Note: this is the latest of my investigations into the possibilities of new restaurants in Chicago. I've noticed in my blog-travels (and referral-lurking) that people pretty much go Cuckoo for new restaurant news.
EveryBlock and its rich, early info (liquor licenses, business licenses, and building permits are pretty good indications of a new place opening up) is an essential tool for me (or any of the other dozens of quality news sources who mine this vein) get the scoop.
So I post that stuff, but I'm not a real foodie (my fiance covers that in this family). What I really care about is how the collective, directed actions of contractors, architects, restauranteurs, city planners, iron workers, dining supply companies, licensing clerks, and dozens of other actors change our built environment and the way people move through them.
That's why I like finding three different facades for the same building on Milwaukee Avenue this week by scouring the Internet and rolling by on my bike. I like to think of myself as a contemporary civic historian. We're bathing in so much info about any given subject, it's hard to remember that we let so much go down the drain, daily. These are my dirt rings, my drain-stoppers. Thanks for dipping.
When I drive by the intersection of Halsted and George, where The Union used to be, I always think about how it was the first bar I noticed that had a "if you love Team X, you're going to freaking love this place" theme as a main driver for business. Their front-door tagline, still visible in this pic from yesterday, was "Chicago's Home of the Big Ten":
And then they went out of business. (See some vintage Yelp posts here– some real drama at this joint).
This "home team" trend has gone way too far, by the way, as evidenced by Houndstooth on Clark:
Houndstooth Saloon, are you *Really* the "Home of the 2009 National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide?" Right there on Clark Street in Chicago? Come on, now.
Anyway, back to the corner of Halsted and George. The Union has been closed for a while now, but it seems like something is finally going to move into the location at 2858 North Halsted Street— George Street Pub. They applied for a liquor license last month (EveryBlock told me so!) so it looks like they're on their way. Here's the application notice for selling alcohol on the outdoor patio:
And here's the patio as it stands today:
And it includes a handy-dandy Orkin Pest Control rat trap of some sort:
Here's the complete set of photos I took yesterday.
They've also got a one-page, enigmatic Web site, which seems to be a necessary ingredient to an opening:
Dunno if they're related to the ones in LaCrosse, WI or this nutty page on the Internet.
So anyway, anyone know details on this joint?