Chicago - August 21, 2006

Ale the Rage

BB’s Opens

Yes, the local corner pub does a fine job of serving up a brewski. 

But that sorry excuse for a chicken sandwich is ruining your foodie status.

Don’t blow your rep on a limp bun and soggy lettuce. Head to BB’s, the latest venture from Jack Binyon and Donnie Kruse (of fave haunts Butterfield 8, Mickey’s Snack Bar, Melvin B’s, and Stanley’s Kitchen & Tap).

What makes BB’s different? For starters, the food is more than a step above your standard fries and skins, with jerk chicken wings with pineapple salsa, steak arrachera with chimichurri sauce, and risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto. (A little bird told us free balls may be passed out at midnight a la Stanley’s mashed potatoes.)

Plus, it’s modeled on French and Irish brasseries, with custom leather stools and booths that beg you to settle in and throw back a cold one. Which, thanks to a Belgian beer system with a frozen ice tower tap that pours while spritzing cold water on your glass to keep it frosty, is easy to do. 

Good food, cold beer, and a scene worthy of a Saturday night.

Nice to finally have someone in your corner, huh?

BB’s, 22 East Hubbard Street, between State Street and Wabash Avenue (312-755-0007).