March Love Letter

Chicago is a major metropolitan city. But—no surprise—not everything here is fancy-pants. Sure, we have the lavish Drake Hotel, where well-heeled execs sip imported tea while a harpist plays. But minutes away, there are places such as Shenanigans House of Beer, a sports bar where co-eds get sloppy drunk; and Ashkanez, an old-school deli where sandwiches are packed in paper sacks.

Disparate options are what make the city click—and March is the prime time to enjoy them. So make a game plan.

First, the unfussy: Pubs celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Try the festivities (live music, Irish dancing, drink specials) at The Fifth Province, the cozy watering hole inside the Irish American Heritage Center (irish-american.org). Poag Mahone’s pub (poagmahones.com) is another fave; it’s within walking distance of the downtown St. Pat’s parade route.

Then, the high-end: swanky nightclubs. The newest is Madpoison Ultralounge (madpoisonloungecom), an “interactive bar” where you order and pay for drinks using touch screens (coming up with your own potent combo is encouraged).

Kelly Aiglon