Lush Grows into Next Natural Space: Wine Bar

Lush Wine and Spirits is already known as one of the best curated independent wine shops in Chicago, with three locations in Roscoe Village, West Town and University Village. They often have free wine tastings and their staff has some of the deepest knowledge of wine varietals and spirits from around the world.

As if having a kick ass wine shop wasn't enough, Lush went and opened an intimate wine bar at its West Town location.The space comes complete with a long wooden bar, comfy leather couches and plenty of room at the communal table to nosh on some tasty bites crafted by owner Mitch Einhorn and Kelly Cosgrove, the store's "director of snacks (now that's a gig we can get behind!)

The Lush wine bar is currently BYO (no corkage!), so you can easily bring your own or keep life even easier and pop into the shop first and pick up a bottle of wine, small-batch bourbon or a local brew. The ever-changing menu is great for a quick snack or a slightly larger sandwich, like a lobster and beef tenderloin ($15) or Colonel Newsom's preacher ham and gruyere ($13). The snacks consist of things like Egyptian dukka ($2), crispy chick peas or deviled eggs (both $3), hummus ($6) or pork rillettes ($8). There's a rotating menu of cheeses and cured pig parts, hailing from Italy, France and America.

Once the liquor license comes through, Lush will feature six tap beers of rotating brews that will lean heavily toward what's being sold in their beer cooler at the time. They plan on having beer that pairs well with the food, including local stuff, sour options and hard-to-find treats. "We are on a mission to bring unusual wines and amazing food to the neighborhood, the city and all serious lushes," Rachel Driver, the store's general manager, told us.

So if you want to kick back and have a casual bite or a cozy date night, Lush offers a great new option. And if you just want a new place to get drunk, well you can do that here, too.
West Town's Best Wineshop Becomes a Wine Bar [Tasting Table}