Profile

To describe SNAP as a sports bar would be like calling the Yankees a bunch of guys who hang out and hit balls. Sure, all of the staples are there—sixteen flatscreen TVs, 8 beers on tap, viewers who think their coaching makes a difference—but SNAP is truly in a league of their own. A 35-foot long bar stretches along the narrow entrance; made of White American Ash, the same wood used to make a baseball bat, and displaying an embedded LED sports ticker, it’s only the beginning of designer Steve Lewis’ incredible attention to detail. A 1940’s aesthetic dictates the décor, eschewing kitsch in place of subtlety: Custom-made blue and red wallpaper displays sketches of amateur athletes, private booths upholstered in football leather, and a ceiling covered with a sepia-toned photograph of crowds at Chicago’s Soldier Field. The 2,200-square-foot space accommodates up to 250 guests and seats about 100, including a private area in the back. Come here to watch big boxing matches or to watch Leonardo DiCaprio watch big boxing matches; either way, you won’t be disappointed. — Antonia Clark