Welcome to your parents' living room.
At least that was the feeling I got when I entered the drinking spot Bodega ( 15 E. Ohio St.; ACMEHotelCompany.com ), a cocktail lounge on the second floor of the ACME Hotel.
The retro decor is courtesy of Ross Burton Design Build, LLC and blocHaus Designand certainly does feel homey. Patrons will find everything from large chairs to a ( non-functioning ) stereo systemalthough I'd love to hear the Chaka Khan record that's in there.
Nostalgia is also part of the specialty drinks served here. A trio of drinks are simply named Red ( tequila, Aperol, grapefruit and lime ), Blue ( gin, cochi Americano, blue curacao and absinthe, with lemon ) and Purple ( my favorite of the three, a mix of pisco, maraschino and violette, with lemon ).
There's also the Negroni colada, which I suspect will be a big hit during the summerwhich looks so far away right now. It's a delicious mix of rum, Campari, pineapple and coconut. However, if it's something more boozy you're looking for, Bodega has two items served in glass flasks: Traveler ( with bourbon as its base ) and Hip Flask ( with rye and rum ).
As for eats, there are only items such as olives and nutsbut, thankfully, the West Town Bakery is on the first floor. The spot, an offshoot of the main bakery/diner at 1916 W. Chicago Ave., has various sandwiches and those infamous cakeballs, which have flavors such as red velvet and maple almond.