Vitalogy, a New Printer’s Row Bar With Pub Fare, Debuts | Eater Chicago

"On a recent weekday visit to a ground-floor bar in a 142-year-old Printer’s Row brick building, I found a welcoming neighborhood hangout with weekly specials and a lively happy hour; rainbow decorations were up for that evening’s Pride celebration, and the 18-seat wood-topped bar was nearly full with solo imbibers and couples. Owners Jennifer Wilson and James Shields—who live on the street—aim to uplift the neighborhood with community events, cocktail classes, and live music, and they’ve built a travel- and Chicago-inspired drinks list: beers ranging from Spain’s Estrella and Belgium’s Delirium Tremens to local Old Irving and Printer’s Row, plus a few wines, non-alcoholic options, and THC- and CBD-infused drinks. Of the 10 house cocktails, Shields is especially proud of the Second City Milk Punch, a clarified milk punch with Jeppson’s Malört that he admits is 'not everybody’s cup of tea,' but it draws plenty of compliments; seasonal cocktails use fresh herbs grown in a hydroponic garden inside a glass-enclosed wine room at the back. Though food wasn’t in the original plan, an aldermanic nudge led them to bring in a French-trained neighbor as consulting chef; working with just a convection oven and an induction burner, the team turns out small plates like roasted nuts and chickpeas and chicken and steak skewers, larger plates like beef and vegan cheeseburgers on brioche, and desserts including a chocolate chip cookie skillet, a root beer float, and a THC creamsicle soda. The 1,300-square-foot space reflects the area’s vibe with reclaimed touches—a vintage leaded-glass door among them—after a three-year build-out with a veteran carpenter whose work on Chicago bars concluded not long after. The name nods to the building’s printing-house past: a glass case displays a 1916 health-and-wellness encyclopedia titled Vitalogy (and, as a bonus, it’s also the name of a Pearl Jam album). Open 4 p.m.–10 p.m. Monday–Thursday, 4 p.m.–12 a.m. Friday, 12 p.m.–12 a.m. Saturday, and 12 p.m.–10 p.m. Sunday." - Lisa Shames