Uncommon Ground will appeal to many people at DailyKos. The crowd tends to be on the 20s to mid 30s side, but all would feel comfortable in the free flowing environment here. The music here is only acoustic and the walls act as an art gallery for local artists work. The bar serves great drinks that have a global inspiration. This place is so cool (and cheap) that Rachel Ray stopped here for her ‘$40 a Day’ TV show. Hop inside and I’ll tell you more.
The first time I went to Uncommon Ground was when a friend of mine was visiting from out of town. He was a leader of Amnesty International back when he was in college and all of his Amnesty friends told him he had to check out ‘Uncommon Ground’. As soon as we walked in we felt like we had just been invited into someone’s awesome apartment. There’s a very non-restaurant feel to the place. Three guys were strumming pleasant notes on acoustic guitars while we nibbled on a hummus plate and ordered a beer. Yes, Uncommon Ground comes complete with a bar. A full kitchen is inside too and here are the most interesting looking ones:
‘Braised Middle Eastern Short Ribs (apricot-pistachio cous cous & green olive gremolata on the side)’ $18
‘Korean Chili-Spice Fried Calamari (sesame seeds & mixed greens) $9’
‘Spicy Pulled Pork Nachos (smokey black beans, spicy pulled pork, brown rice, cheddar cheese, ancho chili sauce, sour cream & fresh cilantro $7’
They have several vegetarian specials too and actually focus on food that is locally raised, sustainable and organic. Did I mention this place had music? Yes, I had a hard time deciding if it was Chicago Eats or Chicago Music, but when most of you check it out, there will be music playing. Acts at Uncommon Ground typically get an hour to play typically starting at 9:00pm. The music is almost all unplugged and sometimes that’s the only connection between the acts. You can make reservations, but then you must order a minimum of $20 in food and drink per person. When you think about it, that’s not such a bad deal to support an organic restaurant and listen to some good music along the way.
To get to Uncommon Ground, it’s almost the same directions for Wrigley Field. From the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, take the #22 Cermak bus going westbound or suck it up and walk the .7 miles to the Red Line Cermak/Chinatown station. If you take the bus, you’ll be on it for about 5 minutes. Once inside the Red Line station, make sure you catch the Red Line Train going to Howard (northbound). You will take the L for about 25 minutes until you get to the Addison Red Line stop. Get off the train and head towards Wrigley Field (that big massive stadium in the middle of the neighborhood). Walk past Wrigley Field and take a right at the McDonald’s. You will be on Clark Street. Walk up Clark two blocks and you will run into Uncommon ground at 3800 N Clark Street. Enjoy the hummus!