He is probably not the first person you noticed in Osgood’s photo, but the man in the cowboy hat is John Wonsil and he is a regular at Charlotte’s Bar & Grill at 6000 W. Gunnison St. on the Far Northwest Side.
Wonsil was, until last year, an employee of the Chicago Tribune, retiring after 43 years in the advertising department. Wonsil is the sort of person every neighborhood tavern needs: quiet, companionable, rarely over-served and thus no trouble at all. He is also the kind of person who needs a neighborhood tavern.
“It’s no fun sitting home alone,” says Wonsil, who lives a few blocks from Charlotte’s. “I go to the bar to play some pool, watch the Cubs or Bears. I’ve gotten to know a lot of the other regulars and I’ve come to think of them as good friends.”
It used to be easy to find a neighborhood tavern. They still exist, of course, but are an endangered urban species. This has to do with changing drinking habits but is also the result of a determined effort on the part of the mayor and many aldermen to cut the number of taverns through tough new liquor licensing procedures. Fifty or so years ago there were about 7,000 places where one could grab a drink and some conversation. Now that number is dipping toward 1,000.
Charlotte’s is owned and operated by Charlotte Dolan. It is a simple and large place, with a pool table, a bunch of TV sets, some video games, a jukebox and good bar food, along the lines of burgers and pizza.
“This is still a blue-collar neighborhood and that’s the kind of crowd we get,” says Charlotte’s daughter, Joanna, who helps run the tavern. “Yes, we try to hire bartenders who are attractive. Almost all of them are Polish, like my mom and me, but they also have to be experienced. You can look only so long but if they aren’t serving your drinks it doesn’t matter how pretty they are. We love running this place. My mom’s been doing it her whole adult life.”
Indeed, for many years she ran by herself a tavern at Diversey and Central Avenues before taking over what had been a restaurant called Larson’s and changing it into the current Charlotte’s 16 years ago.
“Charlotte runs a tight ship,” said Wonsil.
The bartender waiting on Wonsil in the photo is named Anna and that’s all you need to know.
“They are all nice men who come here,” she said. “They behave like gentlemen, especially John the Cowboy.”
Those in the place that night were nice, too, telling true stories and lies, sharing bits of their lives.
“You get a really mixed crowd,” said Wonsil. “I’ve made friends with motorcycle guys, construction workers. This is a peaceful and clean place. The people who come here enjoy sports, they enjoy life. It’s a community and I’m glad I can be a part of it.”
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rkogan@tribune.com
