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Damen (Blue)

A fresh look at old favorites.

Thursday Dec 08, 2005.     By Centerstage Chicago Staff

Lifestyle Feed

There's so much going on near this stop that sometimes you need to stop and smell the...coffee drifting from the doors of Half & Half. Rather than write-up a roster of newbies, Centerstage takes a quick look at some of our favorite spots in the hood.

Safety rating: One of the more populated corners in town, just be wise. Panhandler rating: Not a rarity by any means.

Best of the nighttime world
Danny's
For nighttime eyes, it's hard to spot the paint-chipped "Danny's" in the dimly lit front window. Instead, you need to keep your eyes peeled for the Schlitz sign that hangs overhead at this beloved Bucktown bar. Candlelit tables dot the rooms in this converted house, outfitted with barstools, booth seats, tables and chairs, ottomans and couches. Palpable moods fill the rooms, where both animated and sullen faces alike can coexist without much tension; this place seeks to fulfill multiple needs for friendships, drinking and thinking. Wine selections change weekly, and a $6 glass (like the white Argiolas from Sardinia or the Francois Parent 2002 Pinot Noir) merges perfectly with all of those friend/drink/think needs.

Many artists, DJs and musicians add the best touches to the Danny's community, including the sounds of reggae, soul and electronica, the sights of video projections and installation pieces and the words of poets (at the monthly and much-loved Reading Series). Behind the bar waits an affordable variety of liquor and a tap that pours Boddington's. If all of these things don't make you plainly happy for a night, then surely just one will.

In-the-know spot
Jane's
Jane's isn't as plain as your first impression might have led you to believe. Its interior is more spacious than you'd expect, helped along by two floor-to-ceiling windows dressed with white drapes and a high vaulted ceiling with a few skylights peeking through. The menu pleases the gourmet palate: New Orleans-style black grouper with sake-ginger sauce and Asian vegetables ($20), and spicy angel hair pasta with chicken, spinach, tomato, chipotle pesto and cotija cheese ($15). Vegetarians have the pick of the garden: Goat cheese, vegetable and tofu burrito served with pico de gallo and avocado mousse ($12) and grilled vegetables, black beans and brown rice with yellow pepper salsa ($14) should do you well.

Seating an intimate 50, 2005 saw the addition of a second room that's deliciously sweet, outfitted in a creme white marble mosaic surrounding the Calcutta marble bar, tables sided by wrought-iron chairs and several chandeliers. Available for private parties, the room can hold 50-80 guests. During warmer months, lovebirds can dine on the patio deck. (It should be obvious by now, but it bears announcing: This is a fantastic spot for dates.) Now serving breakfast and lunch, delight over traditional treats like scones and a bagel sandwich with lox, onion, tomato and lemon caper dill cream cheese ($7.50). A full coffee bar features Intelligentsia roasts. Reservations are highly recommended.

Late-night locale
Tre Via
Spawned from the Wicker Park creators of Double Door and Santullo's, two-year-old Tre Via offers a chillaxin' spin on affordable gourmet Italian. Mighty little tapa-inspired sharables like prosciutto-parmesan-stuffed arancini risotto balls and mascarpone cream cheese bruschetta make-up the brunt of the menu, while you-call-it 10-inch pizzas fuse rich cheeses and stylized veggies and meats (roasted garlic, caramelized onions, barese sausage) to satisfy larger appetites.

Though the highest priced plate caps off at a taste-at-will $7.50, Tre Via isn't just a spot for stuffin' bellies. Stay planted in your seat on Wednesday for Tre Via's eclectic live music staging, which has been known to feature break-dancers. Tuesday mixes it up with a "totally awesome" prize-motivated bingo. And on the weekends, Tre Via raises the bar with "Live Art Saturdays." Local painters take over a good quarter of the 100-seat capacity first floor and brush to the beats of in-house DJs. The place, with its warm-colored, spherical vibe, incites late-night comfort, whether you're with a few friends or part of a private party (the lower level holds up to 50). Pre-party, party or after-party, Tre Via holds its own Italian groove amidst an already bumpin' neighborhood.

Sure bet for shopping
Niche
Enter the spacious, light-filled Niche and you'll see a lusciously sink into-able leather couch next to a table full of fashion mags. An oriental rug and potted plants complete the living-room vibe. But it won't take you long to remember that you're at Niche to dress up and not put up your feet. The 14-year-old footwear institution comes stocked with hard-to-find and eye-catching styles from Audley, Claudia Ciuti, La Canadiennet, Luc Bergen, Ben Sherman, Tsubo, Costume National, Moma and Ambre Babzoe.

The uniqueness will cost ya, though: Most of Niche's shoes run between $200 and $500 (worth every penny if shoes are your thing). Everything is utterly of the moment and anything goes: delicately beaded sandals sit next to metallic, jewel-and-fur dotted moccasins and bohemian embroidered boots. For men, shoes from Gordon Rush feature everything from John Wayne-style to suede ankle boots and dressy lace-ups. Display cases at the back of the store offer jewelry from local designers like Jules Verna and cute knickknacks (think suede purses and fabric belts) that threaten to leave you stylish but broke.

Dinner-date destination
Thyme Cafe
Occupying the former Sinibar space in a charming, 120-year old building, Thyme cafe makes French fooding a comfy and affordable affair. The upstairs seating area invites 70 to chomp away in breezy-chic surroundings complete with maple-stained floors, exposed brick and earthy accents of khaki, cream and moss. The menu provides some of the happiest reading in town: Nothing costs more than $20 (about half the price of sister eatery, Thyme), and everything from appetizers to reds and whites has been broken down into six simple-to-understand selections. Chef Bubula uses the word "ragout" to sum up his cooking style. In old French, this word means "to revive the taste," Bubula explains, who labors over up dishes that "are about bright, bold flavors and how they interact with herbs and proteins."

Appetizers include a scrumptious roasted beet salad with cherries, pecans and goat cheese. For a particularly Parisian entree, go for the steak with frites and mustard sauce. The house ravioli is cooked nightly "at the chef's whim" (previous whims have included cream and mushroom sauce), and the grilled salmon with leeks and basil oil is rumored to flake perfectly. For dessert, choose from a variety of crepe flavors including hazelnut mousse and chocolate banana.