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4 Neighborhood Places Where You Should Go Eat or Drink This Weekend

By DNAinfo Staff | February 27, 2015 1:07pm 

 From top left clockwise: Harry's Velvet Room in Lincoln Park; Rocks Northcenter; Seven Lions in the Loop; and Frasca Pizza in Lakeview.
From top left clockwise: Harry's Velvet Room in Lincoln Park; Rocks Northcenter; Seven Lions in the Loop; and Frasca Pizza in Lakeview.
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DNAinfo

CHICAGO — On your weekend menu: oysters, beer and, of course, pizzaAlso a HUGE burger.

• Once a swanky River North nightlife staple, Harry's Velvet Room has reopened in Lincoln Park.

There's one catch though: It's technologically stuck in the 1990s.

"Put your cell phone away. Talk to people. Selfies can wait," owner Dion Antic said.

The two-level bar and restaurant has the appeal of a French bar with book-lined shelves and classic cocktails in the front and a brasserie and oyster bar in the back.

Harry's Velvet Room's food menu includes French staples such as steak frites, carpaccio, pate and mussels Normandy and the kitchen will remain open until 1:30 am. nightly.

The oyster bar features a rotating selection of East and West Coast oysters at $3 a piece.

The cocktail list is all about traditional drinks, three ingredients max. All the drinks run $12 including the martini, hanky panky, gin fizz, clover club, Vieux Carré and boulevardier.

Harry's Velvet Room, 1408 W. Webster Ave.

• Frasca Pizzeria and Wine Bar is hosting the pizza-making (and, more importantly, pizza-eating) session Saturday in collaboration with Half Acre Beer Co.

Pizza pupils will choose from margherita or pepperoni pizzas, complete with pizza dough made with Half Acre's Daisy Cutter brew.

The $30 class includes pizza supplies and three beers: Daisy Cutter, Pony Pilsner and Senita IPA.

The class starts at 3:30 p.m. Call 773-248-5222 for reservations.

Frasca Pizzeria and Wine Bar, 3358 N. Paulina St.

• Two years removed from being host of "Check, Please!" Alpana Singh has already opened her second restaurant.

Named in homage to the Art Institute of Chicago's lion statues across the street, Seven Lions is for "whatever the occasion," Singh said.

Singh said the menu reflects a "clubhouse" vibe, with items including everything from a $12 chicken-and-duck club sandwich to a $65, dry-aged 22-ounce bone-in ribeye steak. Drinks include local brews, spirits and an extensive list of wines picked by Singh.

Seven Lions also features numerous private dining areas, including a lower-level event area where the Chicago Symphony Orchestra once rehearsed. 

Her favorite dishes on the menu? A $22 relish tray with meats, cheese and seafood; or an $11 brussels sprout and burrata toast appetizer.

Seven Lions, 130 S. Michigan Ave.

• Finally, if you are really hungry, try the Rockstar Burger at Rocks in North Center and Lakeview.

Picture four half-pound beef patties, eight pieces of bacon, eight slices of pepper jack cheese, 8 ounces of spicy giardiniera, onion strings, lettuce and tomato sandwiched between a pretzel bun. Also, a pound of fries on the side.

Rocks Northcenter, 4138 N. Lincoln Ave. and Rocks Lincoln Park, 3463 N. Broadway

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