Customer Review: Makes Dining in Chicago Even Better

American liquor laws are intricate, confounding, and disparate, varying widely from state to state, county to county and even block to block. As Jean Iverson notes in this update to her 2005 guide to bring-your-own-bottle restaurants, the southeast corner of State and Division was voted dry in the 1980s, and no new restaurant within 100 feet of a school, church, or library stands a chance of snagging a liquor license. Chicago's own colorful history regarding the sale and consumption of alcohol continues on, with the granting of liquor licenses inextricably intertwined with ward politics, zoning, and other delights of life in the Windy City.

Chicago is also a city of world-class restaurants, of course, and many of them are surprisingly affordable--all the more so if you can buy your booze at the neighborhood liquor store. Iverson's book--slim enough to slip in a purse or a jacket pocket--is an indispensable resource for budget-conscious diners, as well as for those who want, say, a J & G Baumann vin de pays des Côtes de Gascogne 2006 as they peruse the menu, and nothing else will do.

Iverson has researched scores of restaurants, from family-run storefront cafes to upscale hot spots, and compiled her findings in this easy-to-use guide. A comprehensive list of BYOB restaurants from A to Z is complemented by tidbits of history, etiquette tips, help with choosing the right wine for the evening's cuisine, a guide to wine shops and liquor stores, and listings organized by type of fare and neighborhood. Found yourself in Albany Park with a taste for Scandinavian food and a bottle of Grenache in your bag? Iversen has the dining destination for you!

This second edition updates information from the original, and has been expanded to include BYOBs in the 'burbs, nontraditional BYOB dining spots such as local theaters, and restaurants with liquor licenses that still allow you to bring your own.

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