Gold Coasting: Top Five Patios Near the MCA

Thu, Aug 25, 2016

Featured image

Clark Street Ale House, Stop & Drink Liquor House, Plate 3
Photo © Thomas Hawk

blog intro

The end of summer is nigh and with it comes the closing of Chicago’s beloved—albeit short-lived—patio season. Two MCA editors spent their summer evenings scanning Streeterville in search of locales where visitors can relax after a trip to the museum. Check out their top five:

1. Clark Street Ale House (. 6 miles away, 11 min. walk)

With 25 beers on tap and 300 whiskeys, this BYOFood pub, which the MCA’s Design team affectionately calls Stop’n’Drink, after the old-school sign out front, has a chill ambience—not to mention free movie theater popcorn. It also boasts a decent-sized backyard beer garden strung with ambient lighting and secluded from the noises of Chicago traffic. Order some Seoul Taco next door and grab a seat!

2. DrumBAR (.3 miles away, 6 min. walk)

Perched atop the Rafaello Hotel on the 18th floor, this rooftop terrace offers a beautiful view of the city—especially at night. With upbeat music, manicured greenery, and comfortable seating for large groups, this swanky speakeasy is perfect for an energetic evening out on the town.

3. Zed451 (.6 miles away, 11 min. walk)

While known for their gluttonous Sunday brunches, this upscale restaurant, just kitty-corner from Clark Street Ale House, features a urban-rustic rooftop with sweeping views of downtown—the perfect spot for an after–museum hours drink. Take advantage of their $4.51 specials during the week and make sure to try the vegetarian-friendly mac ‘n’ cheese bites. During the week it’s an extremely popular venue for private events, so calling ahead is highly recommended.

Related content

Blog

Reading Images: A New Layer
By Sheila MajumdarBridget Reilly O'Carroll
Tue, Jan 23, 2018
When we first developed Coyote to enable web users who are blind or have low vision to “see” images on the web, we didn’t anticipate just how valuable this layer...
1. Short A set of four scenes features 21 green-headed, masked figures with skinny brown limbs. They engage in sinister acts with belts.
2. Long This illustration features 21 humanoid figures split between two central panels that are short and stacked on top of each other and two long vertical panels on either side. The characters have thin, brown arms and big, round, teal heads, and in the outer panels, they wear blue tank tops and black bandit masks. In the left panel, three figures appear to hang from the top of the frame by their waists. The outer two dangle belts and the one in the middle wears a belt. They hang over three figures at the bottom, cut off at the torso, who reach toward the belts. The far right panel has a similar scene, with three figures hanging from the top and reaching up from the bottom. This time, the outer two at the bottom hold belts while the center figure reaches toward the figure above, who now dangles a belt. It appears to be a before-and-after sequence. The top central panel shows two figures wearing sleeveless belted leotards, black bandit masks, and white surgical masks. They both carry smaller, masked characters with gaping mouths and belts around their necks. The bottom central panel shows five distressed figures wearing pale blue shrouds and black bandit masks.
Continue reading …
Behind the Bar with Brian Case
By Shauna Skalitzky
Tue, Dec 26, 2017
In preparation for the release of Marisol’s winter cocktail menu, we sat down with Marisol Lead Bartender Brian Case to discuss his drink-making philosophy and to find out what type...
Continue reading …
Reading Images: Rapping Up Murakami
By Sheila Majumdar
Thu, Sep 21, 2017
The challenge of writing a Coyote description is captured by the idiom “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Translating an image into words requires parsing through visual information, determining...
Continue reading …
Reading Images: Setting Opinion Aside
By Sheila Majumdar
Tue, Mar 21, 2017
At a glance, images appear static, immutable. But when you describe them in words, personal associations, biases, and individual flourishes of style and tone begin to enter the picture. Though...
1. Short Two narrow white glowing rectangles depicting a man illuminate a pitch-black room. The horizontal box on the right hangs high on the wall; the other leans against the wall to the left.
Continue reading …
Moving the Medium Forward
By Shauna Skalitzky
Fri, Jan 6, 2017
1. Short You are in a room with four projections of similar images of two wolves in muted, jewel tones. Two projectors on the floor project at you. In the middle of the room is a door leading to another brightly lit gallery.
2. Long You are in a room with four similar images of two wolves, all in muted jewel tones. These colors correspond to the primary and secondary colors of light. Two projectors are on the floor. They are projecting directly at you. In the center of the wall in front of you is a doorway, so you can see through this gallery into the brightly lit gallery beyond.
Continue reading …
Reading Images: Coyote, an A11Y Initiative
By Sheila Majumdar
Tue, Jul 26, 2016
After realizing the extent to which our website—which relies heavily on images, like any art museum website—excludes those who are blind or have vision impairment, we decided to create an...
1. Short A coyote sits amid tall yellow grass that almost blends *in* with its tan fur.
Continue reading …
Museums in the Age of Colorblindness
By Sheila Majumdar
Tue, Jun 14, 2016
A month ago, editors, designers, distributers, and printers from around the world flocked to the Radisson Blu Hotel in Chicago for the National Museum Publishing Seminar (NMPS). As a young...
Continue reading …

4. Dollop (.2 miles away, 3 min. walk)

Located a hop, skip, and a jump from the MCA, at the corner of East Chestnut and North Dewitt, Dollop offers delicious Metropolis Coffee, Hoosier Mama Pie, sandwiches, and more, as well as a quiet, cozy front patio that makes for a great people- and dog-watching perch.

5. Anne and John Kern Terrace

Between the view of the lake, the overly friendly animals that can't help but say "hello," and the Tuesday evening jazz performances, it's really no surprise that our very own terrace is a top pick for staff. Grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine at the café, then sit back and enjoy the art with a view.

Honorable Mention: 3 Arts Club Café (1 mile away, 19 min. walk)

Not quite in Streeterville and decidedly not an outdoor venue, this swanky establishment—replete with a glittering chandelier and a cascading fountain—is well worth the mile hike. Flooded with natural light through the glass-and-steel roof, the faux exterior is perfectly serene, with a blend of simple, muted furniture and an array of trees, shrubs, and hanging vines.

The MCA Is Always In Season