September 19, 2009
High ceilings, leather-lined room in the Wit Hotel. Long polished bar with patrons who are substantially more well-bred than myself. Lots of big hair and small dresses (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I didn’t eat here, but the appetizers the women next to me were eating looked good. A very nice cocktail list too if you happen to be here with non-beer drinkers. The bartender and the bar manager were both very friendly and chatty, my completely down-scale attire notwithstanding. This isn’t really a beer bar per se, but in the downtown area, it’s not a bad place to pop in for a few pints.

June 23, 2009 [ Updated June 30, 2009 ]
State and Lake is the hotel restaurant of the new Wit hotel in downtown Chicago. The restaurant is dominated by a curved bar that featured quite a few taps usually unseen in downtown: Surly, Metropolitan, Left Hand, and Three Floyds are what I remember. Really, outside of South Loop Binny’s, this is the best selection of taps I’ve seen in the downtown area, and it’s much more accessible (one block south of Wacker, two blocks west of Michigan Ave.). For those staying downtown and those who work downtown, this could be quite the happy hour spot. I did not see a bottle list, but I didn’t ask for one either as I was on a business lunch. I’ll definitely be going back soon, and I’m glad that it’s right across the street from where I work. Also, the food was outstanding (I had a pulled short rib sandwhich with Maytag blue cheese, carmelized onions, and truffle french fries) and not unduly expensive (think about $12-17 per plate for lunch), though certainly not cheap. Well worth it in my opinion.