After winning my pinball crown back from a friend at Shorty's last night, I finally went to Tavern Law, the spot on 12th Avenue off Union in Capitol Hill. This is the place with a downstairs bar and a "speakeasy" upstairs that you have to call on a black phone to get buzzed up.

The downstairs has great food—small plates and soup—although the vibe is a little too sterile and pre-fab (like much of the trendy stretch on 12th, not counting the great Cafe Presse.)

But wow on the upstairs, with the lovely 1920s theme, dynamite off-the-cuff alcohol concoctions, and sweeping couches.

There was a Saturday, January 17, 1920 edition the Chicago Daily Tribune tucked under glass at our table. Something about national prohibition in force.