Profile

In the day, this former social club transforms itself into a café for Irving Park coffees, Balthazar pastries, and free wi-fi. Then, after 4pm, the casks roll out of the basement and the barroom turns itself over to pints from small breweries like 3 Philosophers, Sly Fox, and Victory. The beers and ales aren’t the only things that are specially crafted as paintings and photos from local artists adorn the unscuffed white walls. While old-timers stick to the high-gloss bar up front, whippersnappers favor the bare-bones backroom where they page through discarded sections of the Times or engage in impromptu battles of Yahtzee and Candyland on one of the many tables. (Games are stacked on a shelf beneath the digital jukebox.) Young and old alike appreciate the make–your–own–Bloody Mary weekend specials. — Jane Lerner