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I thought we agreed to an email interview, but then he or someone from his organization mostly ignored my questions. Instead, they gave rote answers to questions I never asked. The food menu at The Old Town Ale House consists of small plates and bar food like nachos, tamales, carnitas, and even poke bowls. Now, the bar is in the hands of Bruce Elliot and his wife Tobin and is like a second home to many locals. Not long after the new owners took over, the Ale House caught on fire. Taking with them about forty drinking pals, they carried what was left of the original Ale House and moved it into the middle of North Avenue, through the doors of what once used to be Pete’s Butcher Shop.
Bruce Elliott and his paintings
The oddball menu also lists a chopped wedge salad ($19), glazed black cod with a sweet miso glaze ($43) and matzo ball soup ($13). If Winston Churchill, who was chancellor of the exchequer in 1926, made a surprise visit from beyond the grave, he’d have a lot of questions. After taking over the bar, Tobin started sprucing the bar up and decided to extend the famous Ale House wall mural which was painted in 1971 by Maureen Munson. The mural contains the portraits of fifty or sixty old-time customers. With the help of Elliot’s talents, soon enough, every corner of the bar was covered in pictures of a present or former regular.
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Over the years, the Ale House saw many partners come in and go, but Art Klug always remained. Eventually, Art’s ex-wife Beatrice bought the remaining shares and the two took over. After the death of Art and Beatrice in 2005, Tobin Mitchell, Bruce’s wife, took over the bar, on one condition iterated by Beatrice - no blender, no credit cards.
Sláinte! Suburban bars and restaurants have big plans for St. Patrick's Day - Daily Herald
Sláinte! Suburban bars and restaurants have big plans for St. Patrick's Day.
Posted: Wed, 06 Mar 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
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Although mostly portraits of bar regulars, Elliott’s work has recently delved into the political. The compositions, like Bruce himself, are thoughtful, honest, and occasionally vulgar. He’s a man who freely shares his point of view, created and sharpened by living, working and drinking in Chicago. Stationed across the street from the famed Second City Theater, the bar has been home to a host of comedians, artists and celebrities for decades.
The history of Old Town Ale House
During Bruce’s lifetime, the Old Town neighborhood that wraps around the bar has changed dramatically. He described Old Town in the ’60s as a small Greenwich Village, filled with artists, writers, and actors. The biggest shift happened in the ’70s when the city widened the street outside the bar. Bruce said this seemingly small move altered the social fabric of the block and forced local businesses to close. In the years since, Old Town has seen massive gentrification and is now one of Chicago’s wealthiest neighborhoods.
He got the idea for the bar from a San Francisco saloon called Vesuvios which was located in North Beach. Vangelder was good at building bars and hiring bartenders. He was bad at customer relations and eventually sold the bar to a poor slob name Joe Diaz.
Walk through the front door, and you’re no longer on a sleepy corner of Lincoln Park, but a bustling London corridor. The decor looks like it’s been around for nearly a hundred years, but meticulously maintained. Polished antiques sit in every nook and cranny, including a towering metal coffee maker that bounces light across the room. Though packed with guests and servers rushing around, the room maintains an intimate, hushed vibe, with the music just loud enough to hear, yet never overbearing. But this is no bawdy tavern full of pint-chugging lads. Instead, it feels like where gentlemen from the House of Lords might retire after a long day of doing … whatever they do in the House of Lords.
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Sticking to the traditional English dishes provides firmer footing, even though I wish the crust on the pike fish and chips ($27) wasn’t so heavy. The bar is nothing compared with the dining room, where elegantly framed portraits line the walls. Dim lamps and ornate chandeliers cast a golden glow around the room like you’ve slipped into a Hollywood period drama.
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Partners came and went, each one nuttier than the previous one. Eventually his ex-wife Beatrice bought all existing shares and took over the bar with Arthur. One of the most sought-after paintings at the pub is one of Sarah Palin naked, holding an assault rifle while standing on a polar bear rug with harlot red high heels on. Elliot painted the piece right after the Republican Convention in which Sarah Palin was made the Vice Presidential nominee.
The Old Ale Town House was established in 1958 by entrepreneur E.J. Vangelder’s idea for the pub came from his visits to San Francisco, where he often visited the Vesuvios saloon on North Beach. Vangelder was good at building bars and hiring bartenders but wasn’t one for customer relations - due to which he sold the pub to Joe Diaz. Diaz’s ownership immediately ran the bar into the ground, and he sold it in 1970 to Art Klug and his group of Rush Street eccentrics. Once you’ve made it inside, you’re basically in a Peaky Blinders episode.
We are an intimate restaurant and accept reservations for parties of 1-6 guests. We kindly ask that you do not make multiple reservations for more than one group. What’s more, the Indian-influenced dishes on the menu are bizarrely disappointing. The skin on the tandoori-style roasted chicken ($25) arrives blackened to the point of tasting of soot.
Bruce’s paintings of boxers and filmmakers are hung alongside those of drug users and nude dancers. There are depictions of colorful regulars like the late Ruben Four Toes, pictured as a child smoking a cigarette and drinking a martini. Tim Barrett, who bartends at the Old Town Ale House, is up on the back wall too.
But Armitage Alehouse is one of those exceptions that’s too stunning to deny. It’s lovelier than Au Cheval, cozier than Bavette’s, and more polished than Maude’s Liquor Bar (which sadly closed in 2020). If you’re looking for Chicago’s most transporting space, the only competition might be the Cherry Circle Room.
Logs crackle from the fireplace, as diners lounge in large, cushioned chairs. If you’re in this neck of the woods, then you definitely cannot miss out on a pint at the Old Town Ale House. A night out at one of these restaurants will never be boring.
The Old Town Ale House boasts an array of beers, ranging from craft brews by breweries like Revolution Brewing and Half Acre Brewing Company, to our favorite cult brands like Guinness, Stella Artois, Corona, PBR Tallboys, and more. The pub is also known for bartender Tim’s cocktails, including the classic Michelada. If you’re looking for something off-the-menu, then feel free to ask Tim for one of his ‘signature secret creations’.
While the origin story of chicken tikka masala is hotly debated, the dish didn’t gain national consciousness in the U.K. When you step into The Old Town Ale House, the first thing you notice are the paintings that fill about every inch of every wall, made by the part-time owner and blogger Bruce Elliot. In fact, The Old Town Ale House has seen a shift in ownership over the years, before finally finding its place in Elliot’s hands. Brendan Sodikoff doesn’t create restaurants; he fashions escapes from reality. In true pub-style, The Old Town Ale House puts down daily specials on a chalkboard, which include the day’s drinks and food.
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