Culture clubs
Travel the world in a few rounds at these globally geared bars
By Ellen Fox
September 16 2003
Sure, the World Music Festival kicks off this week, but in a city as diverse as
Chicago, multiculturalism is more than something that comes around just once a
year. Here's a sampling of spots that will make you feel like you're in a whole
'nother country--but still
right at home.
Souk
Late-night weekends and Wednesdays find a crowd of Syrians, Lebanese,
Palestinians and locals rocking out to live popular Arab music at this sensuous
Middle Eastern restaurant. Belly dancers, cushy pillows, Turkish coffee and a
couple tokes of apple-flavored tocacco from a hookah make for an oasis-like
mood. The kitchen closes at 1 a.m.; 2 a.m. on Saturdays.
Exedus II
This Wrigleyville reggae bar isn't as spacious as the famed Wild Hare across the
street, but its live bands are still plenty loud and the closer quarters may be
even friendlier. With the shuttering of Uptown's Equator Club and Edgewater's
Hollywood East, some of
the city's African scenesters have migrated here. Their mingling with the
Caribbean clientele gives the club a one-world vibe.
Hourglass
Once you get past this nine-year-old Korean spot's creepy exterior, you'll
discover a lovingly rustic and one-of-a-kind room within. Wooden corrals and
cushioned tree-trunk stools provide seating for a good-looking, youngish crowd.
The kitchen (open until 1 a.m. nightly, 2 a.m. Saturdays) cranks out fried
chicken and other spicy staples while the bar mixes up glass carafes filled with
fruit-flavored soju concoctions.
Jedynka Club
This monster Polish disco boasts imported DJs spinning the latest Euro dance
music (Fridays), as well as a long-running retro night (Sundays). The expansive,
brushed-steel interior includes an espresso/cappuccino bar. But this is not a
place to chill: The music
is cranked and the women are dressed to impress, if not intimidate.
La Justicia
Not to be confused with its sister taqueria (in a nearby supermarket), this
Mexican restaurant turns into a live rock en espaņol venue every Friday night.
The dining room is cleared out to make way for a full stage and a packed house
of diehard fans.
Headliners range from local groups (singing Spanish lyrics over a range of rock
styles) to touring tribute bands.
Red Line
Playing on its owners' foreign roots, this new bar (in the old Liquid Kitty
space) blends Latin flair with Eastern European flavor. The menu is set to
include Baltic eats and drinks, while the music ranges from French house to the
Afro-Portuguese stylings of
Cesaria Evora. So far the cocktail-sipping crowd's been a mix of South American,
Middle Eastern and Eastern Europeans--along with some native Chicagoans.
Monsoon
Don't expect to find traditional Devon Street fare at this sultry,
Eastern-inspired restaurant, but do expect new twists on those familiar Indian
and Asian flavors. The bar here serves up cocktails like the Asian Orgasm (a
blend of lychee juice, vodka and grenadine garnished with a lychee fruit),
drawing lots of first-generation yuppies.
Six Penny Bit
There are a lot of Irish pubs in Chicago, and while some may be owned and/or
staffed by real Irish folks, few are authentic enough to draw them as customers.
Here's a bar where you're more likely to hear brogues amid the traditional music
rather than flat Midwestern accents. And, in true Irish style, there's not just
a healthy flow of Guinness (a mere $3.75), but favorites like Magners cider and
import-to-them Budweiser as well.
Russian Tea Time
Sure, there's tea--and plenty of stick-to-your-ribs comfort food--but you might
warm up faster by indulging in any of the 60 vodkas featured here. Order a
2-ounce shot ($7-$10) or a flight ($11). Shots come chilled, accompanied by a
pickle and pumpernickel bread, plus instructions on how to ceremonially toast
and chase it. What a country!
Nine Muses
At Nine Muses, the clatter of flying dice echoes off the brick bars as
Greek-Americans play fast-paced games of backgammon during the day. At night,
DJs spin Greek pop and Euro dance for a diverse crowd. The place is famous for
an iced coffee drink called a "frappe"--at night, jazz yours up with a shot of
liquor.
Ellen Fox is a metromix special contributor.
Copyright 2004 Metromix.com