A curious commenter in our Lincoln Square forum recently wondered what was up with the building at the corner of Lawrence and Leavitt, in Ravenswood. We wondered too, so we snapped a couple of photos and checked it out. Renovations to turn the space at 2200 W Lawrence Ave into the Chicago Ale House are pretty much complete, according to Masood Dehnavifar, part of the operation that owns the nearby Cy’s Crab House , 3819 N Ashland Ave, and Cy’s Steak and Chop House, 4138 N Lincoln Ave, as well as a couple of others.
“Renovation is pretty much done; we’re just waiting for the city to pass us on all the inspections, and then we’ll be open for business,” Dehnavifar said. “We’re shooting for start of Cubs season, but it’s just too hard to tell with the city.”
The menu will range “from a $5 cheeseburger to a $15 filet,” according to Dehnavifar, who points out the difference between a traditional alehouse and a bar. “Alehouses are historically different. It’s a family-oriented environment, a fun place to be and to hang out, and yes, you can have beers, but the menus have 50 different items, from low-cost to medium-priced. We’ll have like 60 different taps for beers, so you can eat, and sample different types of beer.”
The site does not have parking, but Dehnavifar said that street parking was ample, and he’s in touch with people in the neighborhood who can supply him with parking if he needs it. That might become necessary if Lawrence Avenue continues to develop. The stretch of Lawrence in Ravenswood has been an underutilized commercial strip (automotive, mattresses, low-end apparel, doughnuts), but lately, restaurants like Uno di Martino, 2122 W Lawrence Ave, have complemented the handful of old standbys, such as Pizza D.O.C., 2251 W Lawrence Ave, and the renovated Garcia’s, 1758 W Lawrence.
No one expects this to become a restaurant row – at least we don’t – but there seems to be enough momentum here and in Lincoln Square that Lawrence now seems capable of supporting some good restaurants. Dehnavifar obviously thinks so. “What’s going on over there is a lot of condo development,” he said. “They’re putting up a brand new condo next to our building, another a block away and hundreds up and down Lincoln. There’s the Metra station, which has a lot of foot traffic. Pizza D.O.C. is a good restaurant, and we’re only three blocks from Lincoln Square, where all those little shops are.”
Pleasing the neighborhood hasn’t been easy, according to Dehnavifar, but the rehab job should make passersby happy. The custom woodwork on the facade (freshly stained aged wood) is classy and looks as if it’s always been there.
