English - Chicago Bar

If you are one of those people who think English and Irish are the same thing, you'd be shocked at the differences between your Lincoln Park-frat-boy-Irish-pub and English, located at 444 North La Salle Street . C'mon-here, you'd find a WAY more mature crowd at least 1 whole year out of college…

The smorgasbord of appetizers we ordered was my favorite part of the meal because, as Mom always said: there's no way those little pieces can fit any calories in 'em. And that's probably the only rule of hers I ever followed.

The English Fries tossed with sea salt and parsley and served with a side of curry sauce and the English Crisps - waffle fries topped with smoked cheddar, braised shredded pork, scallions, red cabbage and sour cream- were my favs, obviously, because I'm a total sucker for any form of fried potato that lends to dipping. The Warm Bacon Spinach- Artichoke and Goat Cheese Dip served with a toasted baguette is not your ordinary spartichoke appy. The Goat cheese bite contrasted nicely with the toasted bread and, as usual, there was not enough on the platter to give everyone their fill.

The English House Salad, consisting of country greens, grape tomato, carrot gaufrette shaved red onion and goat cheese tossed in a walnut dressing, was the obvious choice for lunch, given the heart attack onset during the appetizer phase of the meal. The healthful salad was loaded with plenty of goat cheese and colorful veggies and I’d like to believe it helped balance out some of the grease I’d consumed just moments earlier. The Deconstructed Meatball Sandwich to my right and Chopped Salad to my left had my friends fappy (full and happy), but my overstuffed esophagus couldn't find room for even a sample of their food.

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Swift is a Crowd Pleaser

Swift is the type of bar that my friend insists, “I never pay for a drink here.” True to her word, this pub is packed wall to wall with cute Irish Wall Street-types and parties of friends who are always inviting you to join in whatever their celebrating. It’s difficult to find a great bar that your girl and guy pals can all agree on and Swift might just be it.

Everything from the beer menu to the food menu to the music makes Swift a great nighttime haunt. Their international beer menu is full of almost 100 drinks on tap or by the bottle ($5 and up). More than a bar, Swift is complete with a DJ who plays anything from Lily Allen to Justin. Swfit sometimes even has live music. Their pretty traditional food menu covers all of the bar bases while mixing comfort foods with classics. Mini burgers ($5.50) chicken wings ($5.50) and “Swift Dollar Dogs” ($1) share menu space with Dean’s Cottage Pie ($8) and Bangars & Mash ($8).

For special occasions you can call to book a party, but stop by on any given day and it just might become one.

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