Chicago

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Ignacio Villalgordo

Ignacio Villalgordo
I will be in Chicago from August 9-14. Travelling with my wife. Some questions:

Is someone available for a drink or 2?

I am looking into purchasing some wine from The Chicago Wine Company. Are they reliable?

I have checked the web, and seen some recs; but any recommendation on where to drink or buy wine (think similar to Rouge Tomate / Racines + Chambers Street Wines / Crush in NY) would be more than welcome

Thanks in advance!
 
Vin Chicago is a mixed bag: lots of commercial stuff, but also usually some interesting wines from LDM, etc. Good pricing, too.

Mark Lipton
 
I'm in Detroit, not Chicago, but I've done a fair bit of shopping in town. And for buying wine, I'd say Red and White on Milwaukee would be a good spot given the places you mentioned. Lots of LDM, lots of "natural" wine, etc. Very good, friendly people. I stopped in a long time ago here and had a great time, and since then, my friend Paul (who used to distribute LDM wines in Texas) has been hired in there as well.

I'd also suggest Perman Wine Selections. Small operation. He consults for a couple of great restaurants in town. Has started doing some importing of his own. Not quite so strictly in the natural vein, but thoughtfully selected. Another very nice guy.
 
I'm new to town and have searched hard for my Chambers. Red and White, as mentioned above, is best for natural wine. My second favorite is Independent Spirits for a wide variety of wines, many unusual (think Balkan wines from the '80s priced to sell), at good prices, and Lush is similar if slightly smaller. Vin Chicago is decent as well.

For wine bars, Websters and Rootstock are great. For restaurants, Table-Donkey-Stick was a nice surprise for wine. Bad Hunter and the Publican also were nice. There are also a handful of good BYOs, including El Ideas.
 
Retail-wise, Perman and Red & White are my choices. Both have a lot of stock hidden away, so it's worth button-holing Craig (Perman) or Nathan/Paul/Cubby/Mac/Catie (Red & White) if you're looking for something specific. We don't have a Chambers equivalent because we're Chicago and have to fight for our tiny allocations with NYC and CA. The only way to do that is to make friends Craig or Nathan and continually harass them to source bottles for you.

Restaurant-wise, you'll need to go to expense account places like Everest, Spiaggia, or Sixteen if you're looking for a deep list like Rouge Tomate or Racines. Most of the options floated thus far have smaller, well-curated lists (think Reynard, not Rouge Tomate). As many of these places are new-ish, you'll find a heavy emphasis on recent vintages.

* Webster's Wine Bar and Rootstock - definitely. Rootstock has the added bonus of a former Alinea chef de cuisine (Jeff Pikus) slumming it in their small kitchen right now. Webster's will serve you food if you're famished but the food is an after-thought; they're really just a great place to drink. Carl Moberg is the GM and will happily geek out with you if you announce your intentions.

* Income Tax in Edgewater is excellent on all fronts. Introduce yourself to Collin or Nelson and you'll drink very well. They have the extremely democratic policy of opening anything on their bottle list (under $100) as a half bottle.

* Giant in Humboldt Park is super, but they've been getting a lot of attention and can be a tough table to snag on short notice. If you can get a seat, talk to Josh Perlman (or Jeremy Quinn, if he's working) as some of their treasures are off-list.

* Boeufhaus in West Town/Humboldt Park - they're tight with Nathan Adams (who owns Red and White and was their opening Wine Director) and seem to get bottles that no one else gets.

* In the West Loop, I like Bad Hunter a lot. I've never thought much of the Publican wine list but haven't been in a while. (I'd give the nod to Nico as the "wine flagship" for the restaurant group that owns Publican.)

* If you're in the Loop, the Cherry Circle Room is a fave. Andrew Algren has put a lot of effort into building an excellent list, the kitchen is solid, and it is one of the classiest bars in the city.
 
I'd toss Parachute into the mix of Disorderly lists- it's not convenient, but the food is more than worth the effort. And I can third Rootstock- it's probably my favorite place in Chicago if wine is the overriding criteria.

These aren't anyone's idea of Disorderly, but I eat and drink well at Purple Pig and Balena. Lunch at the bar at Purple Pig is the best meal I know in the mag mile. Balena is a favorite from when I lived nearby- good food, long Italian list with some worthwhile stuff and a staff that is usually knowledgeable and can geek out if you want. In a similar vein- I also do well at Blackbird (especially for lunch).
 
Chicago is my kinda town,
except when it rains
or I'm stuck with a clown,
which just gets me
when I'm down.
Yes, Chicago is my kind of town.
 
Vin Chicago used to be a lot better, in terms of Disorderly content. But they are a price conscience outfit and when some of our favorites (Burgundy / Foucault) got expensive they simply disappeared from the shelves at Wine Discount Center (now known as Vin Chicago). Probably the best part of their selection for Disorderlies will be Barolo. Good prices and lots to choose from.

Agree with the comments on Perman and Red and White. Ask Craig Perman about his latest buying trips and he'll be able to tell you about a lot of champange, Piedmont, etc bottles that aren't on display. But the selection is small and the price reflects 1-Chicago, 2-his real estate. I don't think his pricing is out of line, but not cheap, either.

I like what Independent Spirits (pretty far north on Broadway) does. But I find the spirits selection a little more compelling than the wine selection.

Hate to bring the Evil Empire into the discussion, but the large Binny's (near North Ave) has, for example, an enormous selection of grower champagne - sometimes even in magnum, or Olga Raffault, or Baudry. Prices vary, but mostly they reflect the current Illinois cartel.
 
originally posted by evan hansen:
I'm in Detroit, not Chicago, but I've done a fair bit of shopping in town. And for buying wine, I'd say Red and White on Milwaukee would be a good spot given the places you mentioned. Lots of LDM, lots of "natural" wine, etc. Very good, friendly people. I stopped in a long time ago here and had a great time, and since then, my friend Paul (who used to distribute LDM wines in Texas) has been hired in there as well.

I'd also suggest Perman Wine Selections. Small operation. He consults for a couple of great restaurants in town. Has started doing some importing of his own. Not quite so strictly in the natural vein, but thoughtfully selected. Another very nice guy.
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Those are great recommendations. And PAUL! Tell him hey!
 
Sorry, just saw this and understand it is too late, but will pile on with many of the recs.

Red and White and Perman. Agree with Tristan, than Vin was more Disorderly than the current state, but there are some things to be had there.

Besides the Rootstock rec in my hood, Cafe Mare Jeanne (across the street from Rootstock) has great food and some thoughtful selections with help from the Rootstock folks.

Al
 
How fucked up is it that I move from Detroit to Chicago (well, a western suburb) and first learn about Perman from Evan (from Detroit).
 
Fun town Chicago. Particularly Wicker Park. Never mind the carry law though.

Dr__Henry_Howard_Holmes_(Herman_Webster_Mudgett)-2.jpg
 
originally posted by fillay:

* If you're in the Loop, the Cherry Circle Room is a fave. Andrew Algren has put a lot of effort into building an excellent list, the kitchen is solid, and it is one of the classiest bars in the city.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this; before the Opera last night we dined here and it is really nice with a great list.
 
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