Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/553637
Chicago's hotel scene boasts some of the best bars in the city. Here are five worth checking into. Best Bar for Practicing Your French The terrace of the Gold Coast's luxe Le Bar beckons Francophiles with a "je ne sais quoi" vibe ideal for sipping cocktails like the French Mule, a bubbly riff on the classic with St-Germain and Champagne. Round out your rendezvous with Gallic bites like escargots, truffle frites, and a oui-worthy plate of house-made cheese. Sofitel, 20 E. Chestnut St., 312-324-4000; cafedesarchitectes.com/le-bar ... for Feeling Lik id Again With pétanque, croquet, and giant Jenga, festivities abound at Streeterville Social, a 9,000-square-foot rooftop new- comer. Between rounds, head to one of the bars for tiki-inspired creations like the Streeterville Mai Tai. Loews Chicago Hotel, 455 N. Park Dr., Third Fl., 877-868-8232; loewshotels.com/chicago-downtown ... for Audiophiles On Wednesdays, the tucked-away tavern Fox Bar hosts BYOV, encouraging folks to bring their own vinyl, so long as it fits the genre ( Johnny Cash and Wu-Tang welcome). Soho House, 113–125 N. Green St., 312-521-8000; foxbar.com ... for Cutting-Edge Cocktails Come to the second outpost of Miami-based concept The Broken Shaker for its quirky concoctions, from Cocoa Puff old-fashioneds and banana rum Manhattans to Chicago-centric creations like The Godmother, a mezcal-meets-roasted corn dram inspired by a tamale hot dog from the South Side. Freehand Hotel/ Hostel, 19 E. Ohio St., 312-940- 3699; thefreehand.com/chicago/ venues/the-broken-shaker ... for a Nightcap The turndown service at the Loop's Hotel Allegro gets boozy with the nightcap program at Bar Allegro, an invitation for guests to swing by the bar for their pre-sleep sip of choice. If you're not a hotel guest, don't fret: Between the classic cocktail riffs, candied bacon, and to-go growler service, sleep will come just as easily. Hotel Allegro, 171 W. Randolph St., 312-325-7120; allegrochicago.com/downtown- restaurant/bar-allegro MA The Inn Crowd Indulge your wanderlust wIthout leavIng the wIndy CIty at ChICago's best hotel bars. by nicole schnitzler Streeterville Social atop the Loews Chicago offers pétanque, croquet, and giant Jenga. photography by derek richmond (le bar); anthony tahlier (beef tartare) NoMI's new executive chef, Satoru Takeuchi (known as Chef Take), may be from Japan's fourth-biggest city, Nagoya, but his heart resides in the countryside. After learning French technique in esteemed Japanese venues like Le Lapin and Ne Quittez Pas, he worked his way through France, harnessing a strong appreciation for rustic specialties along the way. "We saw dishes like cassoulet and duck conft 200 or 300 years ago, and people are still making these recipes," he says. "That's why I love French food." At NoMI, he applies that discovery to the Japanese philosophy that drives his dishes: Respect the product. "We try to avoid any extra ingredients," says Takeuchi, whose globe-spanning work includes plates like Maine lobster salad with avocado and passion fruit coulis, and beef tartare with Korean chili bean paste and crispy rice crackers. Park Hyatt Chicago, 800 N. Michigan Ave., Seventh Fl., 312-239-4030; parkchicago.hyatt.com/en/hotel/dining.htm Take-ing Charge at nomI, sAtoru tA EuChi brIngs frenCh teChnIque to bear on foods from far-flung plaCes. by nicole schnitzler Chef Satoru Takeuchi (inset) puts out food with a cosmopolitan flair, such as the beef tartare with Korean chili bean paste. TasTe Cuiscene 100 michiganavemag.com