A Bite of Chicago
A Surviving Rite of Summer
Dining al fresco is one of the cherished rites of summer. And this year, with the cancellation of virtually all of the city’s summer festivals, it’s more important than ever.
It’s safe to say that Recess (838 W. Kinzie) in the West Loop looks nothing like any other restaurant in the Chicago area. In lieu of conventional exterior walls, the 14,000-square foot, multi-level patio is rimmed on the street side with battered boxcars, which are also used on the inside to house bars, cabanas and food stations.
.
Recess’ bar menu includes a good selection of wine, craft beers, cocktails, frozen drinks
and mixed shots, while the accompanying pub menu focuses on updated classics. Think burgers, pulled pork, salads, loaded tater tots, guacamole, pigs in a blanket and chicken wings. Recess is open for dinner nightly and brunch on weekends.
There are two Beatniks: the West Town Beatnik at 1604 W. Chicago Avenue and Beatnik on the River at 180 N. Wacker Drive. Both have outdoor seating, and both pair extensive bar menus with globally-influenced fare. Halfway through the year when travel died, it’s good to know that our palates can still flit from place to place.
Expect dishes like tandoori masala meatballs, huitlacoche arepa filled with duck confit, watermelon gazpacho with a sprinkle of feta, and Lebanese-style lamb. The weekend brunch menu offers dishes as diverse as fried chicken and waffles, a double cheeseburger and bulgogi fried rice.
Similar menus aside, West Town Beatnik’s outdoor space, complete with a retractable roof, has its own identity. The decor successfully blends Moroccan opulence with the tropical lushness of Bali, and the combination makes it easy to banish worries about all of the problems facing the country for at least a few hours.
Beatnik photos by Ethan Jollie
Filed under:
Chicago restaurants, outdoor dining
Tags:
outdoor dining
-
Advertisement:
-
Advertisement:
-
Welcome to ChicagoNow.
-
-
Subscribe by Email
Completely spam free, opt out any time.
Monthly Archives
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
Recent posts
-
A Surviving Rite of Summer »
Barbara Revsine on A Bite of ChicagoPosted today at 2:30 pm -
Dining al fresco on Chicago’s North Shore Part I: Lake Bluff »
Carole Kuhrt Brewer on A Bite of ChicagoPosted June 16, 2020 at 9:01 am -
It’s the Little Things That Mean a Lot »
Barbara Revsine on A Bite of ChicagoPosted June 5, 2020 at 2:41 pm -
The New Normal »
Barbara Revsine on A Bite of ChicagoPosted May 13, 2020 at 3:37 pm -
It’s Good, But Is It Portable? »
Barbara Revsine on A Bite of ChicagoPosted May 6, 2020 at 5:50 pm
Google Analytics Stats
About the Bloggers
CAROLE KUHRT BREWER
Carole is an arts, entertainment and food journalist. She writes “Show Me Chicago” and “Chicago Eats” for ChicagoNow and covers Chicago places and events for Choose Chicago (City of Chicago) as well as freelancing for a variety of publications.
BARBARA REVSINE
I started writing when I was in grade school. And when I wasn’t writing or thinking about writing, I was reading what someone else had written. So it wasn’t a stretch for me to think about writing as a career. Neither was it a stretch to think about writing about food, a subject I’d always found interesting, more in terms of history, cooking, restaurants and culture than eating and critiquing. Decades after selling my first story, my interest in writing about food continues, and “A Bite of Chicago” gives me another opportunity to pursue my passion with people who share it.
Latest on ChicagoNow
-
Chicago violent crime surging? Watch Judge O’Brien, R Cand. for CC State’s Attorney, dissect State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s performance, Cable & Web
from Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz by Jeff Berkowitz
posted today at 7:54 pm -
Meet Your Neighbor: Lighthouse Foundation
from One Cause At A Time by Gordon Dymowski
posted today at 6:57 pm -
Pandemic Parenting: The childcare struggle continues
from Aspiring Dance Mom by Natalie Matthews
posted today at 6:16 pm -
Car Stuff Podcast: Cadillac Super Cruise and reveals of the 2021 Lexus IS, Nissan Rogue
from Drive, She Said by Jill Ciminillo
posted today at 4:55 pm -
Vicki Wood: Breaking Gender Barriers in Auto Racing
from Girls Go Racing by vettegal
posted today at 4:21 pm
Posts from related blogs
-
The Beeronaut
Most recent post: This Week in Chicago Craft Beer, June 22-25
-
Hot Dog Diaries
Most recent post: Hot Dog Eating Contest Carries On
-
Chicago Eats
Most recent post: alfresco brunch kicks off this weekend at etta and Maple & Ash
More from Lifestyle: Food, Drinks & Dining
Read these ChicagoNow blogs
-
Cubs Den
Chicago Cubs news and comprehensive blog, featuring old school baseball writing combined with the latest statistical trends -
Pets in need of homes
Pets available for adoption in the Chicago area -
Show Me Chicago
Show Me Chicago previews, reviews and expresses opinions on what’s happening in Chicago from Blockbuster Theater, to what’s new in dining, arts, and the neighborhoods.
Read these ChicagoNow Bloggers
-
Ray Salazar, NBCT
-
Natalie Matthews
from Aspiring Dance Mom: -
Tron Griffin
from Keeping An Eye Out:
- About ChicagoNow
- •
- FAQs
- •
- Advertise
- •
- Recent posts RSS
- •
- Privacy policy (Updated)
- •
- Comment policy
- •
- Terms of service
- •
- Chicago Tribune Archives
- •
- Chicago Internet Marketing Services
©2020 CTMG – A Chicago Tribune website –
Crafted by the News Apps team