Have you been caught sitting solo at Crossroads in Lincoln Park while your crew toasts without you at The CrossRoads in the West Loop? It’s understandable. Several bars and restaurants have recently opened with names that are similar — or in some cases, exactly the same — as existing spots. We’ll help you learn who’s who and what’s what.
The CrossRoads Bar & Grill
1120 W. Madison St. 312-243-1113
West Loop condo dwellers are happily filling the whiskey-barrel tables at this Southern-inspired tavern named for a Mississippi Delta legend. If you’re not hungry enough for pulled pork or po’ boys, satisfy your sweet tooth with Mississippi mud cake ($6.95) and The Jimi, a desserty pint of Young’s Double Chocolate Stout layered over raspberry wheat beer Abita Purple Haze ($6).
Not to be confused with: Crossroads Public House (2630 N. Clark St. 773-248-3900), where cheap food and drink packages have become legendary among thrifty, thirsty Lincoln Parkers.
Via Ventuno
2110 S. Wabash Ave. 312-328-1198
Just one week old, this flashy Italian reconcept of the restaurant formerly known as Room 21 already is a bit of an old soul, thanks to decor that incorporates an intriguing collection of artwork and other artifacts from restaurateur Jerry Kleiner’s personal collection. It’s named for nearby 21st Street.
Not to be confused with: Via Veneto (6340 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-267-0888), a white-tablecloth Northwest Side spot that actually has been turning out Italian standards for more than two decades. It’s named for the far-off Italian region that’s home to Venice.
Province
161 N. Jefferson St. 312-669-9900
Stop in for cocktails and a bite after work or spend an evening working your way through the menu-of-many-portion-sizes at this 5-month-old West Loop spot where chef Randy Zweiban serves contemporary American fare with Latin and Spanish spins.
Not to be confused with: Provenance (2528 N. California Ave. 773-384-0699; 2312 W. Leland Ave. 773-784-2314), a cute wine shop and gourmet grocer with locations in Logan and Lincoln Squares, where the main attraction comes in only one size: by the bottle.
Simone’s Bar
960 W. 18th St. 312-666-8601
The newest baby in the Northside/Street Side/Logan Bar & Grill family, Simone’s has been servicing Pilsen with funky cocktails and good-enough bar eats for nearly two months. Thanks to a truly diverse entertainment lineup, you might catch anything from rockabilly kids jitterbugging to ’50s doo-wop to DJs spinning reggae and soul.
Not to be confused with: Historic Andersonville bar Simon’s Tavern (5210 N. Clark St. 773-878-0894), where hardly anything’s changed at all in years — not the hours of operation, not the Prohibition-era wooden bar, and not the down-to-earth bartenders or neighborhood crowd.
