Shaken, Not Spilled

Last night I met an old friend at a highly regarded cocktail lounge. With the velvet cushy chairs and the subtle candlelight, the ambiance was fancy yet relaxed.

The cocktails were made tableside by the head bartender and you could not help but be impressed with his knowledge and skill as he crafted for me a delicious tequila cocktail. He urged me to take a sip as I waited for my tablemate’s drink to be made, so as to not miss out on the drink’s freshest sip.

I was surprised at the smoothness of the cocktail and sat back to listen to my friend as the bartender mixed a blackberry gin basil cocktail. I was even more surprised when, all of a sudden, mid-shake, a full glass of blackberry purée, liquor, ice, and basil leaves flew all over me.

Right out of a movie, I thought as I tried to wipe the blackberry purée out of my hair and off my face, clothes, and bag. I simultaneously reassured the bartender, who seemed to be borderline suicidal after the incident, that it wasn’t a big deal. Seeing as how I was wearing a dark purple sweater from H&M and out with just a friend, it really wasn’t.

Three other servers rushed over to help clean up the mess as the head bartender assured me that he hasn’t had a mishap like that in over 11 years. I excused myself to the bathroom to wipe the last few blackberry speckles off my cheeks.

A free $80 meal later, I was happy to take one for the team.

My Foot Hurts

Dear CTA bus drivers,

I understand that sometimes the drivers of Chicago can be unruly but please note that when u stop ridiculously short, standing women sometimes fly across the bus and sometimes there are 250 lb men standing next to them that fall on them. I’ll be sending you the bill for my bruised ankle.

Sad and sprained,
Lindsay

On the Ground

I didn’t know about this one at first…..but sure enough Andy Samberg and the SNL crew did it again. HILARIOUS. My dad’s not a phone!!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Old Town Social

Crowd

Take a handful of River Northers who’ve just got to be at the newest spot, a sprinkle of Lincoln Park scenesters excited about the cheaper cab ride, and a splash of Old Town locals thrilled to have a new night spot, and that’s the crowd you’ll get at Old Town social. My first experience at OTS (yeah, I said it…) was for a Thursday night happy hour. There were plenty of suit-wearing after-workers who took a hop, skip, and a brown line train over, and gradually as the night went on more and more people filtered in to kick off their nights. My favorite part about the crowd at OTS was that it’s a lot less douchey than a downtown spot, but a little more sophisticated than some of the bars you’ll find in Lincoln Park. Overall it was a great mix of young, old, professionals, scenesters, locals, and downtowners. Warning: as the night goes on, “crowd” becomes a little more literal and you may not be able to move.

Space

Old Town social brings together fiery red velvet, dark wood communal tables, and bronze and black metallics to create a beautiful conversation starter of a bar. Right as you walk in to the space, a mini semi-circle bar will surprise you and a cozy library room, complete with books and a fireplace, will draw you in. The main bar area opens up to lofted ceilings and communal tables, surrounded by private nooks for two embedded into the walls…perfect place for a date! The back of the space houses a raised cocktail area with another small bar, which is perfect for a private party and a great looking spot for spying on the sea of people below.

Rebecca in the Reading Room

Service & Management

Servers and bartenders are friendly and nice for the most part. My favorite guy is the doorman who’s always good for a joke on the way in. I have not met any owners or management personally yet, but in trying to plan an upcoming event, they have been difficult to communicate with and a little unwilling to compromise.

Food & Drink

The menu is not published online yet, so I speak of the food & drink from memory. But from what I remember, it was pretty awesome. OTS offered an extensive menu of beer and wine, as well as a selection of specialty seasonal cocktails made with fresh juice and unique ingredients (my favorite kind). For food, OTS offers upscale, gourmet bar food from a former Blackbird sous chef. I tried the grilled cheese with a side of what I think were chips fried in duck fat. Mmmm…duck fat.

Bottom Line

I’m pretty excited about Old Town Social, and I think once the hype dies down it might become one of my favorite hang-outs. As I stated earlier, it’s way less douchey than downtown and my cab ride is at least $5 cheaper. What could be better than that? I think the music needs to get better, the management needs to get a bit more organized, and the website needs to get up and running. But other than that…we’re all good. To top it all off, it will be totally easy to walk over to Burton Place for some late night karaoke. Bonus!

Facts
Address: 455 W. North Avenue
Phone: 312-266-2277
Website: http://www.oldtownsocial.com
Email: info@oldtownsocial.com
Neighborhood: Old Town
Hours: Mon-Fri: 5pm-2am; Sat-Sun: 11am-3am
Parking: Meters and a paid parking garage
Chef: Jared Van Camp
Owner/Management: Chris Freeman, Chris Dexter
Open Since: August 2009