NORTH CENTER — Perfectly timed with the start of the NFL season, North Center's newest sports bar, Tavern on Little Fort, makes its debut Thursday, with doors opening at 4 p.m.
Little Fort, named for the Little Fort Road trading route now known as Lincoln Avenue, is the latest venture from the team behind Commonwealth Tavern in Roscoe Village and takes over the space formerly occupied by Glunz Bavarian Haus.
Patty Wetli says the bar will cater to sports fans (including Iowa alums) and families:
Despite their common ownership, the two bars have distinctively different personalities.
"I think Commonwealth has cleaner, leaner looks," said owner Matt Baldino.
Little Fort, by contrast, is "wood and Chicago brick head to toe," he said, noting that some of the reclaimed materials were salvaged from the Old Main building on the campus of Lake Forest's defunct Barat College.
"My mom said, 'What does it look like?' I said, 'It looks like your son grew up wanting to build a fort with flat screen TVs and a bar,'" Baldino said.
The menu, created by Commonwealth's chefs, will be sandwich-driven, he said.
Brunch will eventually be added to weekend service but for the immediate future, the focus will be on football-friendly food, according to Baldino.
Kids and families will feel welcome, he said, and Little Fort is also hanging up its shingle as a home-away-from-home for Iowa Hawkeyes fans.
Tavern on Little Fort is located at 4128 N. Lincoln Ave. Hours of operation will be 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 3 a.m., Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday.
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