Brownstone Tavern & Grill

Brownstone is part of a local mini-empire of bars that are consistently good. The group that opened them put a lot of work into how the places look, and Brownstone is prettier than the usual neighborhood spot. (It is not, however, in a brownstone.) It’s the kind of place where you know the food will taste great, your poison of choice will be available, and you’ll be able to see a TV without craning your neck. For my roommate’s birthday, we worked with management to set up a private party, and they were great to work with. Not the kind of bar you’ll cross town for, but if you’re in Ravenswood/North Center/Lakeview, it’s a good bet.

I was there when they played the last Southwest Conference Game. I was there when Ricky Williams broke the all time NCAA rushing record. I was there when Vince Young filled Mack Brown's iPod with rap music. I was there when Colt McCoy took a beating at the hands of Aggie scofflaws. And now I'm here. I'm in Chicago. And it isn't as different from Texas as I might have thought (I didn't get the Longhorn Network in Texas, either). When Notre Dame was at Solider Field, I met some friends at Brownstone with the understanding that some televisions would be broadcasting that game, and some televisions would be broadcasting the Texas game. That understanding was flawed. My friend spent the better part of an hour convincing the bartender to leave one set on the Notre Dame game, while the rest of us watched the Texas game. It was as though Texas had momentarily annexed a quarter block of North Center for its own and, at least as far as I could tell, no one minded. There was orange. There was chili. And there was beer. What more could a Texas expat ask for? Don't get me wrong, though. Brownstone isn't *just* a Texas bar (as though that would be a bad thing). I've met friends there to watch baseball, basketball, hockey and football (with a lowercase f for non-horn viewing), and just because. The hummus is delicious. The tater tots are plentiful (we don't really have them in Texas), and the staff is friendly. Get there.