Liam Kazar is bringing his Armenian pop-up dinner Isfahan to OSB at L&E on Feb 28 and March 1. It’s gonna be an intimate, fun feast — grab your tickets now before they’re gone!
The newest LSD Bulletin Board comes to us from Kenneth Williams. It's featured in support of the exhibition, Artists First: 25 Years of Studio Art at Thresholds on view now at the Chicago Cultural Center. Thresholds provides services and resources for persons with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders in Illinois. The exhibition introduces a compelling group of outstanding artists who are living with challenges and building from them daily; making work that speaks directly to our shared humanity and intersectional diversity.
Artists First: 25 Years of Studio Art at Thresholds is on view at the Chicago Cultural Center until January 8, 2023 — go check it out!
the newest LSD Bulletin Board just went up! This one features the work of our pal Joey Garfield.
Joey is a lot of things: A filmmaker, photographer, and multi-disciplinary artist. He also happens to be the mayor of a special place that exists right in front of your eyes, if you look hard enough. It’s a place called Moundtown.
“Mounds pop up everywhere, during every season. It has become my mission to profile these pile-ups of debris found in the corners of our world one mound at a time. They are all made naturally out of dirt, snow, wood chips and other organic material. A mound’s lifespan is fleeting and in order to capture these mythical creatures in their natural environment, I have to act fast. I scale walls, jump fences, and sneak through alleys to get the shot. And I’ve only cut myself twice!”
These mound creations are a playful way to celebrate the diversity in nature coupled with the spontaneity of street art and photography. Each image encourages the viewer to have a sense of wonder, a bit of humor and an awareness to our environment. This particular mound is named Maxx. It is made of gravel, rocks, and drink coasters which were appropriated from a restaurant in the very near vicinity of this billboard.
“I am acutely aware that once you see one mound you will start to see them everywhere. When this happens, you have officially entered Moundtown. Welcome.”
Find out more at joeyjoeygarfield.com.
Right in time for short sleeve season, the Lonesome Rose T-Shirt Club is back!
This shirt, called "Wait Too Long," comes to us from Santa Barbara-based artist and designer D.J. Javier. In addition to being partner at Canto Vision, D.J. runs Bayan Surf Club, his multi-disciplinary creative studio. Blurring the lines of art & design, B.S.C. specializes in creative direction, commercial art, graphic design, murals, brand identity, fine art, illustration, apparel, really good ideas, party waves, etc. D.J. considers himself a graphic designer meets professional doodler meets surf rat meets rap music connoisseur.
Like all of our Lonesome Rose T-Shirt Club shirts, this edition is a one-time limited run (no reprints, ever!). Head over to Lonesome Rose to grab one in real life, or snag one from the Lonesome Rose webstore.
Parson's won "Best Socially Distanced Dining" in Chicago Reader's Best of Chicago 2021 poll! It's really amazing to see that after almost 9 years folks still love our big, beautiful patios. Thanks for voting for us!
Serving up classic cocktails, beers, and shots (and that Lonesome Rose margarita you know and love), you can catch Golden Teardrops in action from 5-10pm, Thursday through Sunday in the basement of good old Lonesome Rose. We'll also be selling a limited number of custom green chili cheeseburger kolaches from our friends at Howdy Kolache every night, we’ve got a sometimes functioning jukebox on the wall and all kinds of xmas lights and beer signs to give you something to zone out to.
We're excited to close out the year with a billboard from our friend, Sean Gannon. Sean is an artist and painter based here in Chicago, whose bold, graphic work often draws on elements of the city.
In his painting The Smoke Tunnel (from March of 2020), Gannon evokes Bugs Bunny's tunnel trompe l'oeils — two red eyes floating in a frame filled with hazy plumes of smoke. "Delusions of too big of a hit," Gannon says. Catch it up at the corner of Armitage and Sacramento through the end of the year and beyond!
photo: Alex Hupp
Got a couple last minute gifts on your list? Milk Room launched a virtual Bottle Shop just in time for the final holiday push!
Shop through a selection of Milk Room and Cherry Circle Room's private label house barrel bottles like our Russell’s Reserve Cherry Circle Room Single Barrel Bourbon aged almost 10 years, and our Casa Noble Joven Milk Room Single Barrel Tequila — only 288 bottles available!
All orders are available for pick-up only Monday through Saturday from 9a - 5p in Game Room. Impress your uncle with some very exclusive and rare spirits this year, and stay tuned for more additions to the shop! Place your orders now.
You read that right — there's a little bit of Happy's, the all-out explosion of holiday cheer, at Parson's West Town! Starting tomorrow, Friday December 3, you can get a mighty dose of holiday cheer on Chicago Avenue. Just up the stairs from the main dining room, you'll find a veritable wonderland of Santas, stockings, and twinkling lights — and a festive cocktail menu to boot. Come by for some classic holiday movies and a Santa Shooter, and don't forget you can catch all the Bulls and Bears games there, too!
After a hiatus in 2020, Happy's annual holiday pop-up is back for a fourth year on the ground floor of the Chicago Athletic Association!
Happy’s is an all-out explosion of all things holiday: over-the-top decor, warm vibes, seasonal tunes, and as many twinkling lights as possible. Opening the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, November 24, Happy's will be open Wednesday - Saturday from 4-11pm, and will run right up to Christmas Eve, with its closing night on Thursday, December 23. The bar will feature a menu of festive cocktails, wine, and beer, as well as bar bites like walking tacos and fried Wisconsin cheese curds. Proof of vaccination is required to enter, so don't forget your card (or a photo of it) and a mask!
Want to have the most festive holiday party on the planet? Happy’s is also available available for party bookings for 10-100 guests. For inquiries, please e-mail: events@lsdatcaa.com.
We're excited to have the latest installment of the L&E zine in stock! It's the fifth in Longman's series of newsprint zines (we've been printing them since we opened!) and features work by friend of Longman, photographer Jerimiah Smith.
Currently based in Alabama, Jerimiah considers his photography a collaboration between himself and the subjects, and sometimes spends months with someone before he photographs them. The photos featured in the zine were taken on a cross country motorcycle trip.
Grab one the next time you're at Longman!
Chicago Magazine published their list of the 27 Best Things they ate in 2021 and included Lost Lake's Double Fried Fish! See the full list here — and if you haven't tried Chef Dani and Fred's new food menu at Lost Lake- respectfully- what's taking you so long?! Book a reservation now!
Cherry Circle Room, the James Beard award-winning concept from Land and Sea Dept. inside the Chicago Athletic Association, will reopen after 18 months on Friday, September 24th. The reopening team is a stellar mix of veterans and new faces, all working collaboratively across roles and departments. The resulting menus are exciting and fresh while still embodying the Cherry Circle Room experience guests have missed the past year and a half.
The food menu, a true collaboration by the culinary team, features old favorites from Cherry Circle Room's previous menu like the steak tartare, shrimp cocktail, and butcher block selections, as well as new dishes that embody the restaurant's commitment to refined, seasonal takes on classic, regional dishes using the finest ingredients the midwest has to offer.
The culinary team is comprised of Executive Pastry Chef Rosie Estrada (previously pastry sous chef at Cherry Circle Room), Chef de Cuisine Jacob Sloan (W, Soho House), and Executive Sous Chef Alisha Elenz (MFK. & Bar Biscay, James Beard Rising Star Semifinalist 2019) — all working with Land and Sea Dept. Director of Culinary Operations, Max Robbins (Executive Chef of Longman & Eagle).
Cherry Circle Room is excited to have Anika Ellison on the team as sommelier. Anika holds a level 2 sommelier degree from the Court of Master Sommeliers, and was formerly sommelier at Spiaggia. Anika has curated a global wine list for Cherry Circle Room, with an emphasis on sustainable and organic wine, both by the glass and by the bottle.
The bar team, a mix of CCR veterans and new faces, has created a robust cocktail menu, which continues to feature both house cocktails and classics inspired by a rotating selection of historic cocktail books. This season's historic menu features drinks from The Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Book with Amendments Due to Repeal of the XVIIIth, by Albert Stevens Crocket. The beloved Cherry Circle Room bar cart will also be back, making variations on Wisconsin-style Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, and martinis. The after-dinner drinks are also making a return, including the much-enjoyed boozy adult milkshakes, like the Pink Squirrel and the Awful Awful.
The Cherry Circle Room will also feature a curated beer list, on draft and in bottles. Service Director / Assistant General Manager Aleya Broadway is also returning, having served in various roles since the restaurant's original 2015 opening. The service and atmosphere are both big parts of what makes dining in Cherry Circle Room so special, and Aleya plays an important role in creating the ambiance.
Cherry Circle Room will be open for dinner five days a week to start, from 5-11pm, Wednesday - Sunday. Brunch service will return later in the fall. Reservations are available on Resy.
Milk Room is excited to partner with Sunday's Finest Gold Fashioned pop-up to celebrate the launch of Sunday’s Finest Gold Fashioned — the world’s first luxury, ready-to-drink bottled cocktail. For six nights only (October 18-20 & 25-27), you can join Founder Robert Haynes, (creator of Apologue Liqueurs, for an exclusive tasting experience. The pop-up will feature a special menu with historical riffs on the Old Fashioned, plus bottles of the Gold Fashioned will be available for purchase. Tickets are available here — we can’t wait to see you!
It’s officially official: BRUNCH IS BACK at Parson's! It's available at all four locations from 10am-2pm on Saturday and Sunday. This year's menu features some -never before tasted- breakfast dishes from Chef Hunter Moore, like breakfast sandwiches, plus favorites like fish and grits and huevos rancheros. Plus brunch cocktails! We'll see you there soon.
The latest LSD Bulletin Board at in Logan Square at the corner of Armitage Ave and N Humboldt Blvd is called “CRYIN’ RYAN” from Chicago-based artist Ryan Travis Christian. Painted early last winter in the throes of the pandemic, he said of the piece, “Long story short, I missed people. And this image was an extension of longing to hang out with my stupid friends.”
Cluckin’ & Buckin’ is BACK this Saturday on the Parson’s Andersonville patio and this time we’re DRAGin’ out summer! Our faithful hosts Crinkle Cut Queen and Irregular Girl are back, and we’ll have performances from Rachel Slurzz and Drag Me Stephanie — plus DJ Club Chow will be providing the tunes and we'll have all the Deep Eddy drink specials you can crush. Table reservations are available now for parties of 4-8 with a $10 deposit (which will be donated in full to Brave Space Alliance) but they’re going fast, so book now here. We’ll see you at 7pm on Saturday— don’t forget small bills to tip the performers!
Longman & Eagle was named one of Chicago's 26 Best Hotels by Conde Nast Traveler! See the full list here — and take a little overnight trip to Longman while you're at it!
We’ve just released a new Lonesome Rose T-Shirt Club featuring artwork from Alicia Gaines, grab one before they’re gone! Check out this quick interview with the artist behind the latest design, conducted by LSD art director Drew Ryan.
Photo by Alex Hupp
Hey Alicia what's good?
Oh, trying to make as much design and music as I can, knowing that I can only plan so far ahead. It’s kind of comforting for this control freak knowing none of us know what’s going on. No one is ever really in control, but the universe has showed us all that our plans are fragile and frankly a bit quixotic. You’ve gotta work with that in mind.
You're a musician too (apparently we like to pick musician/designer hybrids for the Lonesome Rose T-Shirt Club)—do you rehearse in the same space where you create visual art?
We have a practice space for the band, but my personal songwriting station is the same as my design desk. It gets a bit crowded with mics, Wacom tablets, etc. but I think of it all as pretty similar work. I often have Ableton and Illustrator open at the same time.
Did music introduce you to graphic design?
Not necessarily, though my appreciation of both grows from their constant interaction in album artwork, music videos, that sort of thing. I think I still have some jewel cases from the early 2000’s memorized because I’d pour over the liner notes’ design and photography.
Most people know you for your design work and your band—i'm not sure that folks know you as a painter. do these three worlds intersect in your mind, or do you keep these practices separate?
To me, design is art in service of a problem. If a design isn’t solving a problem, it’s not design it’s art! It’s a fine distinction, but I think it’s important to apply to something like music. What are you making the soundtrack to?
You can only use 5 typefaces for the rest of your life: what fonts do you choose?
I’d have to go with some classics. Akzidenz Grotesk, Avant Garde, Museo, Cooper, Bookmania
Where'd you grow up? what brought you to Chicago?
I grew up in the suburbs around Portland, Oregon, and came to Chicago at 18 to attend The School of the Art Institute.
First song you learned on bass?
Probably something off Doolittle by the Pixies. I was always into the Kims, Kim Deal and Kim Gordon.
Do you like working on your own band's visual aesthetic? Are they your hardest customer?
Like with most design, I have to be confident about anything I show my bandmates, because they may just pick it. We also keep collective mood board folders, so I try to keep a temperature on where our heads are at.
Ganser gets asked to play a show: any dealbreakers?
Oh yeah, tons. Anywhere that isn’t LGBTQ-friendly, or has a reputation like that we know about, we’ll turn it down. For example, we were asked to play a show around the legalization of weed in Chicago, and when they could not answer to our inquiring about their efforts around clearing records of those with drug charges related to weed, we declined the gig.
Favorite Taco Bell specialty item?
Oh, wow. Big one. I would say on tour, late at night, there’s nothing that beats cinnamon twists. They may not be a specialty item, but they’re special to me because I only have them rarely at 2am on tour.
Do you add guac at Chipotle?
Absolutely.
Shoutout to:
Shoutout to folks trying to come out the other side of all this not nicer, but kinder.
Photo by Alex Hupp
We're honored to have Lonesome Rose included in Condé Nast Traveler's updated guide of the best rooftops in Chicago! Our cozy lil California Ave rooftop is in great company, too. Check out the full list and then join us on the rooftop for a frozen marg! Thanks to Condé Nast Traveler for including us!