West Town's nightlife scene is set to refresh with the upcoming launch of two new cocktail bars. Moonflower's team, a well-known bar in the Northwest Side, is bringing their seventies-influenced project, Golden Years, to the table. Simultaneously, Lemon Chicago is looking to fuse craft cocktails with live music, accommodating a varied range of genres.
Golden Years, conjured up by Moonflower owners Zach Rivera and Christina Chae in collaboration with High Dive owners Georg Simos and Alex Tsolakides, takes the place of the former High Dive, which was replaced by Dante's, a New York-style pizzeria, during the pandemic, according to Eater Chicago. Endeavoring to construct a neighborhood cocktail bar that encapsulates the soul of the 1970s rock and blues culture, Rivera and Chae plan to unveil the bar next week at 1938 W. Chicago Avenue.
The design of the Golden Years will incorporate brown leather seating, wooden furniture, and gently dimmed lights, evoking an atmosphere like that of the '70s. The bar's menu will put a contemporary spin on well-loved 1970s drink choices and ingredients, such as the Cactus Club and Zombie Killer, featuring orange juice, details Eater Chicago. A limited food menu includes classics such as wedge salads, club sandwiches, and bacon-wrapped dates.
Lemon Chicago, a soon-to-be-opened cocktail bar and live music venue, plans to inaugurate its space at 1600 W. Grand Ave on November 22, which will replace the closed Grandbar space, as reported by Block Club Chicago.
Zak McMahon, Jeremy Owen Barrett, Seth Blumenthal, and Mason McIntire, the co-founders, bring their industry expertise from various bars and venues to Lemon. They have planned to propose a wide selection of cocktails, including the trendy espresso martinis and mezcal margaritas along with craft and seasonal drinks. Engaging in the rising trend of non-alcoholic varieties, Lemon will also serve sugar-conscious, vegetable juice-based alternatives.
Lemon Chicago envisions to become a "creative sanctuary" for the community of West Town, instigating bouts of creativity in the domains of music and cocktails. The bar might not be a pure jazz club or corner tavern, but live performances spanning various genres will be a regular feature, according to Block Club Chicago.
As part of the ongoing post-pandemic recovery, these freshly incepted ventures are infusing renewed energy into Chicago's bar scene, promising diverse, unique experiences and atmospheres.
