Tuesday nights, after the Film section is finished, I sometimes stop off at the Red Lion Pub near Lincoln Square. The bartender, Joe Heinen—who owns the place with his wife, Sue—mixes a mean manhattan, and he seems to know all there is to know about the great western director John Ford. One afternoon Ben Sachs and I stopped in to test his mettle—two against one, just like in a real western. —J.R. Jones
Ben Sachs: Wasn’t there also a song, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance?”
JH: Henry Fonda.
BS: So why did Ford punch him?
JJ: What famous World War II battle was Ford wounded in?
BS: You know, he was making those military documentaries during the war. He also evidently made a sexual hygiene educational film. I would love to see this.
Bars that encourage conversation
Cunneen’s Rogers park
Hundreds of LPs line the shelves beside a turntable, and there’s lots of (quiet) banter among regulars. Continue reading»
Duke of Perth Lakeview
The garden patio is a pleasant place to while away an evening. Continue reading»
Edgewater Lounge Edgewater
The patio’s a fantastic place to spend, well, an entire summer. Continue reading»
Hungry Brain Roscoe Village
One of the coziest spots in Chicago, lit with the glow of Christmas lights and fronted by stage adorned with big comfy couches. Continue reading»
Long Room Lakeview
Always been a welcoming spot with an avid clientele, a place both for friends to meet and for singles to mingle. Continue reading»
The Matchbox River West
It’s 15 feet across at its widest point and about three and a half feet at its narrowest. Continue reading»
Small Bar Avondale
Around since 1907, it’s the most old-school and authentic hangout of the Small Bar brand. Continue reading»
