The Alcove (CLOSED)

Tiny is adorable. Owner Scott Bradley applies this scale: cute thinking to drinking with his micro-bar, the Alcove, the smallest licensed liquor joint by square footage in Cook County. The place, tucked next to Lucky Platter and decorated with nostalgic European ephemera, holds a dozen, tops, but can take on more in the summer months with sidewalk seating. As it's a one-man operation, everything is kept simple and manageable. All cocktails, geared towards the Italian palate, are $8, wine and booze selection is tasteful and minimal, panini are served from a little electric grill. Oh, and there is no phone number nor website. Yes, it's a closet, but as a San Francisco realtor would tell you, it has character.