Alfresco Eating & Drinking Alfresco Eating & Drinking

Summer, Owner Bo Fowler on Owen & Engine’s

patio: “I built the place across from a
really ugly theater and my not-so-attractive
other restaurant [Fat Willy’s Rib Shack].
Studio Paris
What Sub 51 is to Hub
51, Studio Paris is to
Paris Club. On a roof.
The Aviary
See Girl & the
Goat.

on deck And then Burger King went there. So the

sides [of the patio] are stone and they’re
higher. I’m trying to enclose it a little more,
with plantings and lanterns and things like
that. We hope to make it a little oasis so that you can’t really
A season of new rooftops, see too much of what’s surrounding it.”
beer gardens and sidewalk Chicago Cut
patios, charted by when Steakhouse
Views of the
they’re coming and the crowds river. Views of
The Dock at
Montrose Beach Chickpea Blueberry
we foresee. By TOC staff the Loop. Views
of fights over
A liquor license plus a Girl & the
fritters
at Girl &
at the Aviary
3,300-square-foot Goat
tables? This beach deck plus a the Goat
120-seat patio Don’t kid
Memorial Day yourself: 30
takes no opening equal a
reservations. sidewalk
magnet for drunken seats will not
South Branch revelers. Will a make it
It’s 4,000 quieter locale prevent easier to get iNG Tavernita
square feet of this from becoming a table. Homaro Cantu’s The 60-person sidewalk
outdoor happy- Castaways 2.0? noodle shop unveils patio—30 seats, plus a
hour madness, 16 sidewalk seats standing-room bar—
complete with a out front. A patio-only coming to Mercadito’s
pavilion-style drink list pairs new sister restaurant
Bridge House Tavern bar, 175 seats cocktails with mberry makes us even happier
A new chef/owner—Mark and views of the tablets, which to bid a final adieu to
Hemmer, formerly of Uptown’s Chicago River. temporarily block Martini Park.
Magnolia Cafe—takes over Owen & Engine
Flatwater’s two-tier riverview A second-floor, certain taste buds,
terrace, bringing in charcuterie 400-seat patio making sour flavors
from Butcher & Larder. means more seem sweet.
GOOD LUCK

room to enjoy
your fish  
and chips.

The Aviary’s Grant Achatz on the word

GT Fish & patio: “Okay. Even that word in itself is
Oyster misleading. It’s a sidewalk, right? But: It’s a
Bangers & Lace Front windows
This sausage Bangers & Lace very wide sidewalk, in comparison to most
cicerone Ria Neri’s open to a sidewalks in the city. So what that allows us is
paradise’s
SEATS UP FOR GRABS

top five beer styles to 12-seat to put in seating vignettes. In theory, there’s
sidewalk patio sidewalk patio
alleviates the drink this summer: enough square feet out there that we could
in River North. Derby put 80 people out there, honestly, if we

PHOTOS: LOBSTER ROLL, MARTHA WILLIAMS; GIRL & THE GOAT, BRENDAN LEKAN; GRANT ACHATZ, CHRIS STRONG; THE AVIARY, DAMIEN THOMPSON
elbow-to-elbow 1. Pale lagers (“crisp Can anyone say The Big Onion Tavern
crowd indoors. and refreshing thirst Big Jones wanted to pack ’em in. But, we’re not gonna
lunch meeting? Group (Jack’s, the Irish do that [the patio will seat 30], because  
quenchers”)   Sit a spell in Oak) turns Charlie’s
Neri’s picks Two the old (1) the line issue. We need to navigate that;
Ale House into a we need to have a stronger
Brothers Dog Days ($6/16oz draft) and South—or at “British-American
Victory Prima Pils ($6/16oz draft) least channel door presence that
Charcuterie plate grill”—think bubble- helps people move
that vibe in this Lobster roll and-squeak, but also
2. Witbiers (“zesty, orange-citrusy fruitiness, at Owen & Engine at GT Fish through that area.
crisp with a dry, sometimes tart finish”)   backyard burgers—leaving only
& Oyster And (2) we want to
PHOTOS: MARTHA WILLIAMS, EXCEPT BEER AT BANGER & LACE, BRENDAN LEKAN; AND BO FOWLER: EVAN SEARS

Neri’s picks Allagash White ($6/12oz draft) garden, which part of the large beer
will seat about make it comfortable
and Hitachino Nest White ($9/12oz bottle, garden unhindered by for the people that are
$10/12oz draft) two dozen pesky roofs and walls.
diners. actually sitting there,
3. German wheats (“No lemons, please. It enjoying the beverages
destroys the flavor and head of the beer.”) and not feel like they’re
Neri’s picks: Leipziger Gose ($8/12oz J.P. Graziano in the middle of the
draft) and Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen If you’ve ever held line. Like,
($7/20oz draft) a hefty Mr. G sub that’s not
with nowhere to cool,
4. Saisons (“seasonal summer style eat it, you Prasino right?”
produced in Belgian farmhouses”)   understand the The suburbs’
Neri’s picks Blaugies Biere Darbyste small patio next to favorite sustainable
($20/25oz bottle, $10/12oz draft) and this Italian grocery eatery hits Wicker
Dupont Avril Biere de Table ($9/12oz draft) is positively Park with 100 seats THE AVIARY (955 W FULTON MARKET, NEXTRESTAURANT.COM),
BANGERS & LACE (1670 W DIVISION ST, 773-252-6499), BIG JONES
5. Rosé-colored beers (“ranging from lightly revolutionary. (couches included) (5347 N CLARK ST, 773-275-5725), BRIDGE HOUSE TAVERN (321 N
CLARK ST, 312-644-0283), CHICAGO CUT STEAKHOUSE (300 N LASALLE
sweet and fruity to funky and complex”)   ready to rock ST, 312-329-1800), DERBY (1224 W WEBSTER AVE, NO PHONE YET), THE
Neri’s picks Dieu Du Ciel Rosée Division Street’s DOCK AT MONTROSE BEACH (200 W MONTROSE HARBOR DR, 773-983-
2113), GIRL & THE GOAT (809 W RANDOLPH ST, 312-492-6262), GT
D’Hibiscus ($10/9oz draft) and Cantillon double-wide FISH & OYSTER (531 N WELLS ST, 312-929-3501), ING (951 W FULTON
MKT, 855-834-6464), J.P. GRAZIANO (901 W RANDOLPH ST, 312-666-
Rosé de Gambrinus ($38/25oz bottle, sidewalks. 4587), OWEN & ENGINE (2700 N WESTERN AVE, 773-235-2930),
PRASINO (1846 W DIVISION ST, NO PHONE YET), SOUTH BRANCH (100 S
$10/9oz draft) WACKER DR, 312-546-6177), STUDIO PARIS (59 W HUBBARD ST, 312-
595-0800), TAVERNITA (151 W ERIE ST, NO PHONE YET)

ALREADY OPEN ANY DAY NOW JUNE AUGUST

22 Time Out Chicago  May 26–Jun 1, 2011 TIMEOUTCHICAGO.COM TIMEOUTCHICAGO.COM May 26–Jun 1, 2011  Time Out Chicago 23