Okay...now you're in my territory...although Lolapalooza is no my cup o'tea.

Downtown Chicago doesn't really have any really real Irish or Scots joints in it. I hate to say it but if you show up in most joints in a kilt you won't get, "Oh...a man in a kilt! How wonderful...right this way sir...we have an excellent table waiting for you." but rather, "What are you dressed up for?" I mean you won't get hostility or anything like that but it's still out of the ordinary. I usually make the point that this IS a city with a kilted pipe band attached to its police force, so what's the big deal?

If you want to eat, do skip the Elephant and Castle (on Madison St. around Clark St. I think)...drink but the food is marginal. That's my one caveat. You would do better just stopping at Wendy's...no foolin'.

Otherwise, depends on whether you're "dressy" or not. Not a whole lot of "casual" places downtown these days. Peterino's (attached to the Goodman Theatre, Randolph and Dearborn): nice bar, theatre crowd but somewhat dressy. The Park Grill in Millenium Park has a bar...nice casual to dressy. There's a Fado (seems to be a franchise...thought it was just one bar) on Clark Street North of the River at about Grand Avenue...never been in there (always mean to but I'm usually in those parts way too early in the day) but it is a Pub type joint. If you venture out of the "Loop" there are three on the North Side: The Red Lion (been there, English pub...the current landlord's late father was a great guy...English WWII vet, architect and raconteur...haven't been up there since he passed away but it's always held out as one of the better "neighborhood-y" places in Chicago...it's on Lincoln Avenue), The Duke of Perth (haven't been there, can't comment) and the Hye Bar (up in "Wrigleyville", again, haven't been there yet but I hear that kilts are not so uncommon there).

Gee, I just realized that I don't get around much any more...

Expect to go about $5-6 for a pint of the black stuff wherever you go downtown or on the North Side...my locals down here on the far South Side usually go $3.50-5 as a reference between what the neighborhood places charge vs the places in the "hip" areas.

Just remembered that there's a joint called Kitty O'Shea's in the Hilton on South Michigan Avenue (720 South...and Michigan Avenue is the big boulevard that faces on Griant Park)...I have been in there for a pint but haven't partaken of the menu. It's a hotel bar...looks like a pub...one of my buddy's bands has played there now and again. A kilt might actually be welcomed in there...it'd be a novelty, mind you...but they'd probably be pleasantly suprised to see a guy in a kilt.

Lemme know where you're going to be...if I can get away I can lend some kilted support...probably easier for a couple of kilts to get served no questions asked than just one.

Best

AA