Aviary Opens…

While the alluring elusiveness of Next continues to captivate Chicago, the spotlight shifts today, April 13th, to next door bar Aviary. Originally scheduled to open last week in tandem with Next, the high-concept cocktail bar can accommodate only 200 patrons. Seeing as how reservations are not required as with sold-out Next, you can expect foodies wanting a piece of the action to descend in droves.

Drinks are expected to be “a half-hour experience from ordering to finishing,” which will hopefully soften the blow of the “around” $16 per drink price tag. The creations will be skillfully crafted not by bartenders, not even by “mixologists,” but rather by chefs in a kitchen. An outdoor patio will open during the summer months and will accept reservations.

In the basement of Aviary will be another bar: a clandestine, invite-only space whose presence is marked by a single door engraved with the words The Office. The exclusive speakeasy promises an array of Prohibition era beverages, thus offering drinkers a classical foil to Aviary’s space-age creations. [Time Out]