Spoke & Bird is close to opening

Spoke & Bird at 205 E 18th St is almost ready to open. We stopped in on Friday afternoon where barista training was in process. Free cups of coffee, including lattes, cappuccinos and other specialty beverages were served.

Look for a soft opening next weekend, serving coffee and pastries. Spoke & Bird will be featuring coffee products from Counter Culture, located in Chicago. Before long you can expect see a complete brunch menu, when they will also be serving alcoholic beverages.

For more information, please visit their Web site.

Barista training at Spoke & Bird

Third Annual Art Walk October 19, 2012

Join The GSLA on Their 3rd Annual Art Walk through the South Loop
The 3rd Annual South Loop Art Walk will take place this Friday, October 19, 2012 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Sponsored by the Greater South Loop Association, there are nine participating galleries and businesses. Transportation from venue to venue will be provided by Reggies for $5 per person (but feel free to walk if you want to).

Get a $10 gift certificate from M Lounge

Check in at a gallery and let one of the GSLA board members know you are on the walk and they will give you a ticket worth $2 off a drink purchase at M Lounge. When you redeem your $2 drink ticket at M Lounge, you will receive a $10 gift certificate to use on a future visit. Sounds like a great deal to us.

Participating Locations (letters correspond to map but you do not need to visit them in order):

A – Elephant Room, 704 S. Wabash
B – Brasserie by LM, 800 S. Michigan Purchase a $8 Kir Royale and $2 will go to the Lynn Sage Foundation
C – Urban Remix, 1468 S. Michigan
D – Framing Mode & Gallery, 1526 S. Wabash
E – William H. Bigham Galleries, 1528 S. Wabash
F – M Lounge, 1520 S. Wabash $2 off any drink purchase when you present your drink ticket obtained from a gallery. Receive a $10 gift certificate to use on a future visit.
G – Overflow Coffee Bar, 1550 S. State Street
H – Prairie Avenue Gallery, 1900 S. Prairie
I – After party at Reggies, 2015 S. State Street

“Modern Neighborhood Bar” to open on corner of 14th & Michigan

Wine will be chilled and stored on the south facing wall.

There’s a new bar going into 1400 S. Michigan Ave. It’s the corner space directly across from Chicago Firehouse. Square One is calling itself a “modern neighborhood bar.” And modern it is. South Loop Connection got a preview of the space from owner, Ron Vaisman, which is scheduled to open in mid-June.

Square One will have three flat screen TVs and one projection TV. Outdoor seating will fill up the space on 14th St. on warm days. The bar at Square One will be fully stocked with liqueur, wine, and beer. Vaisman hopes to serve specialty craft beers as well. Being a modern neighborhood bar, beers and wines will be paired with meats, cheeses, and spreads. Square One will also have a mixologist on staff, so we can expect to see some specialty house cocktails.

The bar inside is made of a combination of concrete and wood, which fits in with the modern theme. A fireplace will be installed on the north wall, while the south wall serves as the wine-tasting station and wine storage space.

As more news becomes available, including the exact opening date, we’ll report it here.