4560 N. Lincoln Ave. (4600N, 2550W)
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 561-6198

The Daily Bar & Grill is one of many new Ravenswood bars, just south of Lincoln Square, that are making the place a whole lot nicer to live and hang out in. You can expect the same quality of an establishment here as you would at the Hudson Club (now defunct), Southport Lanes, Corner Pocket, and Lucky Strike, which are all owned by the same company.

The Daily is a wedge-shaped bar and grill decorated with yellow and gray paint, bright neon sign, and porcelain tile running the length of the building. It is located just north of the Old Town School of Folk Music and across from their competitor, Woodrow's. The bar motif is retro 20's – notice the cool light bulbs over the barstools and the blue, beveled glass bar lights. The Daily was recently remodeled and now features a new pressed tin ceiling, hardwood floors, a colorful mural on the back wall, and an interesting triangular seating island in the middle of the room called the "communal table," ala the Riverview Tavern. In the summertime, there is a pretty good sized beer garden in the back. Valet parking is available from Wednesday to Saturday.

It's a good place for a martini (seven kinds of vodka, three types of stuffed olives) and a cigar, if so inclined. The kitchen offers a full menu and weekend brunch that includes grilled salmon, sandwiches, oysters, bacon-and-chive mashed potatoes, ribs, crab cakes, burgers, pizza, and buttermilk chocolate layer cake or honey-vanilla ice cream for dessert. Their specialty is comfort food, which includes meatloaf, pork cutlet, skirt steak, and chicken pot pie (Cartman: "No kitty! You cannot have my pot pie!" Kitty: "Meow." Cartman: "Kitty, NO!" At this point, the cat is singed by flames shooting from Cartman's mouth). The food is not cheap so expect to pay around $20 per person. For the cheapskate, such as myself, one can order macaroni and cheese for $5.95 – and it's good enough to make you homesick for mama's cookin'. However, be forewarned. the mac & cheese portion is big enough for a meal so don't order a side order of fries to go with it, as the portion is gigantic enough to feed two people that weren't eating anything else for dinner.

If you're thinking about hosting a relatively small private party (30 to 50 people), and you would really like to impress your guests, check out the upstairs room at the Daily. This room looks more like a posh drawing room that you might find in an East Coast millionaire's mansion. The room features a private bar, leather sofas and armchairs, deep red walls, red velvet drapes, hardwood floors with oriental carpets, and soft candlelight. This elegant room can be used for cocktails or an informal dinner, and is sure to please all invited. Consider it like the upstairs at Deja Vu, but without the lechery. I recommend the Daily for a drink after guitar lessons at the Old Town. For more information, check out the Daily website.

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– written by Sean Parnell