$3 Harp, Smithwick’s and Guinness pints, $3.50 Jager shots, $6.75 all-you-can-eat fish and chips
Where to Watch the Cubs
Is this the year, Cubs fans? Whatever happens to the Cubs this year, you’ll want to be there to watch it. Here are some of our picks for the best places around Wrigleyville to watch the game (and even grab some good grub while you’re at it):
More of a Sox fan? Check out these bars instead.
Vines on Clark
Brought to you by the same owners as The Cubby Bear, Vines on Clark, the hood’s only rooftop dining venue, is a dressier way to enjoy the Wrigley Field experience. Trade the Old Style draft for a pink lemonade martini made with Svedka citron, Triple Sec, cranberry juice and sour mix, sit back and take in the cries of the crowd. On non-game days, take advantage of the free parking lot and watch all the playoff games on one of four flatscreen HDTVs that show any game broadcast on Comcast or DirecTV.
This American trattoria is staffed by alums from top tier restaurants like Spiaggia, Everest and Osteria via Stato and, consequently, specializes in Italian eats (try the garganelli with proscuitto, peas and red peppers). Paninis and salads provide fare for more the red, white and blue crowd.
Full Shilling
We’ve got just three words for you: free hot dogs. Yes, the Shilling serves ‘em up before and after games (with a drink purchase, of course). And they’re amazingly fresh and good. While you can expect a full-on party atmosphere, they do their best to keep it in check and keep the drinks flowing for all. A standing special of $4 big cans of Old Style is the way to go, and they also serve a pretty good menu for a ballpark bar. But admit it, we had you at “free hot dogs,” didn’t we? Redmond’s
Located just a few blocks from Wrigley Field, Redmond’s is a world away from its rowdier, raunchier neighbors. A neighborhood pub with the requisite long, wooden bar and sometimes-sticky floor, it is home to Wrigleyville’s more sophisticated beer drinkers. Even on game days, the crowd remains somewhat reserved, seated at booths and opting for import drafts rather than the Pabst-drenched gauntlets found around the corner. It’s got Bud Light, but also serves Blue Moon (and 11 other beers on tap). Instead of dripping bottles served from tubs by indifferent bimbos, Redmond’s offers at least 25 different types of bottled beer slid across the bar by some of the friendliest bartenders in town.
Mullen’s on Clark
This is a sports bar in the classic sense: Five TVs and two big screen projectors play the game, while beer-drinking patrons play foosball, Golden Tee and darts (the real kind, with metal tips, so watch out!). Music plays at a raucous but not deafening volume, making Mullen’s as suited to friendly conversation as it is for a little friendly competition. The backyard beer garden consists of several tables set up in the alley, offering a better chance of finding a seat and a smaller chance of having beer spilled on you.
Trader Todd’s
Perhaps best known for being co-owned by Don Gibb, who played Ogre in the “Revenge of the Nerds” movies, Trader Todd’s is more Animal House than nerd-fest. Parked out front is the “Tiki Transit,” a converted minibus that acts as a free shuttle from Trader Todd’s to Wrigley Field and back on game days, in case you can’t make the three-block walk. Trader Todd’s namesake beers are brewed in Wisconsin and include lager, red and pilsner varieties. A couple more mainstream beer varieties are available as well, but none are endorsed by “Ogre” himself.
Harry Caray’s Tavern
A relative newcomer on the scene, Harry Caray’s took over for the old Hi-Tops just before the season and has been going strong. If you’re lucky enough to get a table, sit back and enjoy a plethora of TV screens everywhere you look — including a 10-foot HD TV in the back of the bar. They take the bar food menu up a notch with a burger bar that has plenty of options for all. And the chicken vesuvio is a favorite at all of the HC locations.
Captain Morgan Club
You can’t get much closer to the ballpark than this. Opened just this year, this bar/restaurant is actually connected to Wrigley, meaning you can enter the park through the bar’s indoor patio. As for the place itself, expect ballpark fare (hot dogs, burgers, Italian beef) brought to you by the Harry Caray’s people across the street. On a nice day, you can hang out in the outdoor patio, or come inside if the weather’s not cooperating.
Not in Wrigleyville? There are sports bars throughout Chicagoland sure to be showing the game.
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More fries folks love
Within a day or two of asking readers to write in and testify to the glory of their favorite Chicago-area french fry, we quickly realized the inherent mistake with such a broad and generous democratic approach — the trouble is that we asked in Chicago . Voting, and voting frequently, has quite the entertaining history here.
Slainte! Beyond the Beer and Whiskey
photo: courtesy of Bridget Cicenia
Just how many dyed green beers and leprechaun bendy straws can a person take? We all know that the novelty cocktails served in pubs across town on St. Patrick’s Day are lacking authenticity, so why do we keep guzzling them down? Why pay to drink something that looks like it was ladled out of the Chicago River?
Probably because the Irish haven’t given us many better options. Words like “appletini” and “cosmopolitan” simply don’t translate to Ireland’s pub dialect. Most public houses have two kinds of glasses?pint and shot?and the patrons like it that way, thank you very much. But you can sample some real Irish cocktails if you step away from the fair-weather fakers and raise a glass at some of Chicago’s best pubs.
“May the dust of your carriage wheels blind the eyes of your foes.”
Irish Car Bomb at Celtic Crossings
Sure, it’s been co-opted by frat guys from coast to coast, but the Irish Car Bomb also happens to be one of the few cocktails enjoyed back in the homeland. Of course, by ‘enjoyed’ we mean pounded in rapid succession with little regard for liver function. For the real thing, nix the college bars for U2′s preferred digs: Celtic Crossings.
Not only does the authentic pub forgo all the cartoonish Irish pageantry, but it also has a jukebox full of The Pogues. Even Bono would agree that nothing sets the mood for excessive drinking quite like a little Shane Macgowan. As for the Crossings’ Car Bomb, simplicity is key: A shot of Baileys-spiked Jameson plunked inside a frothy pint of Guinness. In fact, the only thing complicated about this beloved Irish tipple is figuring out how not to crack a tooth.
“May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”
Grafton Zinger at Grafton Pub & Grill
If your mamma always told you not to drink on Sunday, she probably wasn’t Irish. Uisce beatha, the Gaelic term for whiskey, literally translates to “water of life,” a common phrase for “holy water.” The name was given by the pioneering Irish monks of the Kilbeggan (“little church” in Gaelic) village; early holy men used barley from nearby fields and drew water from the river Brosna to brew the very first batch.
The smooth, oaky flavor of Irish whiskey has just a touch of sweetness, but is full-bodied enough to not be overshadowed by the ginger ale used in the cocktail. Add lemon to the mix, and you’ve got the Grafton Zinger ($6.50), a little cocktail with a big heart?and a bigger backstory.
“May the doctor never earn a pound out of you.”
Black Stallion at Galway Arms
If ever there was a whiskey that lives up to the “holy water” standard, it’s without a doubt Bushmill’s Black Bush Irish Whiskey. Strong enough to knock the devil right out of you, this 80-proof blend is ideal for a pharmaceutical-grade Hot Toddy.
Next time you have the sniffles, belly up to the bar at Galway Arms and request a Black Stallion ($7). The dark, malted whiskey owes its unique profile to sherry-seasoned oak caskets, the absence of peat in the drying process and aging for up to seven years. The resulting nectar produces a clean, full flavor that marries well with the clove, lemon and sugars of Galway Arm’s magic, custom-made tonic water in the Stallion.
“May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live.”
Nutty Irishman at The Kerryman
While a true Irishman rarely foregoes the comforts of whiskey and beer, there is one glaring exception: Not even the toughest man in the bar can turn down the sweet kiss of Baileys. Chicago’s favorite coffee creamer flies off grocery shelves from November through March, but one Irish cocktail takes the java-boosting to the next level.
At Kerryman Bar, you can order up a Nutty Irishman ($7, $5 on Wednesdays) or just shout out, “Manager on Duty!” This exclamation will, for some inexplicable reason, prompt the bartender to make you this winter-busting concoction. Frangelico is added to the time-tested foundation of Baileys and coffee, adding a nutty kick to a classic. As if this velvety blend wasn’t sweet enough, a dollop of freshly whipped cream crowns the whole affair.
Care to give home-bartending the old college try? Keep the St. Paddy’s spirit going year-round with these easy drinks:
Irish Black Russian
To equal parts Kahlua and vodka, add cola and a float of Guinness.
Irish Eyes
If you’ve developed a creme de menthe habit from all the green-tinted pomp of this week’s specialty cocktails, just add Kilbeggan whiskey, heavy cream and ice. Now shake and sip your Irish Eyes.
Dublin Handshake
If you subscribe to the “give peace a chance” sect, trade in that Car Bomb for a Dublin Handshake. Start with equal parts Baileys and Irish whiskey, and then fill with sloe gin.
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Noah Tepperberg to open $2.5 million ultralounge in Chelsea. 
