The Map Room

Granted, we're going to be biased toward a place that has bookcases full of books about travel. It's grand to rummaging around the bookshelves here with a pint of Three Floyds Alpha King or Golden Prairie Nut Brown in hand.

The Map Room expanded to 26 taps last year and has established itself as one of the best places in Chicago to drink beer (Update: a system for properly serving cask-conditioned ale was added in 1997). The draught selection changes often, but beer brewed in Chicago is prominently featured, as are some of the best regional breweries (Sprecher in Wisconsin, Summit in Minnesota and Kalamazoo in Michigan) and micro stalwarts like Anchor and Sierra Nevada.

The bar was the first in the city to offer Belgian Maredsous 8 on tap. The 100 or so bottled choices pretty well cover the world's brewing styles.

The bar is in the Bucktown neighborhood, where individualism is still cherished. Travelers plan trips in the bar and often mail postcards back, which are then tacked on the walls. "We just found beer fits so well with the whole travel theme," manager Laura Blasingame said.

On "International Night," each Tuesday, there's a free buffet featuring food from anywhere in the world, and the bar hangs the flag from the featured country or region, plays music from the area and usually has a speaker in to talk about the area.

Hours: 7 a.m.-2 a.m., liquor served after 11 a.m.

Location: On the southeast corner of Hoyne and Armitage. From downtown, take I-94 to Damen Avenue, then go left on Damen (south) to Armitage, then right (west) on Armitage.

More vitals: No kitchen, but scones and similar items served with coffee and espresso in the morning, snacks such as pretzels and sausages available after noon. Pool, board games. Smoking throughout and cigar friendly. Live music on Friday and Saturday. Bar is wheelchair accessible, bathrooms aren't. Parking on street. "Beer school" once a month.

July 1996