Haymarket Pub & Brewery, Chicago

Haymarket Pub & Brewery houses two prominent culinary figures. Chef Christopher McCoy ensures everything on the menu is prepared in-house, whether the four rotating seasonal sausages, the Amish-style rotisserie chicken, or the sustainable seafood; and brewer Peter Crowley ensures the same home-made mentality applies to the beer program. Peter makes more than 100 batches of fresh craft beer each year, focusing on classic Belgian and contemporary American styles. He was won medals at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival, the 2012 World Beer Cup, and the 2011 and 2012 Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer.

These creators merge their passions in the kitchen and brewery of their 100-year-old building, which was named as one of Zagat's 24 Must-Visit Craft Beer Destinations Around the U.S. A corridor connects the two main bars and dining rooms, which both feature exposed-brick walls and mosaic-tiled floors. Visitors traveling between the rooms are treated to views of the brewhouse, fermentation tanks, and serving vessels, where the brewing team creates fresh hand-crafted beers. Servers navigate between tables clutching locally-sourced pork ribs, vegan soups and sandwiches, and half-pound burgers dressed with chile-infused chocolate sauce, olive mayo, or house-cured bacon. At the bar, staff pours current house brews alongside guest craft beers from 32 taps. On special nights, this space also hosts international beer dinners, live music, and the Drinking and Writing Theater—a showcase of original works inspired by Oscar Wilde’s tendency to chug juice boxes while he wrote.