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Tag: tavern

  • Best Of Houston® 2025: Best Restaurant – Memorial – Houston Press

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    Overview:

    We choose this year’s winner of the Best Restaurant in Memorial.

    Best Restaurant – Memorial: Bar Bludorn

    With a year under its belt, Bar Bludorn has settled right into Memorial like it was always meant to be there. From chef Aaron Bludorn (yep, that Bludorn), this neighborhood tavern nails the sweet spot between easy-going and luxe. Come for Sunday Brunch or Martini Happy Hour, stay for the crave-worthy dry-aged Tavern Burger and Country Ham Beignets that disappear way too fast. The hits keep coming with Lamb Ragu Pappardelle, Ora King Salmon in green curry and an Ice Cream Sandwich stacked with churro, cajeta and pecans.

    9061 Gaylord

    832-271-8264

    barbludorn.com

    This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

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    Houston Press

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  • Best Of Houston® 2024: Best Restaurant in Memorial

    Best Of Houston® 2024: Best Restaurant in Memorial

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    Best Restaurant in Memorial: Bar Bludorn

    Just west of downtown, the old neighborhood of Memorial is rapidly gaining momentum as a dining destination. Case in point, Aaron Bludorn, one of Houston’s buzziest chefs and restaurateurs, made the super hood home to his latest concept, a sophisticated tavern with mod takes on American bistro food with a Third Coast touch. Along with delightful dishes like country ham beignets, cornmeal-crusted snapper with potlikker broth, and hanger steak frites au poivre comes Bludorn’s world-class service, with staff that warms and welcomes guests, a thoughtfully curated beverage menu, and flawless attention to detail.

    9061 Gaylord
    832-271-8264
    barbludorn.com

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    Houston Press

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  • Tavern on Rush 2.0 Gets a Late-September Opening Date and New Chef

    Tavern on Rush 2.0 Gets a Late-September Opening Date and New Chef

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    Tavern on Rush is keeping its sign. When Phil Stefani and his children reopen the steakhouse across the street from its original space in Gold Coast, passersby will see the familiar oval-shaped black and gold logo with the tagline “an exciting restaurant.”

    A revived Tavern on Rush should open on Monday, September 30 at 1015 N. Rush Street, according to a news release. That’s at the Thompson Hotel inside the former Nico Osteria, the lauded Italian seafood restaurant that opened in 2013 by the team behind the Publican and Big Star. Before Nico, the space housed Chicago’s outpost of the Whiskey, the chain of bars owned by Rande Gerber, the entrepreneur who also launched Casamigos Tequila with George Clooney. Gerber is married to model Cindy Crawford. The two are parents of model Kaia Gerber.

    In both the Whiskey and Tavern’s heydays in the ’90s and ’00s, big-name touring musicians would stop by as would sports stars playing Chicago teams. Stefani would reminisce about seeing Michael Jordan smoke cigars. Tavern was known for its people-watching and bars, though it also served steakhouse fare. The original closed in October 2023, capping off 24 years on Rush Street. Stefani, a revered culinary figure in Chicago, was pushed out by his landlords, Fred Barbara and James Banks. In March, those two opened a new restaurant, the Bellevue, in the Tavern space.

    The revamped bar.
    Tavern on Rush/Alexa Vaicaitis

    A private dining room with an oval table and chandelier.

    Tavern on Rush’s private dining room.
    Tavern on Rush/Alexa Vaicaitis

    The two sides have apparently made peace as they’ve moved on to their new projects near Rush and Division, an area known for iconic restaurants like Gibsons and Maple & Ash. However, the biggest opening of the year may have been the return of Foxtrot, as its founder relaunches the corner store chain after its former founders left the brand in bankruptcy. Rosebud Restaurants hope for their own revival after crews demolished the building that housed Carmine’s at 1043 N. Rush Street. A new location should open inside the newly constructed building in the spring.

    Tavern 2.0 takes up two floors and 16,000 square feet. It’s larger than the original and will have food from Chicago native chef Michael Wallach. “Wally” has worked at Weber Grill, Carlucci’s, Nick’s Fishmarket, McCormick & Schmick’s, and Park Grill. The experience fits with what Tavern customers expect near the infamous Viagra Triangle. Sample menu items include wagyu ravioli and perhaps a nod to Nico with seafood Cataplana.

    In earlier interviews, Stefani’s children spoke about leaving their marks. For example, Gina Stefani said she was excited about focusing more on brunch as the Gold Coast needs more options. Gina Stefani enjoyed success at her West Loop restaurant, Mad Social, which built a strong brunch following. While the ’90s and ’00s may have seen long late-night lines flowing outside bars, the demand isn’t as strong and perhaps has shifted toward morning meals. Brunch will launch after the restaurant debuts. The bar program won’t just be about whisky, beer, and martinis. They’ll incorporate ingredients and spirits not associated with the original tavern using agave and pineapple. That’s one way to appeal to a younger crowd who might not be enthralled with the restaurant’s history.

    Does Tavern still qualify as an “exciting restaurant?” Find out when it debuts in 10 days.

    Tavern on Rush, 1015 N. Rush Street, planned for a Monday, September 30 opening.

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    Ashok Selvam

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  • Candlelite, Rogers Park’s Iconic Tavern-Style Pizzeria, Is Opening a Second Location

    Candlelite, Rogers Park’s Iconic Tavern-Style Pizzeria, Is Opening a Second Location

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    Lately, there’s been a rising tide of anger from so-called Chicago pizza purists who object to the term “tavern-style pizza.” The objections have coincided with the increased national popularity of the thin-crust pizza which is cut into squares and triangles. Even Pizza Hut has a Bizarro version.

    Through these civic shenanigans, a 74-year-old Rogers Park pizzeria is trying to adapt to the times. Candlelite, founded in 1950, has established itself as one of the city’s most beloved spots for thin-crust pies. Instantly recognizable along Western Avenue for its neon sign, it’s become a pillar of the Loyola University community and is Sister Jean-approved. They’ve been selling frozen pizzas via Gold Belly and briefly opened a stall inside the Time Out Chicago Market food hall.

    After looking at a few spots, the esteemed pizzeria is ready to open a second location this month, treading on rival DePaul University’s turf in Lincoln Park. Candlelite is partnering with the iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury Street, taking over the comedy club’s food and drink service. Candlelite owner Pat Fowler says the theater’s co-owner, Larry Weiner, is a loyal customer in Rogers Park and floated the idea.

    “It’s like having two businesses in one building — two iconic Chicago businesses,” Fowler says.

    The bar will seat about 80 and be friendly to sports fans with games shown on TVs. A separate dining room — which will feel more like the original Candlelite — will seat an additional 100. They’ll also serve on two patios with 50- and 100-seat capacities. They’ve already redone the kitchens, bringing in conveyor-style pizza ovens, similar to the ones they have on Western.

    Pizzas will be available during shows with servers bringing them to tables. The tables are smaller than traditional dining room tables, so Fowler and staff had to find the appropriate pizza stands to hold full-size pies while allowing room for drinks.

    “What’s cool for us, from that standpoint, is iO is a destination, right?” Fowler says. “You know, people want to go to a show, and they’re willing to come from far away or nearby. So we’re able to draw from that.”

    Candlelite has changed hands several times over seven decades, and Fowler — a former pizza delivery man who started in 2008 — purchased the business in 2012.

    The original restaurant’s full menu — with burgers, sandwiches, and options for kids — will be available, and Fowler says they’re working on their beverage selections, hoping to potentially work with Off Color Brewing whose taproom is across the street. They’ll have some fun cocktails as Fowler reminds us that Candlelite’s famous neon sign features a martini. Speaking of the sign, crews in October will install a replica of the original outside the new restaurant. They’ve turned the sign into a logo, using it for their line of frozen pizzas.

    In Rogers Park, Candelite has become a community icon and part of the Loyola Rambler community. Fowler wants to enjoy a tight relationship with the Lincoln Park area, even if that means cavorting with Loyola’s rivals at DePaul.

    “I’ll either need Sister Jean’s permission or I’ll have to ask for forgiveness,” Fowler says with a laugh. “But we love supporting local so DePaul will definitely be something we want to incorporate openly with Sister Jean’s permission.”

    Candlelite Lincoln Park, 1501 N. Kingsbury, planned for a mid-September opening.

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    Ashok Selvam

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  • Pizza Hut’s Tavern Pizza Is More Embarrassing Than Chicago Baseball

    Pizza Hut’s Tavern Pizza Is More Embarrassing Than Chicago Baseball

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    Actor Craig Robinson is known for playing Darryl Philbin on America’s version of The Office. He’s also appeared as a spokesperson for Pizza Hut, starring in commercials and telling everyone “no one out-pizzas the Hut.”

    Robinson is from Chicago, a city steeped in pizza culture. From deep dish to thin-crust (popularly marketed as tavern-style), there are plenty of pizza options besides chains. It’s unclear if Robinson is playing a version of himself in the commercials, a version who should know better. Whenever I see Robinson’s friendly mug on screen, I search for signs asking for help. Regardless of the paycheck, surely someone is forcing him to say these words. I can’t accept that Robinson, in the words of former Bulls star, Joakim Noah, has become “Hollywood as Hell,” and that he has forgotten about his pizza heritage.

    When a colleague forwarded me an early June announcement that Robinson’s former brand partner Pizza Hut was releasing a new style of pizza — the Pizza Hut Tavern, “with roots from the taverns of Chicago” — I wasn’t surprised. Pizza Hut’s Big New Yorker has been around for a minute. Civic appropriation is the Hut’s signature. And when the New York Times discovered tavern-style in 2023, I’m sure that catalyzed Yum! Brands’ pizza scientists. This was inevitable.

    A Pizza Hut TV ad for tavern pizza features actors in what looks to be a green screen walking through recognizable parts of Chicago. A little kid, who’s probably from Crystal Lake or another suburb, screams, “Deep dish is for tourists!” It sets up Pizza Hut as the savior that will let Americans in on Chicago’s secret (without our consent), that tavern style is what we enjoy the most: “Sorry, Chicago, no one out-pizzas the Hut.”

    I took the challenge earlier this week as I binged through all 10 episodes for The Bear ordering off DoorDash late at night without the guilt of Yum! Brands being assessed a service charge by the third-party courier. A double pepperoni, (a mix of traditional and cupped) plus mushroom. The medium costs about $26. I didn’t want to be bothered with a large for $4 more.

    The pizza wasn’t the prettiest, but we ate it while watching Carmy spiral. It reminded me of grade school, and not in the way that some revere school pizza. It certainly possessed a cracker crust, one of tavern pizza’s defining traits. It took me a while, but I figured it out: The crust reminded me of the saltines served with milk and juice for snack — an unseasoned, bland cracker that stuck to the roof of my mouth. It was cut like a tavern pizza, into triangles and squares, but so are pizzas from St. Louis. It’s a good thing I didn’t order a large because we didn’t need more leftovers.

    Tavern-style pizza is supposed to sport a cracker crust, and Pizza Hut picked a saltine to represent this trait.
    Ashok Selvam/Eater Chicago

    The Hut’s effort was disappointing, but not unprecedented. Circa 1997, Domino’s introduced its Crunchy Thin Pizza, which is tavern-style in disguise. As a junior college student in Upstate New York, I ordered a pizza for dinner one night, excited to sample the new style. But my standards for pizza were already established as a youngster in Chicago. It’s hard to deviate from the “pizza you grew up eating” — PIGUE, a term Chicago food personality Steve Dolinsky coined. This is the pizza you know, this is the crust that brings you comfort.

    I was so disappointed that I morphed into a pizza Karen and called Domino’s, empowered by their customer guarantee: “This pizza was neither crispy nor thin,” I embarrassingly recall telling a manager over the phone.

    Bless that manager. She sent another pizza over. But the taste was no different. It was the recipe, not the execution. I was dejected. But I had learned a lesson that I would never learned inside a university classroom. The Domino’s pizza wasn’t designed to compete with Vito and Nick’s, Pat’s, Italian Fiesta, and Phil’s. These are great Chicago pizzerias with few peers. Robinson isn’t featured in the tavern pizza TV spot. I’m glad he was spared. Too bad my tastebuds weren’t.

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    Ashok Selvam

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  • Inside SmallBar 2.0: Logan Square’s Itty-Bitty Neighborhood Tavern Returns

    Inside SmallBar 2.0: Logan Square’s Itty-Bitty Neighborhood Tavern Returns

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    SmallBar, a cherished neighborhood watering hole inside a 118-year-old tavern space in Logan Square, is back in business after a brief hiatus after new owners took over in February. After four months of interior upgrades, the team welcomed back the bar’s many thirsty adherents in late May.

    A new Hamm’s sign is among several minor upgrades.

    Fans of the cozy (read: 500 square feet) drinking spot buzzed with concern over potential changes in January when restaurateur Ty Fujimura (Arami), his brother Troy, and co-owner Jesse Roberts agreed to sell the business to Footman Hospitality, owners of Quality Time, Sparrow, and Bangers & Lace. Footman co-founder Jason Freiman, a longtime regular at SmallBar, sought to put concerned adherents at ease at the time with a pledge to keep “the soul of SmallBar intact and reestablish it for its next decade and beyond.”

    As Freiman promised, the alterations at SmallBar are relatively minimal. A new Hamm’s sign hangs outside and workers fixed up the patio just in time for porch-pounder season in Chicago. Siren Betty selected new light fixtures and integrated vintage aesthetic touches into the decor. Beverage staples remain, like draft signature beers and ciders, joined by an expanded cocktail lineup and a broader selection of spirits. There’s a limited food menu of smash burgers, grilled cheese, fries, and cheese curds from the specialists at Patty Please, who plan to expand their offerings over the coming months.

    A long wooden bar with green upholstered stools inside SmallBar.

    The Chicago bar group behind Quality Time and Bangers & Lace bought SmallBar in February.

    A boozy lemonade cocktail with blueberry garnish on a wooden table.

    New cocktail options include blueberry lemonade (vodka, Manzanilla sherry, Sicilian lemonade).

    Whether or not longtime regulars find the same unpretentious charm that made SmallBar a hit for 22 years in Logan Square remains to be seen. Take a look around the space in the photographs below.

    SmallBar, 2956 N. Albany Avenue.

    A hand holds a glass of beer over a patio table laden with bar food and a beer bottle.

    Draft beers and ciders are still staples at SmallBar.

    A green corner bar space with a Hamm’s sign hanging outside.

    SmallBar is one of the tiniest watering holes in Chicago.

    Black picnic tables with red umbrellas on a brick outdoor patio.

    The 50-seat patio is more than twice the size of the bar’s interior.

    Hands in black gloves place a bun on top of a large burger with bacon and a fried egg.

    The opening menu features two types of smash burgers.

    A cozy bar interior with two small booths.

    SmallBar’s new owners tapped Siren Betty Design to spruce up the tavern.

    Mismatched wall art inside SmallBar.

    This image contains sensitive or violent content

    Tap to display

    Designers aim to maintain a cozy dive bar aesthetic.

    A tight corner inside SmallBar with a red door that reads “restroom.”

    A narrow booth inside SmallBar.

    A row of narrow booths inside SmallBar.

    Two people toast with a glass mug of beer and a can of Hamm’s at SmallBar.

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    Naomi Waxman

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  • A Reborn Tavern on Rush Should Open This Summer

    A Reborn Tavern on Rush Should Open This Summer

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    Phil Stefani has mellowed since the emotional ride of closing Tavern on Rush in October 2022, ending a 24-year run in Gold Coast. Stefani, along with his daughter Gina and son Anthony, are preparing to relaunch the celebrated restaurant around the corner from the original inside the Thompson Hotel. Crews have been busy gutting the former Nico Osteria.

    The fabled Chicago restaurateur says he didn’t truly understand the meaning of “iconic” until he saw five TV stations doing live shots from inside his restaurant on the night it closed.

    “What made Tavern — it wasn’t bricks and mortar,” Phil Stefani says. “Tavern was made by the people who frequented it and by the staff who worked there. And this is what we want to duplicate.”

    The new Tavern on Rush, at the corner of Rush Street and Bellevue, will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They’re targeting a June opening and will also provide room service for hotel guests. There will be more emphasis on brunch, so folks won’t have to wait in line at the Original Pancake House down the street for a morning option. Fortunately, Gina Stefani has plenty of brunch experience from Mad Social, a since-shuttered weekend brunch destination in West Loop. She is excited about offering breakfast and lunch options for those with early business meetings seven days a week.

    “How many times do you just drive by a breakfast place and they have lines out the door — they’re longer than bars at night now,” she says.

    A rendering of the staircase at Tavern on Rush.
    555 International

    But that doesn’t mean the new Tavern is solely pandering to fans of Early Bird Specials. Anthony Stefani says they want to get back to the restaurant’s roots “where you can either come and enjoy the vibe” with a few libations or “have a full Chicago steakhouse experience.” Anthony Stefani doesn’t want the space to feel overly modern or flashy but sees this as an opportunity to establish Tavern on Rush as one of the city’s best steakhouses. He’s working with 555 International on the two-level, 16,000-square-foot space’s design. It will include a cocktail lounge, bar, outdoor patio, and multiple private event rooms.

    While it’s important to tap into the new, Gina Stefani doesn’t want to run away from her family’s strengths: “Times change, but sticking to the classics, I feel you just can’t go wrong,” she says. “And I think that’s what we do best.”

    Her father adds: “It’s unfortunate that places come and go and are hot and cold, but we want to be here for the next 25 years.”

    A rendering of Tavern on Rush’s new bar.

    Tavern on Rush wants to retain the lively bar element of the original.
    555 International

    Phil Stefani and his team made Tavern a lively spot where celebrities, from Bon Jovi to Michael Jordan, felt comfortable. He calls the area the “heart of the city,” as it’s near Oak Street Beach and the Mag Mile. Pre-COVID, guests at downtown hotels were the ones who helped fill up Gold Coast restaurants. Tourism appears to be on the upswing and that prompted Phil Stefani to mention how he enjoys seeing the area bustle feeding off the energy of other restaurants like Gibsons and Maple & Ash. A new Carmine’s is also planned.

    “If one place is completely full, they can go to the next place and have a cocktail, and vice versa,” Phil Stefani says.

    Phil Stefani could read the tea leaves and had been preparing since 2020 for an exit. The landlord at Rush Street wanted to move in another direction and it was time for Stefani and company to pack up. It wasn’t a happy split, but Stefani says time has healed wounds. He’s been eating breakfast every Saturday at the new restaurant, Bellevue, for the past two months.

    Many familiar faces from the original restaurant will work at the new one. That includes Benny Nadzaku, Tavern on Rush’s manager. Anthony Stefani says Nadzaku wields more power than his father. If a patron wants a prime patio table, they need to buddy up with Nadzaku.

    Tavern on Rush, 1015 N. Rush Street, planned for a June opening

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    Ashok Selvam

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  • Erick William’s Daisy’s Po-Boy & Tavern brings the Big Easy to the Windy City

    Erick William’s Daisy’s Po-Boy & Tavern brings the Big Easy to the Windy City

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    CHICAGO — When asked if he could use one adjective to describe Daisy’s Po-Boy & Tavern, a bustling counter service restaurant in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, diner Wallace Good made one up.

    “Is there such a word as New Orlean-ish?” joked Goode, who serves as the Executive Director of the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce. “Even though you’re in the middle of Chicago and the middle of Hyde Park, you feel like you’re in the Big Easy.”

    Daisy’s Po-Boy & Tavern is the brainchild of James Beard Award-winning chef Erick Williams. Williams, who launched the critically acclaimed Virtue in Hyde Park in 2018, said he opened Daisy’s to honor his late Aunt Daisy and to serve the Louisiana cuisine he learned to cook at a young age.

    “We chose to celebrate the flavors and style of New Orleans because my Uncle Stew, who was my late aunt’s husband, was the first man to work with me at the stoves,” he said. “And he’s also the first person to teach me how to make gumbo.”

    Daisy’s especially comes alive with the spirit of the French Quarter on the first Wednesday of every month, when a live band is invited to play the tunes and sounds of New Orleans jazz. While enjoying po’boy sandwiches, gumbo, fried chicken and other southern fare, diners swung to the beat of Chicago’s Four Star Brass Band on the first Wednesday in February.

    “People are dancing in their seats, bobbing their heads,” said Williams. “I’d like to say that it feels like Mardi Gras every single day here.”

    Williams said the mission of his restaurant group, Virtue Hospitality, is to create a positive impact in the communities that they serve while also serving delicious fare and offering equitable opportunities for their team. Its non-profit foundation, Virtue Leadership Development, raises money to provide grants for young people in the culinary industry so they can learn how to transform their skills in the kitchen to skills that help them navigate business and make a living.

    “The deepest feeling is knowing that you’re doing the work that you both love and also the work that impacts so many other people around you on a day to day basis,” said Williams. “It wasn’t my aspiration to become a chef; I feel very fortunate to have become a part of such a giving and supporting community.”

    Decked out in the green, purple, and gold of Mardi Gras, Williams describes Daisy’s as more relaxed and freestyle than his restaurant Virtue. While the plating may be on paper and trays, Williams says the food still stands out in Chicago.

    “Our hot sausage po’boy, bar none, is one of the most amazing sandwiches in the city,” said Williams. “Our muffulettas are to die for and the fried chicken is a no-brainer.”

    For more information on Daisy’s Po-Boy & Tavern, visit daisyspoboychicago.com

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    CCG

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  • SmallBar’s Owner Sells 118-Year-Old Logan Square Tavern

    SmallBar’s Owner Sells 118-Year-Old Logan Square Tavern

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    Two dives with more than two centuries of Chicago tavern history between them are making big moves in 2024. SmallBar in Logan Square has sold to new owners and is on track to close the deal on Friday night, February 2. Meanwhile, Skylark in Pilsen has sold to a group of employees who have already taken over operations.

    At SmallBar, brothers Ty and Troy Fujimura, and co-owner Jesse Roberts agreed to sell the bar to Footman Hospitality, owners of Quality Time, Sparrow, and Bangers & Lace. Footman’s owners have pledged to keep “the soul of SmallBar intact and reestablish it for its next decade and beyond.”

    Ty Fujimura says it’s time to downsize as his family grows older. He currently lives above the bar but plans to move soon. “We have a great opportunity to pass the torch to a really great group of guys who want to keep it SmallBar, to continue the legacy — that’s super important to me,” Fujimura says.

    One of the bar’s regulars, Jason Freiman, is a Footman Hospitality founder. “I’ve known Ty for 15 years, I was also a longtime patron,” Freiman writes in an email. “More importantly, historic Chicago taverns are worth saving, I didn’t want to see the bar/property undergo redevelopment into condominiums.”

    SmallBar, 2956 N. Albany, opened in 2002, but the space has been a tavern since 1906, says Ty Fujimura. (One of its incarnations was called Fanelli’s.) True to its name, it’s a tiny bar — just 500 square feet — that serves beers from craft breweries from around the country. Tucked away from major intersections, it’s a neighborhood dive with a 50-seat patio — double the size of the interior. Small Bar’s indoor footprint makes it one of the tiniest watering holes in Chicago. It’s got more girth compared to Matchbox, the tiny and narrow West Town tavern.

    Ty Fujimura called SmallBar his “happy place” and has witnessed hundreds of first dates (and just as many break ups) at the bar, in addition to the various rapscallions who frequent it. Fujimura compares SmallBar to a first love. “You learn from them and you make some mistakes, and hopefully the next one you don’t make the same mistakes — that’s what SmallBar is to me,” he says.

    Fujimura also owns upscale sushi restaurant Arami and is a partner in Wicker Park bar Lilac Tiger and its fine dining sibling, the Coach House (chef Zubair Mohajir was nominated for a national James Beard Award last week).

    SmallBar will close for six to eight weeks, according to Freiman. Footman Hospitality has hired Siren Betty Design to spruce up the space. Footman has a history of taking over bars, and in 2014 it purchased Bucktown Pub, a 92-year-old bar.

    According to a news release, Footman partner Mike Van Meter is charged with creating a drink menu with “unpretentious riffs on classics.” The beer list will be local and “no-nonsense.” And they’ll still pour fun beer-and-shot combos. Siren Betty is bringing in new light fixtures with vintage elements like 1910s Tiffany-style glass, 1920s Art Deco geometry, and textured walls with patterned wallpaper.

    SmallBar’s proximity to Quality Time doesn’t bother Freiman: “No worries at all — the more the merrier,” he tells Eater.

    If any new SmallBars open, the Fujimuras won’t be involved as the name has been sold to Footman. At one point there was SmallBar located in Wicker Park and near DePaul University’s Lincoln Park campus, though the latter two were operated by Fujimura’s former business partner who helped open the original in Logan Square.

    Across town in Pilsen, the story is similar at Skylark, but it’s a group of employees who have rallied to purchase the bar at 2149 S. Halsted Street. The former owner, Bob McHale, placed the bar for sale with the hopes that a buyer would maintain the space rather than erect a new development on the site. Skylark opened in 2003.

    Brian Page, a veteran Chicago bartender who’s worked at places including California Clipper in Humboldt Park, is one of the owners. He told Block Club Chicago that he “hates to see neighborhood bars close down and no longer be fostering community” and that he didn’t want to see the bar fall into the hands of inexperienced owners who would squander what workers have built.

    Losing bars to new development is a fear for many lovers of tavern culture. Ty Fujimura says he’s been fortunate to watch Logan Square, and specifically his corner of the neighborhood, change through the years. He’s happy he found a worthy successor at SmallBar and confident he’s handing the keys to folks he trusts.

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    Ashok Selvam

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