Park & Field’s Owner Hopes Logan Square’s Cool Elevates Sports Bar

Though there’s still some construction to be done, early December is the target opening for Park & Field, the vintage sports bar with a large outdoor patio and bocce courts in Logan Square. Co-owner Dave Nalezny shared a few more details about the concept that he’s developed with his wife, Kitty Izzo, and brother, Dan Nalezny. Though it’s still a bar were friends can stay out late, family is important to management.

"There’s a ton of people in Logan with families," Dave Nalezny said. "So we want to do a good brunch. We want to do an awesome brunch."

Nalezny is a long-time Logan Square resident and a chef with stints at Naha and Gibsons Restaurant Group. He describes his efforts as marrying a sports concept with Logan Square flair. There won’t be neon signs and cheap beer served in plastic cups.

There will be room for about 130 in the main room of the space that used to be an automotive garage and gas station. They’ll have 10 TVs for sports watching in the 6,000-square-foot buildout. They’ve thought about the concept for years and were inspired a bit by visits to Brooklyn: "We didn’t want it to be an over-the-top sports bar," Nalezny explained.

Ashok Selvam

Antique bleachers, a vintage pommel horse, fireplace and a Chesterfield couch lend to an old-school aesthetic. Nalezny wants the place to feel like a comfy living room. The fun will spill outside during the warmer months. Maybe it’s because harsh winters make Chicagoans appreciate summer more, but Nalezny wants to capture the feeling of a great Chicago outdoor party at 3509 W. Fullerton Ave.

"It will feel like you’re at your friend’s backyard barbecue," he said.