Had your fill of green beer? Is your idea of a pot of gold being able to go out tonight without fighting the St. Pat’s crowds for a seat? Avoid the holiday hoopla at these hangs.
Japonais
The only hint of celebratory green you’ll see at this sleek, lower-level lounge will be a glimpse of the Chicago River outside the window. The intimate space is filled with modular loveseats perfect for enjoying cocktails and appetizers from the upstairs restaurant. Try the signature floating orchid martini, made with Stoli, Cointreau, fresh pear and lemon juices, and garnished with an edible orchid. 600 W. Chicago Ave. 312-822-9600.
Rhythm
Follow the sound of the drumbeats to this West Loop spot specializing in live percussion music. The centerpiece of the bar is a sunken drum pit–musicians and spectators sit around the pit on graduated tiers. The club hosts beginner-friendly drum circles three nights a week, and cover is only five bucks tonight. Try a hand-drumming lesson at 8 p.m., and if you’re feeling brave, jump right into the drum circle around 9 p.m. Enjoy a break between sets in the mellow lounge area in the back. The bar provides drums if you don’t have any. 1108 W. Randolph St. 312-492-6100.
Get Me High Lounge
This cozy, candlelit lounge in Wicker Park has plenty of comfy chairs and couches for enjoying cocktails and conversation. On Wednesdays the bar invites customers to get their “15 minutes of fame” by playing DJ for a brief stint: Upload 15 minutes of your favorite tunes to your iPod and the staff will make your picks part of the evening’s entertainment. Feel free to throw in some Sinead O’Connor or U2 for a subtle celebration of the holiday. 1758 N. Honore St. 773-252-4090.
Ethyl’s Party
Chinatown is a safe bet for dinner if you want to avoid corned beef and cabbage. Then, if you’re looking for a casual place for a cold one afterward, try Ethyl’s Party, a former funeral-home-turned-neighborhood-bar off the beaten path near the Chinatown/Bridgeport border. The crowd is usually a bunch of friendly regulars watching sports on TV, and the eclectic jukebox provides plenty of additional entertainment. Legend has it that the place is haunted, but on our visit, the only spirits we saw came in a glass. 2600 S. Wentworth Ave. 312-326-3811.
Katacomb
Want to go out in Lincoln Park but don’t want to get sucked into the vortex of green-beer-induced mayhem? On Wednesdays, the cavernous lounge is open until 4 a.m. and features a trio of up-and-coming DJs, each doing a two-hour set. There’s no cover Wednesday, and domestic bottles and lemon drop shots are only $3. Be sure to check out the art on the walls–we can’t say what the figures in those cave drawings are doing, but we don’t think it’s an Irish jig. 1909 N. Lincoln Ave. 312-337-4040.
