Branded Saloon

Cowboy culture may make a comeback thanks to this Prospect Heights bar from Deb Bicknese (Beast), Gerard Kouwenhoven and Alex Savoie. Antique trappings—like a foot-powered player piano (stocked with scores of ragtime and Western) and a tiger-oak bar from a Montana saloon—add an authentic touch. To wet the ol’ whistle, look for 12 mostly local microbrews, along with a healthy selection of whiskeys and seasonal cocktails. The bar is also one of the neighborhood’s few late-night dining options, with a small menu of chuckwagon-inspired bites like fried-green-tomato sandwiches. Monthly events, meanwhile, include a Sunday-afternoon party, and a live talk show hosted by head bartender Tammy Kopko—“it’s like The View meets Jerry Springer,” says Kouwenhoven.