Good Jazz bar in Chicago to hit on wife?

January 5, 2007 5:11 PM

Need a nice dark, intimate jazz bar in Chicago on the North side to hit on my wife. Any suggestions?

I want to take my wife to a nice jazz bar. Lots of wood, kind of dark, good drinks- near Michigan Ave or easy parking. She likes the bar at the Penninsula Hotel, but I'd like to find something new. I'm not looking for something trendy that you'll find a lot of twenty-something singles at with loud music (sorry for the stereo-typing).

Would like someplace that is kind of small and out of the way.

posted by rryan to Food & Drink (12 answers total)

Andy's is right by you. You may as well check it out, it's on Hubbard which is downstairs, but right off Michigan. If you want something more historic, there's the Green Mill, five miles north.
posted by lee at 5:32 PM on January 5, 2007

I heart the Green Mill. It has lots of wood, seemed pretty dark when I've been there, and parking didn't seem too difficult. It's an institution! A classic!
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 6:18 PM on January 5, 2007

Green Mill--definitely. If you still want to look after checking that out try the Green Dolphin.
posted by DIYer at 6:22 PM on January 5, 2007

Green Mill is awesome but I don't know that it qualifies as "small and out of the way."
posted by epugachev at 6:28 PM on January 5, 2007

The Green Mill isn't small/out of the way, but it is truly awesome, and jazzily romantic. If it helps, I received one of the best kisses of my life on the sidewalk outside its door.
posted by donnagirl at 6:34 PM on January 5, 2007

While the Green Mill is the beezkneez, the Peninsula Hotel has a lovely Jazz set Thursday through Sunday in fantastic room. Very chill and private.
posted by jmgorman at 7:08 PM on January 5, 2007

And my reading skills are shit. Sorry.
posted by jmgorman at 7:08 PM on January 5, 2007

Green Mill is far and away your best choice. I've had some fine evenings there with a couple of lady friends (none recently, sadly).

But it gets to standing room only quite quickly and they sometimes enforce a no talking rule if you're near the stage. Fortunately, there's plenty of time for the hitting-on during set breaks.

Get there early or plan to arrive for the third set and/or the late show - I've usually been able to wrangle some portion of a table or a couple of chairs after midnight.

Parking will be a pain - take the Red Line instead. You can see the glittering lights of the sign from the platform.
posted by aladfar at 7:33 PM on January 5, 2007

Actually, now that I think about it, parking isn't that bad (I don't have a car). But taking the train adds something to the experience, I think, and the station is effectively across the street from the front door.
posted by aladfar at 7:35 PM on January 5, 2007

Definitely Andy's on Hubbard.
posted by orangemiles at 8:46 PM on January 5, 2007

Go to Danny's on Damen and Webster. They usually have live jazz once or more times a week and it is usually good. People from Tortoise play there a lot. Plus it is the darkest, most intimate place in town.
posted by danb1 at 9:36 PM on January 5, 2007

For the record, parking is not bad at the Green Mill. There's a free parking lot one block west on Lawrence.
posted by adrian_h at 1:23 PM on January 7, 2007