The Central , Chicago

Central , The - A grand marquee and large open doors welcome you to The Central, a decidedly chic sports lounge situated in the heart of Wrigleyville. Once inside you are treated to a huge island bar, rich red booths, dramatic lighting and plenty of ceiling fans—in short, a luxurious yet comfortable atmosphere in which to take in all variety of televised sport on a dozen plasma screens. The staff is warm and friendly as they offer up the day’s specials (the tasty Roman-style pizzas are especially generous) and mix with the regulars, who are fashionable and upscale by sports bar standards. The music, a mix of rock, hip hop and lounge, is a little on the pedestrian side but played at a reasonable enough volume as not to offend. Overall, The Central provides an evolved atmosphere in a neighborhood teeming with rowdy baseball fans. But who says that every sports bar has to cater to the ball cap and sandals crowd, anyway?