Chicago should thank Five Star Bar for developing such a chic hot spot because soon, many more bars, restaurants and clubs will probably follow suit just to say they are snuggled comfortably near this great Chicago Bar. ATMOSPHERE The dark and stylish atmosphere makes both drinking and eating an experience without breaking the bank. A long wrap around bar provides plenty of seating area for patrons to enjoy one of the many brews the bar has to offer. Tables and booths fill out the bar and are usually jam packed with bar goers, especially on weekends. If you are lucky enough to score an entrance into the VIP room, aka the room with the stripper pole, you are sure to have an extended experience full of stories to report (like that one time when the bouncer tried to teach my group how to swing from the pole and ripped it out of the ceiling. Good times). CROWD With a very professional diverse crowd, Five Star's demographic most likely ranges from early 20s to mid 30s, with everyone acting well behaved and showing off their maturity. There are rarely rowdy folks at Five Star - as the bar/grill attracts only the good. SPIRITS If you don't notice the wide selection of brews on the wall, be sure to ask your bartender to direct your eyes toward the huge selection. The bar offers just about every drink possible, giving everyone a chance to quench their thirsts. The last time I ventured to this great Chicago hot spot, my brother went on a beer tour with our friendly bartender, who introduced him to darks and lights from all over the world. Try it - it's an experience. PRICES Very fair and even better when there are specials. Check the Web site for current specials - you can always find cheap wings and mini sandwiches along with great deals on old timer favorites like Old Style. WHY IT'S UNIQUE Besides the first on Chicago Ave to be this classy, just step inside the facilities and you will see exactly why it is unique. Five Star Bar exemplifies classy without causing a price attack to your wallet. Five Star is truly a five star experience.Chicago should thank Five Star Bar for developing such a chic hot spot because soon, many more bars, restaurants and clubs will probably follow suit just to say they are snuggled comfortably near this great Chicago Bar. ATMOSPHERE The dark and stylish atmosphere makes both drinking and eating an experience without breaking the bank. A long wrap around bar provides plenty of seating area for patrons to enjoy one of the many brews the bar has to offer. Tables and booths fill out the bar and are usually jam packed with bar goers, especially on weekends. If you are lucky enough to score an entrance into the VIP room, aka the room with the stripper pole, you are sure to have an extended experience full of stories to report (like that one time when the bouncer tried to teach my group how to swing from the pole and ripped it out of the ceiling. Good times). CROWD With a very professional diverse crowd, Five Star's demographic most likely ranges from early 20s to mid 30s, with everyone acting well behaved and showing off their maturity. There are rarely rowdy folks at Five Star - as the bar/grill attracts only the good. SPIRITS If you don't notice the wide selection of brews on the wall, be sure to ask your bartender to direct your eyes toward the huge selection. The bar offers just about every drink possible, giving everyone a chance to quench their thirsts. The last time I ventured to this great Chicago hot spot, my brother went on a beer tour with our friendly bartender, who introduced him to darks and lights from all over the world. Try it - it's an experience. PRICES Very fair and even better when there are specials. Check the Web site for current specials - you can always find cheap wings and mini sandwiches along with great deals on old timer favorites like Old Style. WHY IT'S UNIQUE Besides the first on Chicago Ave to be this classy, just step inside the facilities and you will see exactly why it is unique. Five Star Bar exemplifies classy without causing a price attack to your wallet. Five Star is truly a five star experience.

By MONICA DAVEY WINTER comes and Chicago trudges proudly on as if nothing has changed. On a recent Saturday morning, as the city sat beneath a foot of fresh snow, people strolled in Millennium Park, the city’s front yard along Lake Michigan, even as three snowplows scraped circles around them. Still, without violating the city’s code of stoicism, one can find the ideal winter day here by alternating all that outdoor grit with a smattering of permitted hideaways. Start the morning renting skates at Millennium Park and cruise the ice to cheery tunes booming from loudspeakers. If the line for skates is overwhelming, join the equally large rinkside crowd watching the rush of parkas whipping by; this spot, the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, is still new enough to make for novel people watching. When your toes grow numb, head to Mr. Beef, just a brisk walk away through the Loop, for a sloppy classic: an Italian beef sandwich smothered in body-warming giardiniera and completely dipped in juice. Eat it on the way to the El train and head north to the Music Box, a grand old Lakeview neighborhood theater (complete with an organ) that opened in 1929 and plays an eclectic mix, from cutting-edge films to old, comforting classics. Cuddle into the seats — you will be staring up at a ceiling of twinkling stars — for the matinee, 11:30 a.m. each weekend day. It is O.K. to doze. Chicago is packed with tourists along shopping strips with names like the Magnificent Mile, so try a quieter path. A small constellation of shops along Montrose Avenue in the Ravenswood neighborhood offers alternatives you will see nowhere else: a tiny store of Zola Jones handbags by the Chicago designer Jason Loper (he named them after his cat); Angel Food Bakery, selling sour cherry muffins beneath a campy display of Easy Bake ovens; zozo for kids, clothes for the hippest 3-year-old you know; Hazel, a jewelry/stationery/hat/stuff store where you will, inevitably, buy something; Lillstreet Art Center, a studio and gallery. Your feet, once again, are bone-cold or sopping or both, so head back downtown for afternoon high tea in the lobby of the Drake Hotel, where finger sandwiches will transport you far from the now dreary winter lake views and from the prospect of the long season of gray slush ahead. Or if tea is a tad stodgy, try ENO, the new wine, chocolate and cheese tasting room (they have olives and nuts too, but who would notice?) just down Michigan Avenue at the InterContinental Chicago. Outside once more, take the El out above Lake Street toward the west side and the enormous Garfield Park Conservatory, which in every season smells like a hot, steamy tropical island. Wander the aroid house, the desert house, the fern room. Breathe. Spring seems possible. Make your way toward Bucktown to HotChocolate, which serves entrees like whitefish with black beluga lentils, a part-Gruyère macaroni and cheese and lamb with organic grits, and also — not surprisingly — extraordinary hot chocolate. The Black & Tan is part chocolate, part pure hot fudge, a creation of Mindy Segal, one of Chicago’s best-known pastry chefs. _*Now on to West Town, to the Five Star Bar, where bourbon is the specialty and alternative rock, punk rock, dance rock — some-kind-of rock — fills the air. Do not be put off by the pole room in the back; customers, fully clothed in winter’s many layers, dance here, mostly to be ironic._* Mr. Beef, 666 North Orleans Street; (312) 337-8500. Music Box Theater, 3733 North Southport Avenue; (773) 871-6604. Ravenswood shopping strip, Montrose Avenue between Ashland and Damen. Drake Hotel, 140 East Walton Place; (312) 787-2200; high tea 1 to 5 p.m. ENO, in the InterContinental Chicago, 505 North Michigan Avenue; (312) 321-8738. Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 North Central Park Avenue; (312) 746-5100; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; to 8 p.m. Thursdays. HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar, 1747 North Damen Avenue; (773) 489-1747. Five Star Bar, 1424 West Chicago Avenue; (312) 850-2555.By MONICA DAVEY WINTER comes and Chicago trudges proudly on as if nothing has changed. On a recent Saturday morning, as the city sat beneath a foot of fresh snow, people strolled in Millennium Park, the city’s front yard along Lake Michigan, even as three snowplows scraped circles around them. Still, without violating the city’s code of stoicism, one can find the ideal winter day here by alternating all that outdoor grit with a smattering of permitted hideaways. Start the morning renting skates at Millennium Park and cruise the ice to cheery tunes booming from loudspeakers. If the line for skates is overwhelming, join the equally large rinkside crowd watching the rush of parkas whipping by; this spot, the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, is still new enough to make for novel people watching. When your toes grow numb, head to Mr. Beef, just a brisk walk away through the Loop, for a sloppy classic: an Italian beef sandwich smothered in body-warming giardiniera and completely dipped in juice. Eat it on the way to the El train and head north to the Music Box, a grand old Lakeview neighborhood theater (complete with an organ) that opened in 1929 and plays an eclectic mix, from cutting-edge films to old, comforting classics. Cuddle into the seats — you will be staring up at a ceiling of twinkling stars — for the matinee, 11:30 a.m. each weekend day. It is O.K. to doze. Chicago is packed with tourists along shopping strips with names like the Magnificent Mile, so try a quieter path. A small constellation of shops along Montrose Avenue in the Ravenswood neighborhood offers alternatives you will see nowhere else: a tiny store of Zola Jones handbags by the Chicago designer Jason Loper (he named them after his cat); Angel Food Bakery, selling sour cherry muffins beneath a campy display of Easy Bake ovens; zozo for kids, clothes for the hippest 3-year-old you know; Hazel, a jewelry/stationery/hat/stuff store where you will, inevitably, buy something; Lillstreet Art Center, a studio and gallery. Your feet, once again, are bone-cold or sopping or both, so head back downtown for afternoon high tea in the lobby of the Drake Hotel, where finger sandwiches will transport you far from the now dreary winter lake views and from the prospect of the long season of gray slush ahead. Or if tea is a tad stodgy, try ENO, the new wine, chocolate and cheese tasting room (they have olives and nuts too, but who would notice?) just down Michigan Avenue at the InterContinental Chicago. Outside once more, take the El out above Lake Street toward the west side and the enormous Garfield Park Conservatory, which in every season smells like a hot, steamy tropical island. Wander the aroid house, the desert house, the fern room. Breathe. Spring seems possible. Make your way toward Bucktown to HotChocolate, which serves entrees like whitefish with black beluga lentils, a part-Gruyère macaroni and cheese and lamb with organic grits, and also — not surprisingly — extraordinary hot chocolate. The Black & Tan is part chocolate, part pure hot fudge, a creation of Mindy Segal, one of Chicago’s best-known pastry chefs. _*Now on to West Town, to the Five Star Bar, where bourbon is the specialty and alternative rock, punk rock, dance rock — some-kind-of rock — fills the air. Do not be put off by the pole room in the back; customers, fully clothed in winter’s many layers, dance here, mostly to be ironic._* Mr. Beef, 666 North Orleans Street; (312) 337-8500. Music Box Theater, 3733 North Southport Avenue; (773) 871-6604. Ravenswood shopping strip, Montrose Avenue between Ashland and Damen. Drake Hotel, 140 East Walton Place; (312) 787-2200; high tea 1 to 5 p.m. ENO, in the InterContinental Chicago, 505 North Michigan Avenue; (312) 321-8738. Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 North Central Park Avenue; (312) 746-5100; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; to 8 p.m. Thursdays. HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar, 1747 North Damen Avenue; (773) 489-1747. Five Star Bar, 1424 West Chicago Avenue; (312) 850-2555.

Make friends and lose clothes at Five Star Bar. This 30+ bourbon selection ranges from the stalwart Jim Beam brands to spirits like the Eagle Rare 10yr and Jefferson Reserve (top-end prices can reach $20), served in a decidedly hip indie-rock atmosphere, but without the pretension that tends to come with such an ineffable thing. A bourbon cocktail menu and bourbon-infused dinner are in the works, but for now it's liquor the way it was meant to be drunk—straight. After you've befriended the bartenders and had a few too many comped shots of Old Crow, head into the tattoo room—decorated with old-fashioned prints of sailor tattoos—and shed a few layers on the fully-functional stripper pole then refuel with specials like Monday's 50-cent mini-sandwiches. By Mac McCormickMake friends and lose clothes at Five Star Bar. This 30+ bourbon selection ranges from the stalwart Jim Beam brands to spirits like the Eagle Rare 10yr and Jefferson Reserve (top-end prices can reach $20), served in a decidedly hip indie-rock atmosphere, but without the pretension that tends to come with such an ineffable thing. A bourbon cocktail menu and bourbon-infused dinner are in the works, but for now it's liquor the way it was meant to be drunk—straight. After you've befriended the bartenders and had a few too many comped shots of Old Crow, head into the tattoo room—decorated with old-fashioned prints of sailor tattoos—and shed a few layers on the fully-functional stripper pole then refuel with specials like Monday's 50-cent mini-sandwiches. By Mac McCormick

Are these boys too cool for school? Come see for yourself as former Whiskey Bar managers Lyle Aker and Patrick Poncher bring this old-school rock bar to West Town. Five Star Bar fits right in this neighborhood filled with edgy eateries and offbeat shops as well as a growing young professional crowd. They've made the setting at this glossy corner bar comfortable enough for everyone, from the fussy fashionista to the no-nonsense neighbor who comes strictly for the music. A large, L-shaped mahogany bar anchors this postmodern space, which also includes black leather quilted booths, custom lamps, eclectic posters, and a semi-private lounge area with vintage ''tattoos'' covering the walls. For those who get a little antsy, try your hand at a game of pool. Or, if you're really feeling frisky, show your ''talents'' on the ''stripper'' pole. A bar this cool must offer something special behind the bar; Five Star carries 30 American bourbons and 14 specialty bourbon drinks. And the menu complements the cocktails with tempura chicken fingers, hand-cut fries and the ''Sid & Nancy'' Honeymooner sandwich. DJs spin on weekends.Are these boys too cool for school? Come see for yourself as former Whiskey Bar managers Lyle Aker and Patrick Poncher bring this old-school rock bar to West Town. Five Star Bar fits right in this neighborhood filled with edgy eateries and offbeat shops as well as a growing young professional crowd. They've made the setting at this glossy corner bar comfortable enough for everyone, from the fussy fashionista to the no-nonsense neighbor who comes strictly for the music. A large, L-shaped mahogany bar anchors this postmodern space, which also includes black leather quilted booths, custom lamps, eclectic posters, and a semi-private lounge area with vintage ''tattoos'' covering the walls. For those who get a little antsy, try your hand at a game of pool. Or, if you're really feeling frisky, show your ''talents'' on the ''stripper'' pole. A bar this cool must offer something special behind the bar; Five Star carries 30 American bourbons and 14 specialty bourbon drinks. And the menu complements the cocktails with tempura chicken fingers, hand-cut fries and the ''Sid & Nancy'' Honeymooner sandwich. DJs spin on weekends.