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Seriously, it's really, really tiny. This new bar/restaurant in Evanston officially opened tonight, after a few days of friends and family business.

I didn't ask about the cocktails they serve, but the wine list is tiny - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The beer list is equally tiny - tonight it was Belhaven Scottish Ale. When that runs out, it'll be something else.

And the menu is tiny - tonight it was a ham panini with what looked like a garden salad.

According to the bartender (presumably the owner), Alcove is now the smallest bar in Chicagoland. At 400 sq. ft., it beats the previous smallest, the Matchbox, at 425 sq.ft. I counted a total of four seats at the bar, and seven or eight seats at the tables along the wall.

There's nothing here that you can't get at other good bars, except for the amazingly intimate atmosphere. I think it's worth a trip.

That is, if you can find it. Here's the entrance:


Unless you're looking from the street. Then, it looks like this:


The Alcove
512 Main St.
Evanston, IL 60202

no phone # - apparently their contractor plastered over the phone line, and they can't find it. That means that it's cash only for now, although they were trying to make arrangements for other patrons who wanted to pay with plastic.

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Chicago Craft Beer Week!

Did you have a sense of their business model? A tiny bar in a suburban (non-collegiate) area of Evanston with one beer and four pretty standard wine varietals and that serves a dozen customers does not seem headed for success. The Matchbox has a hipster vibe, a space that could fit in a few dozen, perhaps, and excellent infused-vodka in a pleasantly run-down space can make a go of it.

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Toast, as every breakfaster knows, isn't really about the quality of the bread or how it's sliced or even the toaster. For man cannot live by toast alone. It's all about the butter. -- Adam Gopnik

That was a topic of conversation between moetchandon and me. I'm guessing rent is low, and it appears to be a husband and wife team who may live rather simply. They did say they ran similar operations within coffee shops in other cities, but still, it's not clear how this could be very profitable. It is charming, though.

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Chicago Craft Beer Week!

they are friends of mine, and really nice people, please try the place out.