Tastiness and tunes in Rogers Park

Some bands have obvious crossover potential -- Soundgarden could install faux-rock speakers, and Jefferson Airplane could operate a low-cost carrier movin' people on up to the East side. For food from another obvious entry on this list, check out Act One Cafe and Mayne Stage.

Chef'd by a Kendall College-trained chef who used to be the drummer for Veruca Salt, Act One's the comfortable, stained-glass-and-wood-trimmed-green-booth'd grubbery half of a cafe/music venue double act, the other part of which will be called Mayne Stage (pray to god it doesn't start its own contrived webisode series). First-course noshes rock out to the tune of chicken liver mousse w/ cherry-port jelly & smoky clove lavash, lobster hushpuppies w/ tarragon aioli, and spring rolls of caramelized plantain and jerk chicken, who's crossing the road because he &%$% wants to, and what &%$#@% business is it of yours? Those infected with the hunger can next-level to sammies (e.g., Berkshire pork French dip w/ hot house mustard), "Boilermaker" battered fish 'n chips w/ spicy malt vinegar, and a shrimp/scallop/calamari stew (w/ Fresno chili, black beans, and saffron tomato broth) called "Seafood Booyah", which would also have a webisode series if only it could look straight into the camera.

They're also rocking a full bar and 12 beers on tap (Mad Hatter, Two Brothers Domaine Dupage) to lube you up before hitting a show at Mayne, which'll boast a near-300 capacity and host everything from blues/jazz/rock acts to the less-musical stylings of sketch and stand-up comedians, which would clearly be the Insane Clown Posse's next move if only they weren't already total jokes.