E-MAIL CHRIS   PRINT   2008 COLUMNS   ARCHIVES   SEARCH ARCHIVES A CLASSIC BAR IN THE TODDLIN' TOWN By Chris Barnett October 30, 2008 -- Chicago, Frank Sinatra's "toddlin' town," overflows with great drinking dens festooned with legends. Unfortunately, no one knows the pedigree of the long, rectangular, antique bar rescued from a local tavern that currently serves as the plank at Coco Pazzo. But classic, creative cocktails slide across it and the 10 royal blue and gold bar stools are packed most every night. The bar at Coco Pazzo in the River North neighborhood (and not to be confused with the Coco Pazzo Café) is a hideaway for Chicagoans. It's known for its authentic Tuscan cuisine, Italian wines and wood-burning oven rather than its gin and tonics. Every dish on Coco Pazzo's lunch, dinner and dessert menu can be ordered from and served atop the mahogany bar. A favored appetizer is the cozze al vapore, mussels steeped in white wine, garlic, marjoram and tomato ($9). The wood-roasted organic King salmon with beluga lentils in whole grain mustard sauce is delicious--and fairly priced at $24. The prosciutto pizze with tomato and mozzarella is a meal at $11. Strike up a conversation at Coco Pazzo's bar and you could be chatting with an executive from Boeing or Nuveen, the muni bond house; a morose trader from Goldman Sachs; or a banker from the LaSalle Bank, now Bank of America. Coco Pazzo also attract artists and architects; Riccardo Muti, maestro from the Chicago Symphony or Mayor Richard Daley. Don't expect Hollywood star wattage, although Chicago's own Jim Belushi and actress Jennifer Aniston slip in discreetly now and then. Coco Pazzo's bar is comfortable, not snooty. And there are plenty of transactions sired or dissected here. Says Jack Weiss, the co-owner: We're designed for comfort. Women are dressed to the nines in their finest jewelry and they are sitting next to a hot new artist in jeans. (And, in case you are wondering, Coco Pazzo is a twist on a Tuscan proverb and Italian for The Crazy Chef.) The head bartender, Tony Agovic, is quite sane and very friendly. He holds court in the high-ceiling bar, which is elevated from the restaurant floor and sits square in front of the open kitchen with its sweet-smelling, wood-burning oven. Walls are cream-colored and the floors are made from Italian Cypress. A furniture factory many years ago, Coco Pazzo's old wooden timbers and rafters give it a rustic elegance and warmth. Chicago, of course, loves its beer and the suds flow freely. But Weiss and Agovic are choosy about their offerings. The list is limited to Moretti, an Italian brew; Amstel Light or Heineken from Holland; and Sam Adams. There's no draft beer and no mass-market bottled American lagers, a gutsy decision for a bar in the Midwest. The wine list is a passport-free trip to Tuscany. For the adventurer, there are 10 to 12 wines by the glass. A nice, medium bodied Tuscan white, Terre Di Tufi, is $14 for a 6-ounce glass. Agovic recommends red wine drinkers order the Barbera d'Asti, a rich table wine from the Piedmont ($9). Proprietor Jack Weiss is a fan of the so-called "super Tuscans," a blend of different grapes from the region that defies description. Jack calls them "creative, big, bold and very approachable." While it seems like every saloon is pushing faux martinis mixing every fruit, flavored spirit and garnish imaginable, Agovic is a traditionalist. The Coco Pazzo martini is as dry as the Sahara and poured to the lip with Beefeater's, Tanqueray, Bombay or Hendriks Gin. It's $9 to $10. Coco Pazzo's other cocktails are well-crafted and are terrific values for a good-sized pour. Agovic's Manhattan, for example, offers a choice of premium bourbons such as Jack Daniels, Maker's Mark, Booker's, Baker's or Wild Turkey and the price is reasonable: $8.50 to $9. A favorite drink at Coco Pazzo is the internationally infamous Bellini. Created at Harry's Bar in Venice, the authentic version is a puree of white peaches in a Champagne flute that's filled with Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine. Agovic and his team duplicate the recipe exactly for $12. A little known sibling to the Bellini is the Carnevali--it's made with raspberry puree for the same price. Once in a while, someone will order a rich Grasshopper--crème de menthe, crème de cacao, milk and cream, shaken and served straight up with a mint sprig. "If you have to ask how many calories, don't order one," says Agovic.

ABOUT CHRIS BARNETT Chris Barnett writes about business-travel tactics and strategies that save time and money and help minimize hassles. He is based in San Francisco and has written for a wide variety of major newspapers and national magazines. Barnett on Business Travel is syndicated by Creators Syndicate. THE FINE PRINT Joe Brancatelli makes this space available to Chris Barnett in the spirit of free speech and to help encourage editorial diversity and the wider discussion of important travel issues. All of the opinions and material in this column are the sole property of Barnett. This material may not be reproduced in any form without the express permission of Chris Barnett. This column is Copyright © 2008 by Chris Barnett. JoeSentMe is Copyright © 2008 by Joe Brancatelli. All rights reserved.