Enclave, Because We Were on the List
By Hanna Aronovich in Food on Jun 15, 2006 2:37PM
Chicagoist isn’t much for the velvet rope scene, but we do have one guiding philosophy: If you’re gonna go somewhere with a guest list, you’d best make sure you’re on the list or don’t bother going. Such was the case with Enclave. At 213 W. Institute, Enclave is a typical glossy club. Rich wood floors, intimate lighting, colorful artwork and sheer curtains transform the loft space into a glittering dance spot. It’s beautiful inside not just in décor, but also in patrons. And, while we like shiny, pretty things, there’s also a lot of fuss. 
If you like guest lists, bottle service, lines and pricey drinks, you’ll love Enclave. Chicagoist doesn’t much care for these things, but we do like “free.” So, when we were put on the party list which waived the $20 cover and gave us access to open bar, we were willing to check it out.
Open bar started at 9, which is promptly when we arrived. We wanted to maximize our drinking time, as well as avoid the late-night lines. We were greeted by a pretty guest-list girl and her husky, bouncer counterpart, complete with earpiece. (And, why is this the tag team combo found at almost every club door?). She checked our names, and we were let right in. Inside, another bouncer type, steered directly to coat check. Now, we’re more than happy to chuck our coats in a corner, but we played it classy and went along with the routine. 
The next goal was to score some drinks. We were under the impression it was open bar, but when our rum and Coke cost $12, we realized we were mistaken. Turns out, only vodka was on promo (either VOX or X-Rated, we weren’t really paying attention), but we happily switched to vodka tonics. The crowd around the bar was tight, although the rest of the bar, including the more relaxed and lighter downstairs, was open. Surprisingly, the female bartenders gave us more attentive service than the guys, which is rare.
Early in the evening, the crowd was mostly under 25. We hope it was more diverse later in the evening, but we took off when the drink special ended ‘cause when the free drinks stopped flowing, so did our enthusiasm for Enclave.