Local Watering Holes

 Opened in 2000 as Logan's Alley, the bar occupies a converted home built in the 1890s. A patio was added at some point and we'd love to return in nice weather to experience it. The place was packed. There are two rooms: the main room with the bar and a smaller room with the games. Music being a tad louder in the game room, we picked the bar and found a table near the front door. Other than how noisy it was, we loved the old-school, cozy feel about the place. The game room This being Valentine's Day, there was a special offering via Short's Brewery, showing some Alley love. We did a Cupid's Arrow and F'load (clever) from Shorts, an Apricot Sour from Avery and a bottled Moose Drool from Big Sky. Logan's is known for their smothered tots and we don't like to pass up the specialty. Cheddar jack cheese, sour cream, bacon and green onions truly smothered the tots. This is the full order that the menu suggests for two. We shared it with four and it was plenty....

This place originally opened in 1905 across the street at 585 Stocking NW, where Arsulowicz Brothers Mortuary currently sits. John Arsulowicz called it the Ideal Tavern. When Prohibition hit in 1920, the bar closed and became a store selling religious goods. It re-opened in 1959 and moved to its current location. So with a gap of almost 40 years, it is a little misleading to claim they've been in business 113 years. But nonetheless, it is a Westside staple. Here are two old, undated photos of the bar. The vast space is broken up by the large horseshoe bar in the middle. Tables and/or booths, and a lot of TVs, run along either side and we took a table at the front windows. The horseshoe bar is very cool but one can't see from one side to the other. We thought the padding was old but it turns out patrons are just very tough on it. But some of the wood of the bar is original and over a hundred years old. And there are still some bells under the bar that were part of their old phon...

Nighthawk has been around for many years and you'll find it set back from the road, with the best name ever. If it's not named after the famous 1942 Edward Hopper painting, that would be a major disappointment. (Photo from Wikipedia and detail photo from a 2009 visit to the Art Institute in Chicago.) This Nighthawk doesn't have the atmosphere either of the painting or of other places we've visited but it was worth a stop. The entrance hall divides the space into two distinct areas. The space to the right is a dining area that also contains the restrooms. On the left, which is where we were seated, the bar is located, as is a pool table. This chalkboard greeted us upon entry and The Railtown beer special (Peanut Butter Coco Time) was promptly ordered, along with a Stella, a Bonfire Brown, and  a Vodka on the rocks. We all tasted the Railtown brew and agreed that we each should have ordered it :-) We learned from the menu that Chicken Gizzards were the House Specialty ~ t...