Chicago

170 W Ontario St, between LaSalle and Wells; River North; 312.337.3477

A classic tavern gone TV (38 flatscreens), District nonetheless provides for stately drunkenness with custom-built dark-wood and leather furniture, and a bookshelf that opens into a hidden room when the owner's favorite tome's tipped (hint: not The Five People You Meet In Heaven). Grub's from an ex-Blackbird chef (soft shell crab BLT on pretzel roll; seared lamb carpaccio “Deconstructed Gyro”; chicken-fried pork tenderloin; shortrib dumplings w/ lobster glaze) while booze includes 10 drafts (Peroni, Blue Moon, Guinness, etc) and tweaked classic cocktails like a Russell’s Reserve “Brown Derby” (it'll go straight to your head -- damn).

228 W Chicago Ave, at Franklin; River North; 312.475.1820

Inspired by NYC's famed Cafe Wa?, CWW's divided into a 60-person upstairs live music space and a same-sized downstairs lounge decked out with leather club chairs and sofas, and serving a streamlined food menu (charcuterie/cheese plates, soup o' the day, pastries), full-liquor bar, eight wines by the glass, 14 bottled brews, plus java drinks. There'll also be gratis wi-fi, reading materials, and board games from checkers to Risk -- sadly, "but it's the game of world domination!" won't stop them from kicking you out mid-domination.

At Stitch: 1723 N Damen Ave, at St. Paul; Bucktown; 773.782.1570

Constructed from weatherproof "Italian Coated Tech Canvas" or "Active Nylon" and available in black or charcoal w/ orange accents, Ro's new, 11-strong drop of clean-lined messengers, computer bags, and briefcases are highlighted by the army/navy surplus-styled "Lawrence" and the "Morris Hobo", whose four pockets can house a 15-inch laptop, a coffee tin, a small bottle of hooch, and a can of beans, just to keep it real.

Complete with pictures, background info, profiles, and purchasing links, this vast trove of Cubs legends and losers stretches back to the 1877 Cap Anson card, then moves back up through the likes of the 1909 Ramly Turkish Cigarettes' Frank Chance, the Goudey Gum Company's 1933 Charlie Grimm, various 50s-70s Ernie Banks numbers, and early 90s Mitch Williams -- a card that'll make your heart sing, and make everything...$2.95.

According to the Weather Channel anchor, the forecast calls for Freud, with scattered baseball references.