As revealed in our comments section, that classy looking open river-side lounge is not the actual New Knuckles, instead it has been remodeled and turned into something called, ominously enough, the Red Bar:
The new lobby level Red Bar captivates guests with 21 plasma screen televisions and eight double-sided media screens. This Trattoria-style venue emits a lively yet sophisticated energy and is positioned to infect the lobby’s general seating area with its joviality and mirth. With fun food and definite Italian flare, Red Bar offers oven-baked treasures, along with a fully stocked bar for creative cocktail concoctions.
Red Bar is open seven days per week from 11:00 a.m. with drinks and food available for lunch and dinner.
“Positioned to infect the lobby’s general seating area with its joviality and mirth”??? Who wrote this press release? The Beat? We know Knuckles used to infect something, but a little ointment would usually clear it right up.
A look at the menu reveals that the Red Bar is now serving $13 martinis and $13 pizzas. Looks like a six pack and some joviality and mirth in the lobby is the only affordable option for most of the Artist Alley folks now.
That area around Rosemont is terribly lacking in good bars/restaurants for the large post-convention crowd. I remember a few years ago after a Chicago ComicFest (which was also in Rosemont) some friends and I invited Mike Kaluta and Bruce Jones out for dinner, and I, being the only Chicago resident, suggested we drive into neighboring Des Plains for a good meal at a divey Mexican place. Everyone was a little firghtened at first, but all involved came out unscathed.
It’s a shame when they have the con nowhere near the city center where people could actually enjoy Chicago and all of its great neighborhoods and bars and restaurants and “attractions”.
We’ll have to find somewhere else to do tequila shots, Heidi ;-)