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There are some things that we think are worth fighting over. White Sox versus Cubs. The TV remote. The last pancake on a Sunday morning. One thing that we don't necessarily think deserves a lot of time or thought is arguing over the distinction of being Chicago's first "gastropub," as the Sun-Times did this morning.
To recap: Gastropub is "a term coined in England to describe a bar with really good, affordably priced food." The current gastropub trend started in England in 1991 and came stateside in 2004 with New York's Spotted Pig; the first self-proclaimed Gastropub in Chicago is BB's, which opened in August. Apparently, The Gage, a new restaurant in Chicago opening in November, is also claiming to be Chicago's first gastropub and posted ads on Craigslist advertising this fact as a way of luring helpless cooks into its kitchen.
The Sun-Times gets to the heart of the matter, calling out both BB's and The Gage for advertising themselves as the first gastropub, when Hopleaf has been serving up "really good, affordably priced food" to complement beer for some time now. Hopleaf owner Michael Roper says he has been doing for years what the new gastropubs in town are claiming to do for the first time, adding that he doesn't want to be known as a gastropub anyway: "It sounds like some kind of unpleasant condition one might find themselves in."
Strange and/or unappealing labels aside, there must be more than three bars in the city that serve gourmet food and beer together, right? We are assuming for the time being that the food at Goose Island doesn't count as "really good."
Where else in Chicago do you think serves up delicious food in a bar setting?
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Does Darwin's count as delicious?
Hopleaf owner Michael Roper says he has been doing for years what the new gastropubs in town are claiming to do for the first time, adding that he doesn't want to be known as a gastropub anyway: "It sounds like some kind of unpleasant condition one might find themselves in."
The last few times I've eaten at the Hopleaf, it has been pretty crummy--I had some stew thing that was too salty to eat. I also remember the place not being that affordable.
Edgewater Lounge might be a better example.
A new joint on Belmont and Lakewood called Cooper's has really excellent food, but the best part of the place is the beer selection.
$2 pbr's and 6 cheese tamales for $5 at the bottle count?
"It sounds like some kind of unpleasant condition one might find themselves in."
Yeah no kidding why on earth would they come up with a name like that.
The Handlebar's got a good beer selection with pretty decent chow.
Kuma's Korner on Belmont has some friggin good food along with a great beer selection. Probably cant find a better deal on the mussels which also happen to be FUCKING DELICIOUS.
I could eat Kuma's Korner's Kaijo Burger for every single meal for a month and I think I would still be happy.
But to answer the question, I really don't think there is any place in town that could compete with the beer selection and food at Hopleaf. Personally for me, the Map Room has a better beer selection, but no food. As for better food than Hopleaf, you could easily find some high dollar joints with big name chefs in town. But you'd likely be pairing the meal with a Sam Adams.
Matilda has got some excellent food. get there, eat it. the assortment of appetizers are top notch.
The Beer Bistro in the West Loop! The menu even suggests which beers to pair with your meal. I highly recommend it.
I third the nomination of Kuma's and agree the Mussels are Fucking Delicious. I've never had a bad meal there and the beer selection is great.
SKYLARK!
Bells Octoberfest on tap (the supposed Chicagoist beer of the bonth), as well as several other very nice beers, and a nice stable menu. The skylark burger, a pint of beer and a basket of their famous tater tots with three dipping sauces is a meal to rival any "gastropub".
MAPROOM!
Free food in Sunday, random homemade foods (I never see who actually brings it in), we've eaten well there and the beer menu is the best in the city (by leaps and bounds).
HOPLEAF!
More expensive, terribly rude service, but great menu and great selection of Belgian beers. I won't go back until I receive an apology for the terrible mistreatment I got the last two times we were there.
GOOSE ISLAND
So REAL brewpubs must not count as "gastropubs, huh? A fresh pint and the Paulina Market Sausage Sampler platter is the way to go!
EDGEWATER!
Really good food, really great owner, really great beer. I really should get up there again, soon! Vegetarian dishes for all of you that gasped in horror at my sausage platter suggestion at G.I.
CLEOS
Chicago ave joint has great food, mediocre beer choices, super friendly staff, not exactly looking to wow gastropubbers but very welcoming...if that counts!
Cleo's by far. It has those delicious Penn-Station style fries and those day-of-the-week specials are pretty nice.
Feed The Beast at 4300 North Lincoln is awfully good ... very respectable beer selection, awesome nachos, scrumptious entrees. Cute servers too.
i'll second/third/whatever both the Hopleaf and Kuma's recommendation.
i'll also throw out there Resi's Bierstube! German bar, with excellent food.
Also, I gotta say, while it's not really as "gastropubby", Crew has some darn good food as well.
Finally, Mystic Celt has actually impressed me several times with how good the food is there!
I think it's stupid to bring the term gastropub to the US.
Number one, it's really old - very 90's, like Chicagoist renaming itself iChicago or eChicago. Why does anyone feel the need to bring the term to the US now?
Number two, the culture of pubs doesn't exist in the US in the same way it does in the UK. The way drinking establishments are part of the community in the US and UK is so different that the real meaning of pub is completely lost in the US. The british gastropubs are all old neighborhood pubs that not only have a great menu and beer selection but are also "pubs", with all the history and character that comes with it. It is not a restaurant with a good beer selection, it is not a bar with good food - it is so much more.
Finally, gastropub was a pretty stupid term to begin with. The British made it up to avoid calling places Brasseries, which is what the 90's gastropubs were. Brasserie is just too French for the British.
We understand all of that, we're just having fun telling each other where to get some good food and beer.
Gaslight on Racine may be my favorite restaurant in Chicago, and it's a good bar too. Get the pretzels.