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).

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