Oiistar in Wicker Park, a ramen joint we had gone to together once before, felt like the right spot to satiate our craving. With the cold (albeit kind of off-and-on) Chicago temperatures, ramen just sounded good. We had a busy weekend ahead, so when we were planning out last Friday evening, we were shooting for as “low key” as we could get. Or at least that’s what we were going for. From the warm atmosphere and kind wait staff to the killer bar snacks and delicious beers, this place felt very homey and “us.” Being the pub rats we are, we split the fried brussel sprouts and fried pickles, and they were equally delicious. First Draft to the rescue! With a large craft beer selection (many of which were on draft), this place met every desire we had down to the menu. We were bummed not to hang out longer, but this just gives us a reason to make another trek down in the near future.Ī little while later, when evening-time rolled around, we were in search of a light bite and a good selection of brews. Not only could we not get a table, but there was hardly any standing room for us. That’s definitely something we like about the area.Īfter The Scout, we were really hoping to check out the microbrewery and taproom Vice District Brewing Company, and tried to visit, but by the time we arrived, it was literally packed to the gills. It was also at this bar that we noted the South Loop to be much more diverse than many other neighborhoods we frequent in the city. Not a ton to report as we only stayed for a beer, but we dug the upscale ambiance. Later that day, we decided to pop into The Scout, a sports bar, for a quick drink. It didn’t hurt that they have Intelligentsia Coffee on their menu, which is arguably one of the best Chicago-based coffee roasting companies around. While the corned beef hash could have been crisper (and the english muffin perhaps less crispy), the flavors worked great together and we left the restaurant incredibly happy. We split this entrée and another: the “Irish Beny” – a toasted english muffin topped with corned beef hash, sautéed tomatoes, two poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. Morgan stated the red velvet was “life changing” while Mandy was more into the green tea and liege. It came with four mini waffles: red velvet topped with strawberries and strawberry whipped cream, liege topped with bananas and Nutella, chocolate topped with walnuts and chocolate drizzle, and green tea topped with candied ginger. If ordering a Waffle Flight is wrong, we don’t want to be right. We kicked off Saturday with a brunch for the books: Chicago Waffles. We wanted to get a feel for what it would be like to live in that area, so we decided to spend the weekend getting acquainted with our equal parts trendy and rough around the edges downstairs neighbor, Sloopy. The Sloop, as at least one teen refers to it, is the up-and-coming area home to Printer’s Row (formerly the center of the Midwest’s publishing industry), the Museum Campus, and many new, modern apartment buildings and condos. A few weekends back, we decided to spend some time in a neighborhood neither of us know too much about: Chicago’s South Loop.