Table Of Content
But Armitage Alehouse is one of those exceptions that’s too stunning to deny. It’s lovelier than Au Cheval, cozier than Bavette’s, and more polished than Maude’s Liquor Bar (which sadly closed in 2020). If you’re looking for Chicago’s most transporting space, the only competition might be the Cherry Circle Room.
Drink and eat at The Old Town Ale House
We are an intimate restaurant and accept reservations for parties of 1-6 guests. We kindly ask that you do not make multiple reservations for more than one group. What’s more, the Indian-influenced dishes on the menu are bizarrely disappointing. The skin on the tandoori-style roasted chicken ($25) arrives blackened to the point of tasting of soot.
Oscar Best Picture Star Watched Victory From Bourdain’s Favorite Chicago Dive Bar
The oddball menu also lists a chopped wedge salad ($19), glazed black cod with a sweet miso glaze ($43) and matzo ball soup ($13). If Winston Churchill, who was chancellor of the exchequer in 1926, made a surprise visit from beyond the grave, he’d have a lot of questions. After taking over the bar, Tobin started sprucing the bar up and decided to extend the famous Ale House wall mural which was painted in 1971 by Maureen Munson. The mural contains the portraits of fifty or sixty old-time customers. With the help of Elliot’s talents, soon enough, every corner of the bar was covered in pictures of a present or former regular.
The history of Old Town Ale House
Bruce’s paintings of boxers and filmmakers are hung alongside those of drug users and nude dancers. There are depictions of colorful regulars like the late Ruben Four Toes, pictured as a child smoking a cigarette and drinking a martini. Tim Barrett, who bartends at the Old Town Ale House, is up on the back wall too.
Chicago-based rosé bar and restaurant to replace Ale House in LoHi - The Denver Post
Chicago-based rosé bar and restaurant to replace Ale House in LoHi.
Posted: Fri, 28 Oct 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
While the origin story of chicken tikka masala is hotly debated, the dish didn’t gain national consciousness in the U.K. When you step into The Old Town Ale House, the first thing you notice are the paintings that fill about every inch of every wall, made by the part-time owner and blogger Bruce Elliot. In fact, The Old Town Ale House has seen a shift in ownership over the years, before finally finding its place in Elliot’s hands. Brendan Sodikoff doesn’t create restaurants; he fashions escapes from reality. In true pub-style, The Old Town Ale House puts down daily specials on a chalkboard, which include the day’s drinks and food.
Logs crackle from the fireplace, as diners lounge in large, cushioned chairs. If you’re in this neck of the woods, then you definitely cannot miss out on a pint at the Old Town Ale House. A night out at one of these restaurants will never be boring.
Partners came and went, each one nuttier than the previous one. Eventually his ex-wife Beatrice bought all existing shares and took over the bar with Arthur. One of the most sought-after paintings at the pub is one of Sarah Palin naked, holding an assault rifle while standing on a polar bear rug with harlot red high heels on. Elliot painted the piece right after the Republican Convention in which Sarah Palin was made the Vice Presidential nominee.
Although mostly portraits of bar regulars, Elliott’s work has recently delved into the political. The compositions, like Bruce himself, are thoughtful, honest, and occasionally vulgar. He’s a man who freely shares his point of view, created and sharpened by living, working and drinking in Chicago. Stationed across the street from the famed Second City Theater, the bar has been home to a host of comedians, artists and celebrities for decades.
I thought we agreed to an email interview, but then he or someone from his organization mostly ignored my questions. Instead, they gave rote answers to questions I never asked. The food menu at The Old Town Ale House consists of small plates and bar food like nachos, tamales, carnitas, and even poke bowls. Now, the bar is in the hands of Bruce Elliot and his wife Tobin and is like a second home to many locals. Not long after the new owners took over, the Ale House caught on fire. Taking with them about forty drinking pals, they carried what was left of the original Ale House and moved it into the middle of North Avenue, through the doors of what once used to be Pete’s Butcher Shop.
During Bruce’s lifetime, the Old Town neighborhood that wraps around the bar has changed dramatically. He described Old Town in the ’60s as a small Greenwich Village, filled with artists, writers, and actors. The biggest shift happened in the ’70s when the city widened the street outside the bar. Bruce said this seemingly small move altered the social fabric of the block and forced local businesses to close. In the years since, Old Town has seen massive gentrification and is now one of Chicago’s wealthiest neighborhoods.
Over the years, the Ale House saw many partners come in and go, but Art Klug always remained. Eventually, Art’s ex-wife Beatrice bought the remaining shares and the two took over. After the death of Art and Beatrice in 2005, Tobin Mitchell, Bruce’s wife, took over the bar, on one condition iterated by Beatrice - no blender, no credit cards.
No comments:
Post a Comment