The Chicagoist List: Al Fresco Eating and Drinking

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jun 13, 2008 3:15PM

Lately we've been pretty big on lists around these parts, and with good reason. We love coffeehouses, as well as people, places and things that get us going.

Now it's al fresco season. For the next three months we Chicagoans will take advantage of that fleeting time frame known around here as "good weather." One of the best ways to do that is by lounging around in a beer garden or sidewalk café, nursing a cold one, some noshes, and being people watchers. Following is a list of some of our favorite places to take in the rays and hidden sights and sounds of this wonderful city of ours. Now kindly excuse us while we duck out of work early.

• Kitsch'n on Roscoe (2005 West Roscoe)
• The Artist's Cafe on South Michigan (412 S. Michigan, "mediocre food but hands-down one of the best people-watching spots in town." — Rob)
• Bowman's (2201 W Montrose)
• Bistro Campagne (4518 N Lincoln)
• Bad Dog Tavern (4535 N Lincoln)
• Tank Sushi (4514 N Lincoln, "fish with bus fumes! Mmmm." — Karl)
• Duke of Perth (2913 N Clark)
• Resi's (2034 W. Irving Park Rd.)
• Trader Todd's (3216 N Sheffield, "I like both eating and drinking in the back patio next to the sailboat and all the kitsch." — Ali)
• Village Tap (2055 W Roscoe, a near-unanimous choice of the Chicagoist staff.)
• Lula Café (2537 N. Kedzie, "...(T)hey do have a nice patio on the square." — Jess)
• El Cid (2645 N. Kedzie)
• Crust (2056 W Division St)
• Le Creperie (2845 N Clark St.)
• Moody's (5910 N Broadway St., "DUH" — Rob)
• Erba (4520 N Lincoln Ave.)
• Nuevo Mexicano (2914 N Clark St.)
• Joy's Noodle (3257 N Broadway St.)
• Ten Cat (3931 N Ashland Ave., "one of the most underrated beer gardens in the city" — your truly)
• The Cork & Kerry (10614 S Western Ave.)
• Franco's Ristorante during Sox games (300 W 31st St.)
• The Fire Side Restaurant (5739 N Ravenswood Ave.)
• The rooftop seating at Plymouth Restaurant (327 S. Plymouth Court)
• The rooftop at Pegasus (130 S. Halsted)
• Zapatista (1307 S Wabash, setting for the past two Chicagoist staff dinners.)
• Cuatro (2030 S Wabash, "I absolutely love watching people flock by while drinking a bloody mary made with cachaca." — yours truly)
• Café Bionda on South State (1924 S. State, "The better of the two locations by a long shot. Before he was convicted you stood a good chance of seeing Tony Rezko leaving his townhome across the street.")
• Sheffield's (3258 N Sheffield)
• Weeds (1555 N Dayton)
• Marina Café on Jackson Harbor (6401 S. Coast Guard Dr.)