It opened in 1950 as a dimly lit date-night spot run by Italian immigrants Frank and Lena Maiale, survived a long, foggy string of owners, closed outright in 2000, and was rebuilt and reopened in 2002 by Pete Vernon, who later made longtime employee Pat Fowler his partner. Today it's a proper neighborhood bar with a kitchen that matters: Chicago tavern-style thin crust cut in squares, a newer pan pizza, specialty burgers, garlic fries with crumbled feta, cheese curds and a Candlelite Cookie Skillet that regulars insist you do not skip. The daily specials board is the reason to plan a visit by the calendar.
Monday is a $11.99 brisket sandwich with half-price bottles of wine, Tuesday is two-for-one pizza, Wednesday is a $13.99 burger meal with a draft, Thursday is a $11.99 fried chicken plate, Friday brings a $9.99 fish and chips basket with $5 Guinness, Harp and Irish whiskey shots, and weekends add $5 Bloody Marys, $15 beer buckets and a brunch menu with breakfast pizza from 11am. The kitchen runs until 1am nightly.
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