Inside Logan Square’s New Intimate Den of Fancy Cocktails

Meadowlark Hospitality will finally complete its Logan Square trilogy when its namesake, the Meadowlark, a diminutive, moody cocktail bar and sister venue to Lardon and Union, opens next week on the corner of California Avenue and Palmer Street.

At a mere 825 square feet, the Meadowlark is cozy with nods to the building’s 110-year history: it seats 30 between dark leather chesterfield couches and stools lining a white quartz bar amid dark mahogany paneling, antique books on built-in shelves, and brass accents. “We want it to be a warm, comforting — but clean — canvas for us to paint on,” beverage director Abe Vucekovich told Eater in September.

Partner Steve Lewis spent a year and a half collecting antiques for the Meadowlark.

Vucekovich created 16 cocktails for the Meadowlark’s opening menu, each named for a bird native to the Midwest, presented to patrons via a lushly illustrated menu that provides a tactile experience that a QR code menu cannot, evoking classic ornithological texts. Drinks include the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, made with Bolivian brandy, Amontillado Sherry, amaro, and smoked orange bitters; and the Snowy Owl, a concoction of Quebranta Pisco with creme de cacao, orgeat, and a shaken egg. But even as the team gears up to launch, Vucekovich is already contemplating inspiration for future menus, which could include an ode to CBGB, the iconic punk club in New York City’s East Village, and the Parisian cocktail revolution of the 1920s.

Meadowlark Hospitality partners Steve Lewis and chef Chris Thompson opened Lardon, an all-day cafe and salumeria, in July 2021, followed by beer-focused Union in March 2022. Thompson will furnish the Meadowlark with a short food menu that includes a cheese and charcuterie plate, grilled skewers, and potato chips with caviar.

Explore the Meadowlark and its opening cocktails in the photographs below.

The Meadowlark, 2812 W. Palmer Street, Scheduled to open Monday, October 3.

Western Meadowlark (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, pineapple liqueur, yellow chartreuse, lemon).