Think of premium cocktails and fancy international beer lists, and you’re likely to drum up a list of plush downtown lounges and upscale taverns. Turns out Matchbox, that tiny wedge of a bar on the busy corner of Milwaukee and Ogden Avenues, rings in near the top of both categories. Just ask veteran bartender Chris Fields. You’ll find him slinging drinks at this West Town haunt most nights.We caught up with him recently to see how life was on the roomier side of the bar.
It’s kind of cramped in here — do you ever get claustrophobic?
Well, behind the bar we probably have more room than in front when it’s crowded. But the way it’s laid out, you tend to feel like everyone is watching your every move … and they are.
What’s the story with West Town? It seems like most folks only zip through looking for that semi-secret expressway entrance …
The area has changed with the city. When [the bar opened] it really was a no-man’s land. I don’t know when or how it started being called West Town, but it has become a neighborhood all its own, so I guess it’s earned a name.
The beer list here rocks, but beer geeks are sometimes even worse than wine geeks. Do you ever get patrons who are a little too into their brew?
For a small bar, the selection is really huge and all top-shelf; we’re proud of that. So, if someone is really into beer or wine or bourbon or whatever, they’re free to come in and snob it up. But that goes both ways … if you order an apple ‘tini or Jager bomb, you’re not going to get one, but you will get a funny look.
We assume Top 40 songs don’t make the rotation here either. What’s the music policy?
We were one of the first bars to go iPod. Everyone that works here has one, and we play off that. Overall, we want to play music that keeps it fun and interesting. Pop, country, R&B, classic rock. We try to honor requests, but if you ask for the Stones or Zeppelin … you gotta think about how many times we can hear those same songs before going completely insane.
We bet Matchbox has seen a celebrity or two — ever serve one?
Not myself, but we have had our share of celebs drop by … I’m told that Forest Whitaker is not only a fine actor but an excellent tipper — an example to all of us.
Give us one piece of Matchbox advice — something for the first-timers out there.
Above all, play well with others.
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MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS
Matchbox
Neighborhood: West Town
Who: Chris Fields, 38
Where: Matchbox, 770 N. Milwaukee Ave., 312-666-9292 What: bartender
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metromix@tribune.com
