The last time I went to the space that Pinstripes Chicago ( 435 E. Illinois St.; pinstripes.com/chicago/ ) currently occupies, it was called the River East Arts Center and I saw a Borris Powell fashion show.
However, time goes on, properties are sold and sites are transformed. Now, there's a large restaurant ( that can hold up to 600 people, thanks to meeting rooms ) that serves buffets, bowling and bocce. I'm not kidding: Each Pinstripes ( and there are several sprinkled throughout the suburbs; Minneapolis; Overland Park, Kansas; and Washington, D.C. ) comes complete with bowling and bocce lanes—perfect for everything from office to family outings.
The restaurants serve lunch and dinner with standard menus from which people can order food. ( Items include salads, sandwiches and chef specialties like Italian "jambalaya" risotto. Also, there's a gluten-free menu with a nice variety of items. ) However, my friend and I went during Sunday brunch—during which life becomes a buffet.
I tend to avoid buffets for two reasons: the cost isn't usually worth it for the amount of food I consume, and the fact that too many items are usually out in the open ( germ alert! ). Pinstripes' buffet is $24 for adults—not a bad deal, considering the diversity of options presented. However, regarding my second concern, only some of the items were under sneeze guards; some of the fare out in the open included everything from shrimp cocktails to the famed dessert table with a chocolate fountain. Another concern was that the omelet station only provided one meat option ( ham ).
However, despite these missteps, the food at Pinstripes is pretty good, with the round mini-waffles and sausage links being standouts. In addition, the outside views of the Chicago River ( which was still green from being dyed the day before ) and Streeterville are pretty nice—and there are bocce lanes out there as well.
Much like the fact that it straddles Lincoln Park and Lake View, Compass Bar ( 433 W. Diversey Pkwy.; www.compassbarchicago.com/ ) blurs the line between upscale restaurant and casual sports bar.
Of course, I remember the days when sports-bar cuisine consisted of pretzels and peanuts—so it's nice to see that the year-old Compass has stepped up the game with such appealing fare. My dining companion and I tried a couple shared-plate items: calamari ( very well done ) as well as the chicken-and-smoked sausage gumbo ( which has a sufficient kick ).
The highlight for both was actually the Bleu cheese burger, complete with caramelized onion, Gorgonzola Bleu cheese, confit garlic aioii, arugula, tomato and pickle—all on a pretzel roll. The burger was almost remarkably juicy and tasty, and was better than burgers I've had at a lot of other places. However, Compass also serves pizzas—and we picked the pork-shoulder version. Although I wished for more of the pork,the pizza was not too far behind the burger in terms of quality.
And as if all that wasn't enough, we attempted to eat dessert: a wood-fired chocolate-chip cookie with ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate. Although it was comforting as an old friend, it was impossible to consume the entire item—but it's definitely recommended.
Speaking of comfort, the decor ( warm woods, etc. ) was definitely inviting—even if the music ( Elton John, Hall and Oates ) was not what I expected at a sports bar.
