STREETERVILLE — For the next several Monday nights, patrons of Timothy O'Toole's Pub can tune out sports and watch the more dangerous game of attempted romance.
The watering hole at 622 N. Fairbanks Court is hosting watch parties for the new season of "The Bachelor" starting at 6:30 p.m. Monday.
It's a diversion for the Streeterville sports bar, but for good reason: the staff will be cheering on a former teammate as she competes for bachelor Chris Soules' heart.
Contestant Amber James worked at the bar for years before being cast for the 19th season of the ABC dating game. James, 29, is back in Chicago studying for a real estate license and will appear at the bar for the episode airing Jan. 19.
"It's just kind of a fun event," said Timothy O'Toole's Marketing Director Angela Luzzo.
"The Bachelor" will be shown on a new 110-inch, high-definition projector in a private room, and guests can partake in Champagne and other drink specials throughout the season, Luzzo said. Watch parties will also include raffle prizes during commercial breaks, she said.
James was voted the "hottest server" in Chicago by RedEye readers in 2011, and was noted for her participation in the Polar Plunge benefitting Special Olympics Chicago. She can't live without her Teddy bear, Mom, best friends, and brother, and her biggest fear in dating is unrequited love, according to her "Bachelor" profile.
James joins two other contestants from the Chicago area this "Bachelor" season, including 29-year-old fertility nurse Whitney, of Chicago, and 24-year-old ballet teacher Amanda, a Lake in the Hills native. They will join 27 other women vying for the love of Chris Soules, a 33-year-old farmer from Iowa.
This season of "The Bachelor" begins at 7 p.m. Monday on ABC.
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