The rescue is complete. Mike Sheerin and pal Ryan Holden have finished their revamp of formerly troubled Lincoln Park watering hole Trinity Bar, unveiling the fruits of their labor at a soft opening on Friday. But you can take a look at the finished Irish tavern now in the photos above.
As intended, the place definitely still has that "old school charm," with dark wood touches and a classic Chicago tin ceiling. But the pair has done lots of cosmetic work, adding new furniture, paint, decor touches and more, and some long-forgotten parts of the building, such as a fireplace, have been unearthed. There's two bars and seating areas on the 88-seat main first floor, as well as a speakeasy-style space downstairs with another bar and black iron touches that's accessible through a secret entrance.
Full finished menus aren't available at press time, but Sheerin, who will cook there a couple days a week, has worked up a bunch of twists on Irish staples. They'll serve mussels with blonde ale and a rasher of bacon, deep-fried Irish sausage, fish and curried chips, cottage pie, a "Chicago Irish breakfast," and more.
To drink, there's the "Irish Maid" (blended Irish whiskey, lemon juice, salted cucumber syrup, St. Germain), Irish-themed plays on an old fashioned (with apricot-cinnamon cordial and orange bitters), a daiquiri (with whiskey, banana liqueur and raison-cola syrup), and much more including craft beer and wine. All cocktails, created by David Disney (Cicchetti), are $10.
Sheerin and Holden will open the doors throughout the weekend to "work out the kinks," with a grand opening to follow at a later date. Stop in to see if the rescue is successful.
