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Just how this Prospect Heights drinking den pays homage to its namesake railroad magnate is unclear. (It’s hard to imagine the crotchety Commodore Vanderbilt ordering anything with muddled sage from a flannel-clad bartendress.) Minor identity issues aside, however, Cornelius—from the folks behind Soda and Franklin Park—brings a welcome varnished-wood vibe to a vacant-lot stretch of Vanderbilt Avenue. Leaning on the now-familiar bar trifecta—microbrews, artisan cocktails, and small plates—Cornelius does all with aplomb: Kelso and Elysian on tap, and Gulden Draak and Old Engine Oil by the bottle; ambitious seasonal drinks like the Long Island Railroad Iced Tea (chai plus Jim and Jack) or the apple-ginger margarita; and comfort-food renditions from onetime Freemans chef Michelle Hanna, like head-on shrimp with leeks and fried lemon. Bistro tables line one long banquette, and a brick-backed bar shows off Cornelius’s dozen gins, two dozen whiskeys, and forty-odd bottles of Scotch, all available for the tasting. — Carey Jones

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