New Wicker Park Brewpub Debuts with Charming Sculpture Garden

Wicker Park’s second brewpub opened over the weekend, as the Perch’s patio was boisterous along Division Street. This is a collaborative effort between 4 Star Restaurant Group (The Smoke Daddy, Tuco & Blondie) and Finch Beer Co. Ownership gutted the former Boundary, installing a new bar, skylights, and big booths. But most customers won’t get to immediately enjoy the interiors thanks to COVID-19. Not to worry as Perch has a sidewalk patio and a unique sculpture garden with works from the space’s landlords at Davara Fine Art.

The center of the kitchen is the wood-fire grill which produces steaks, chops, and rotisserie chicken. There’s also rotisserie cauliflower — 4 Star has always been good at ensuring there’s something for everyone on their restaurant menus; they’ll make sure vegetarians will have some more than a paltry salad or a boring pasta.

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4 Star’s Doug Dunlay met Finch’s Jamie Lisac while at school at the University of Missouri — they were 18 when they were first introduced, Lisac says. They’ve kept in touch and now they’re both parents. Parents with small children have come to appreciate breweries as a place were friends can comfortably gather and have a few drinks.

Taprooms are marketing tools for breweries, at least they were pre-pandemic: “You can’t be purely production,” Lisac says. He adds the Perch should show customers how much Finch is invested in Chicago as its home market: “This is another outlet for us to expose more people to our beer.”

Perch isn’t Finch’s first taproom. They opened one in Albany Park, in a space now occupied by another brewery, Twisted Hippo. There’s more trust with Dunlay and his team, who have experience with restaurants in Lakeview and down the street.

Besides Finch’s core beers, they’ll also have kettle sours and experimental brews. These drinks go well on the patio. Small-batched barrel-aged beers should arrive later this year. Beers will be sold in bombers, crowlers, cans, and in glasses.

Take a tour of the space below. The Perch is now open.

Perch, 1932 W. Division Street, (773) 486-BREW, reservations via Tock, open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Perch Menus.pdf

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The original plan didn’t call for a hand-washing station.

The artists next door are allowing the Perch additional outdoor space.