Though meals tend to bring friends together, meals peppered with magnets can push them apart. Enjoy an attractive repast with today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of fusion pub fare at Samuel’s, which is located in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Executive chef Sutat Anthachai weaves Eastern influences into classic pub grub at Samuel’s, which scoffs at the Gregorian calendar by serving its dinner menu until midnight 365 days a year. Culinary companions learn important lessons about sharing by carpooling to dinner on a unicycle or divvying up hot and cold tapas, such as blackened scallops ($9) and truffle risotto balls ($7). English-style fish 'n' chips sheathe tender whitefish in a homemade ale batter ($12), and a quartet of fragrant noodle bowls buoy chicken, seafood, beef, and veggies in an aromatic pho broth ($7+). Jumbo party wings ($11) and cheddar-stuffed pretzels ($8) evoke the sports bars Samuel’s so deftly transcends, and 37 widescreen TVs flank a 156-inch jumbotron that allows fans to count every crumb in Mike Ditka’s mustache. Imbibers can admire high-end spirits and robust wines, as beers from Goose Island and Magic Hat pour from 19 foam-flecked taps at Samuel’s quadrangular wooden bar, which anchors a convivial dining area ensconced in exposed brick.