The upscale Gramercy is an oasis of sophistication in a neighborhood of frat bars. The decor is high-end -- an all-white interior with vinyl-covered booths and streams of water trickling down behind the bar -- but the place is attitude-free: no dress code, no cover, and no obvious pickup lines at the bar. People come here to hang out and talk -- and they can actually hear what their companions are saying.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Chicago 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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