While a quick beer and sparkling conversation can be found at any corner tavern, single men (and single women) cannot live by hanging out at the Dew Drop Inn alone.
Ask a traveling salesman from Milwaukee, a 21-year-old college student from Champaign or an Evanston businessman where Chicago`s hottest nightlife can be found. All three will point you in the direction of Rush Street. Ask these same average citizens where to find some action in the heart of suburbia, and they`re likely to ask you what drug you`re on. Everyone knows there`s nothing stirring in the suburbs, right?
Wrong.
Though Rush Street always will retain a certain glossy mystique, it`s far from the singles mecca it once was, at least in the minds of many a suburbanite. As one young businessman from La Grange points out, ”I work on Michigan Avenue and fight city traffic five days a week. I enjoy working downtown, but on weekends, when I`m ready for some fun and relaxation, the last thing I want is another headache as I hunt for a parking space–which usually turns out to be six blocks away from where I want to go.”
The plentiful free (and relatively secure) parking at the typical suburban singles bar is a big selling point for harried commuters. But there`s an even better reason for staying in the boonies when Friday night rolls around: The comforts of Rush Street–such as ”atmosphere” and members of the opposite sex–are abundantly available in suburbanites` own back yards.
Some of the old hotel lounges, complete with singers of the ”Hey, you`re marvelous, don`t ever change” variety, are still a suburban fixture, to be sure. Yet they`re rapidly fading from the picture as more and more nightspots along bustling thoroughfares such as Golf and Butterfield Roads give the old standby Rush Street some fierce competition.
Perhaps we`ll soon see a day when cleverly disguised Near North Siders will sheepishly rent cars and purchase maps of the suburbs for a quick cruise to see what they may have been missing.
Psst. . .hey you, in the sunglasses, driving on the wrong side of the street. Here`s a get-acquainted guide to some of the more interesting drinking/dancing establishments in the vast never-never land beyond the city limits.
North/Northwest
If Rush Street is Chicago`s singles answer to the Street of Dreams, then Golf Road is the north and northwest suburbs` answer to the Yellow Brick Road. Following Golf roughly from Niles to Schaumburg, fun seekers will pass dozens of promising places to while away a weekend night.
Bubbles Bistro, 9046 Golf Rd., Niles (824-8773), offers dining and drinking at four levels with two dance floors and three bars. The staff is chic but friendly. Waitresses wear a tastefully sexy costume of black mini and tights. The deejay is dapper in a designer suit and the hostess is apt to be wearing gold lame. Here`s the perfect place to put on a flashy frock and pretend you`re Apollonia.
Bubbles has a good sound system and plays a fine mixture of dance tunes. Old movies and cartoons are beamed against one wall. No cover charge, unless there`s a band (then it`s $1 to get in). Tuesdays are `50s and `60s nights. Ladies` Nights are Wednesdays and Thursdays. Happy hour, Monday-Friday from 4 to 7 p.m., includes a free buffet. Open until 4 a.m. Fridays and 5 a.m. Saturdays.
Oliver`s, 9225 Golf Rd., Des Plaines (298-5077), resembles a beautiful old English mansion, especially in the dining rooms, where a series of small cozy areas have lovely stained glass windows, Victorian lighting fixtures, attractive curio cabinets and bookshelf-lined walls. (Half-pound burgers here are fabulous.) The bar area is spacious and filled with greenery. Events include auditions for the TV show, ”Puttin` On the Hits” on Mondays (call to register for the competition), Ladies` Night on Tuesdays and Thursdays
(unescorted women get cheap drinks), Hot Legs contest with cash prizes on Wednesdays, Video Dancing on Fridays and Saturdays until 5 a.m. and Mardi Gras Night on Sundays (with a free barbecue buffet, 9 p.m. until closing). No cover charge. Attire is ”casual dressy.”
Nestled in the heart of ”corporate row,” it seems only fitting that Confetti, 1850 E. Golf Rd., Schaumburg (885-8779), is the area`s first
”scientifically planned singles bar designed to appeal to the upwardly mobile.” (How do they screen out the ”downwardly mobile” undesirables at the door? Do they send for college transcripts to check your G.P.A. or does a German shepherd bark when a woman wearing Avon cologne enters the room?)
In any case, before making the trek to Confetti, keep in mind that people either love or hate this place. Be prepared to wait outside for an hour or two before getting a foot in the door. Once inside (where you`d better be wearing your most expensive three-piece suit), be prepared to sing, dance, jump around and act foolish along with a highly motivated team of costumed waiters, waitresses and bartenders who are ”scientifically trained” to encourage dippy behavior among such otherwise tame excutives. It`s all part of a complex corporate plan to promote a never-ending ”spontaneous” party. Cover charge is $2 weeknights and $3 on weekends.
Just a few blocks away, Studebaker`s, 1251 E. Golf Rd., Schaumburg
(843-3434), combines stainless steel, glass and neon in a dazzling oldies motif. There`s an old Studebaker convertible where you can sip drinks while listening to Motown hits and other favorite sounds of the `50s, `60s and `70s. No cover charge.
Straying somewhat from Golf Road, you`ll find a whole slew of Snuggeries: (yes, just as on Rush Street) at 2400 Hammond Dr., Schaumburg (397-3100);
1799 S. Busse Rd., Mt. Prospect (593-2200); and 425 Waukegan Rd., Northbrook
(480-0095). On weekends, these close at 3 a.m., 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. respectively, which means you can hop from one to another, if you so desire and can still stand up after so much merriment. The Schaumburg Snuggery offers live music on Sundays. Live bands are featured on Wednesdays at the Mt. Prospect site. Kicks and Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows are popular attractions at both. Call for cover charge information.
If dressing for success and dancing to the latest from Lionel Richie isn`t your idea of a hot time in the old town, fear not. Live rock is still kicking at the Thirsty Whale, 8800 W. Grand Ave., River Grove (456-2414). One of Chicago`s oldest rock rooms, the Whale was once a stomping ground for popsters such as Cheap Trick and Pezband. Now the emphasis is on heavy metal. Expect SRO crowds whenever Paradoxx or Hammeron perform. A fairly large room, the club`s cavernous layout makes it appear smaller. If you`re sitting in the back bar area–usually opened only on weekends when crowds are thickest–you may have trouble hearing the band (a curse or a blessing, depending on how you feel about heavy metal).
Ladies` Night is Tuesdays, but the best people-watching occurs on Wednesdays, when free drinks are given away from 8 to 10 p.m. Cover charge varies, with $3 being about average. As far as attire goes, anything goes, though you`ll be an especially huge hit if you wear leather and rhinestones.
West Suburbs
Nightlife revolves around a string of glitzy restaurant/lounges in the Yorktown and Oak Brook shopping mall areas. Cody`s, 1209 Butterfield Rd., Downers Grove (852-8522), is the ”in” spot of the moment. It`s common to wait outside in line, although the club has a huge capacity. Reminiscent of the famous, now-defunct ”concert club of the Midwest” (B`Ginnings in Schaumburg), Cody`s has a large sunken dance floor from which singles can survey the dancers. There is artful use of huge video screens and monitors. Every so often, the screens will lift, and a lip-syncing or flashdancing heart-throb will supply ”live” entertainment. It would be nice to see live bands at Cody`s. The clientele is young and hip, so this could be an alternative to the ”here today, gone tomorrow” fad of lip syncing.
Just a short jaunt from Cody`s, you`ll find lots of other busy singles hangouts, all offering comfortable ambiance (shiny brass, lots of plants, crazy antiques). These include: Carlos Murphy`s, 1461 Butterfield Rd., Downers Grove (960-2033); Stuart Anderson`s Cattle Company, 1303 Butterfield Rd., Dowers Grove (964-5900); Jeremiah Sweeney`s, 99 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard (629-2344); Friday`s, 601 E. Butterfield Rd., Lombard (964-9789); and Bennigans, 17W640 22d St., Oakbrook Terrace (832-5611).
Making amazing comebacks after brief periods of inactivity are Isn`t It, 2720 Ogden Ave., Downers Grove (963-0860) and A. W. Shucks, Ill. Hwy. 83 and North Avenue, Elmhurst (941-7650). Located behind the Czech Villa Restaurant
(an establishment known for its sumptuous Bohemian feasts and senior citizens` dinner specials), Isn`t It offers live rock Wednesdays through Saturdays, with groups such as Gambler, Tough Love and Metro All Stars drawing lots of fans. There are two bars (upstairs and down) in this beautiful room with a cathedral-type ceiling, a dazzling light system, giant video screens and ”old world” charm.
A free hors d`oeuvres buffet is served nightly–a nice touch for a rock bar. Another rarity: The place is kept immaculately clean (your shoes won`t stick to the floor). Ladies` Night is Wednesdays and ”Loop” night with 98-cent pitchers is Thursdays.
Shucks has cleaned up its act in more ways than one. Closed for several months, the club had deteriorated into a haven for mud wrestling, jello wrestling and salad wrestling. The new owners vow that classy entertainment will prevail, with Top 40 dance bands such as Risk and Broken Heart providing ”clean” diversion. The club has been cleaned and remodeled, the stage has been enlarged and a new video/sound system has been installed. Drink specials include 50-cent drafts on Mondays, two-for-one-drinks on Tuesdays, 10-cent drinks for ladies on Wednesdays and free drinks from 8 to 10 p.m. on Thursdays. Typical cover charge is about $3.
Elswhere in Elmhurst, you`ll find another Oliver`s, 630 W. Lake St.,
(832-3742), which is similar to the Des Plaines location. This one has a stunning new art deco dance floor.
South Suburbs
In the south suburbs, a certain generic glitz pervades the chain restaurant/lounges surrounding the area`s two major malls. At Orland Square in Orland Park, there`s Jeremiah Sweeney`s (349-4475); The Charley Horse, a cute sports bar where cheerleaders and athletes will bring your drinks to you
(460-1771); and the Cattle Company (349-9190).
There also is a Cattle Company (499-1450) at Chicago Ridge Mall, along with Bennigan`s (499-6808) and Foolery`s (formerly Bally`s Tom Foolery)
(636-1100).
The timid Near North Sider might be tempted to stick to these safe-and-sterile offerings, but the real party people will wander off to more authentic southerly hangouts.
Haywires, 8046 S. Cicero Ave., Burbank (425-1235), has been ”where the South Side rocks” for more than a decade, but with oodles of name changes, including Harlow`s, East India Company, Harlow`s again, and Pip`s. Bands perform Tuesdays through Saturdays (local boys Styx were at one time the unofficial ”house” band). Large video screens have taken the place of a live deejay between live sets, and the club is partial to presenting tapes of area heroes such as Griff Band and Music Matters. Cover charges range from $1 to $5. If you walk in at 10 p.m. on a Friday night, don`t be deceived by the room`s emptiness. This has always been a ”late” bar, suddenly getting packed around midnight. Closing time is 4 a.m.
P.J. Flaherty`s, 2531 W. 95th St., Evergreen Park (423-3046), is the area`s live blues headquarters, with top R & B acts such as Vanesea Davis and Deluxury regularly drawing SRO crowds Tuesdays through Saturdays. Aerobics classes are featured on Ladies` Night (Tuesdays and Thursdays). Monday night is Dart League night, in deference to the neighborhood`s Irish population. Open until 3 a.m. every night.
Country music lovers gather at Dillon`s, 8675 S. Archer Ave., Willow Springs (839-2003). Dillon`s is really two bars in one–country upstairs, eclectic downstairs. The country room is never at a loss for urban cowboys and cowgirls. Live bands such as Crossfyre keep the place jumping, and country dance lessons are free.
Downstairs, entertainment ranges from Top 40 acts to blues (Wednesday nights) or occasional ”concert” acts (Bachman Turner Overdrive recently passed through). The Dazzling Dillon Gang (a male dance revue) appears in the lower bar on Tuesdays. Open 7 days a week until 4 a.m.
A spin through the south wouldn`t be complete without a stop at Erik the Red, 11050 S. Spaulding Ave. (779-3033). Though located in the Mt. Greenwood area of Chicago, Erik`s draws a mostly suburban crowd. Ironically, this is the most ”Rush Street-like” of any establishment to be found away from the Near North Side. A former Ace Hardware store, this funky bilevel bar has a playfully schizoid decor (such as a slide to transport patrons from the balcony to the main floor and Viking ship ornaments adorning the bar). There`s a long hallway covered with candid camera shots of patrons, with this rogue`s gallery being updated every few months. Dance music strikes a pleasant balance between current R & B and new wave/techno-pop. A fun, unpretentious place.
One final word of advice to the happy wanderer making a brave new journey into strange suburbs: No matter what a bunch of giggling teenagers may try to tell you, the ”L” does not stop at Confetti.
