Camp out around the fire at Logan Square sports bar Park & Field.
Worth a trip: S’mores basket ($9) at Park & Field
3509 W. Fullerton Ave. 765-426-6657
Winter patio hangs just doesn’t have the same ring to it as summer patio lounging. But Park & Field is giving Logan Square a reason to sit outside in frosty winter weather: s’mores.
Armed with a basket of camping fare standards—chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers—roasting those fluffy confections over one of the sports bar’s two huge gas-fueled fire pits in 30-degree weather isn’t such a bad idea. Promise. Grab a wool blanket, kick back in an Adirondack chair and get in on the patio action early, because it’s sure to be a hit come summer.
Park & Field opened in December, and while a neighborhood sports bar was the goal, co-owner Dan Nalezny said it’s already become a destination for city dwellers from neighborhoods like South Loop and River North, which seemed to be the crowd the weekend I visited.
Rather than go the standard sports bar route, Park & Field tries for a vintage sports aesthetic with white-washed brick, black-and-white photos of athletes and art with wooden tennis rackets. The space is separated into two rooms, the main bar and dining area and a lounge with a fireplace, overstuffed couches and board games.
“You don’t walk in and [get] a plastic 32-ounce cup to watch the Bears game,” Nalezny said.
Instead, the beer menu offers options from close to home—Moody Tongue, Half Acre and Whiner—and beyond with ciders from Michigan’s Virtue Cider and others. I would have liked to see styles and ABVs listed, but Nalezny said they’re coming out with a new menu as soon as the options expand. The bar also has a beer garden license, and the 6,000-square-foot patio is decked out with a bar in a camper (opening when the weather breaks) and grills on the weekends and soon will feature bocce ball courts.
Sports and beer is a no-brainer, but don’t bother with the cocktails, particularly the Oversized Jockey ($8), a hot beer concoction that always sounds like a good idea but never is. If you must, the Knob of the Bat ($10), a play on an old fashioned with cardamom simple syrup, and the Mint Condition 1st Edition ($8), a hot cocktail with bourbon, espresso, mint simple syrup, bitters and sea salt, are decent at best.
Every sports bar should have a good burger, and soon after our visit, my date was craving the no-frills park burger ($9), a double patty with cheese, pickle and spicy remoulade on a brioche bun served with fries that tasted eerily similar to the salty delicacies served under glowing golden arches. I’d definitely go back for the quinoa cake sliders ($9), quinoa patties topped with shredded vegetables and spinach between doughy pretzel buns slathered with delicious chipotle mustard.
Bundle up and head to Park & Field. Come summer, you’ll be back for s’more.
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