzo's, as you probably know, does a very good griddled, Steak 'n Shake style burger.

At the original location in Evanston, Edzo's offers the choice between a smashed-down, griddled burger, and a plumped-up, flame-broiled burger, with options for low-fat/grassfed/sustainable beef and 28-day dry-aged beef. I know the now-closed Lincoln Park location only had griddled burgers, and I assume from your post that the same applies to the Deuce's and the Diamond Club location in Lakeview. Do they not offer the beef upgrade options, either? I know they were available in Lincoln Park.

I live in Evanston, too, so Edzo's I can get whenever. Deuce & Diamond's also does not sound like a place I'd like. I wasn't dead-set on a burger, but just perusing Uncommon Ground's menu that's what I was leaning to.

Is Rockit good?

AaronSinger wrote:

nsxtasy wrote:

RAB wrote:Edzo's is a fine suggestion, but we're talking apples and oranges here. Uncommon Ground makes an excellent pub-style burger, and as is their style, they do it with beef that is organic, free range, grass fed, local, blah blah blah. Edzo's, as you probably know, does a very good griddled, Steak 'n Shake style burger.

At the original location in Evanston, Edzo's offers the choice between a smashed-down, griddled burger, and a plumped-up, flame-broiled burger, with options for low-fat/grassfed/sustainable beef and 28-day dry-aged beef. I know the now-closed Lincoln Park location only had griddled burgers, and I assume from your post that the same applies to the Deuce's and the Diamond Club location in Lakeview. Do they not offer the beef upgrade options, either? I know they were available in Lincoln Park.

I live in Evanston, too, so Edzo's I can get whenever. Deuce & Diamond's also does not sound like a place I'd like. I wasn't dead-set on a burger, but just perusing Uncommon Ground's menu that's what I was leaning to.

Is Rockit good?

No.

Toons is another great place within walking distance that I would throw out there.

claypoolfan wrote:Toons is another great place within walking distance that I would throw out there.

I noticed it as a GNR. Another place to think about--thanks.

AaronSinger wrote:

claypoolfan wrote:Toons is another great place within walking distance that I would throw out there.

I noticed it as a GNR. Another place to think about--thanks.

Extraordinarily casual, hi-top tables, but delicious food and great service -- was just there last night and enjoyed terrific wings and a nice burger. That's my go-to spot in the neighborhood.