In the past few months, several neighborhoods got laid-back new nightspots. Here's a look at four that can host low-key gatherings.
1. Rockwood Place opened in Wrigleyville late last month. From the team of owners behind LaSalle Power Co. and Angels and Mariachis, the bar is available for full buyout with a capacity of 249. The venue can also host semiprivate events for 100, and a pool room stocked with two billiard tables can accommodate 40. Package menus include offerings such as cheese curds, mini corn dogs, and cheeseburgers; the bar selection focuses on microbrews and whiskeys.
2. Old Town Social popped up on North Avenue in late August. Billed as a sporting parlor, the venue is furnished with marble bartops and antique barstools; it also houses a charcuterie bar and a shoe shine station. Chef Jared Van Camp (formerly of Blackbird) oversees a menu that includes French fries fried in duck fat and a B.L.T made with crispy pork belly and heirloom tomatoes. Available for full buyout, the venue can seat 210 or host receptions for 500. At the back of the space, a semiprivate area with its own bar can seat 40 or hold 100 for cocktails.
3. In April, a second location of River North's Rockit Bar and Grill opened in Wrigleyville. Decked with antler chandeliers, the rustic spot serves high-end bar fare such as a Kobe beef Rockit burger topped with melted brie and date aioli. The entire two-floor venue can host events for 200; the upper level can hold 100. For smaller groups, the semiprivate pool room holds 45 and the Wrigley room, also semiprivate, can accommodate 55.
4. From the owners of Manor and RiNo, the Cedar Hotel opened in the Gold Coast in August. With an American menu that offers lobster-salad sliders, salmon burgers, and skirt-steak skewers, the bar has a drink list filled with thematic cocktails such as the "Secret Rendezvous" sangria and the "Chamber Maid's Cherry Limeade." A sprawling patio filled with wicker furniture hosts receptions for 150; the venue's cedar-lined interior holds 99.
