Paul McGee Joins Land And Sea Dept. As Beverage Director

By Lisa White in Food on Dec 30, 2014 5:05PM

We've long been fans of tipping back a few drinks from Paul McGee, one of the top cocktail shakers and beverage directors in Chicago. From his start at The Whistler where he built up a cult following to turning Let Us Entertain You's Three Dots and a Dash into a critically acclaimed tiki destination with a line snaking out the door, McGee has always had a knack for crafting up creative libations, carefully curated menus and teaching the art of cocktails to drinkers across the city. So we were excited to find out where McGee has landed for his next endeavor after leaving Lettuce Entertain You and Three Dots and a Dash earlier this month.

Eater Chicago reports that McGee has been named the beverage director for restaurant group Land and Sea Dept. If you aren't familiar with the name, you for sure are familiar with their concepts, which include Parson's Chicken and Fish and Longman & Eagle.

McGee will be at the helm of the cocktail programs for three upcoming ventures Land and Sea Dept. are opening in the near future. Eater points out the three locations where we can expect McGee to work his magic: a space at the forthcoming Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, a venture in the Logan Square or Avondale neighborhood and a revamp of the bar that was Ronny's in Logan Square, which is rumored to be named Golden Teardrops. We're just hoping they fix the roof, which was crumbling on our head the last time we set foot in Ronny's dive of a punk bar years ago.

With McGee crafting up drinks and the strong history of delicious food at other Land and Sea Dept. restaurants, we can't wait to see what concepts they come up with and expect something delicious in the future.