Chicago Magazine published their list of the 27 Best Things they ate in 2021 and included Lost Lake's Double Fried Fish! See the full list here — and if you haven't tried Chef Dani and Fred's new food menu at Lost Lake- respectfully- what's taking you so long?! Book a reservation now!
Lost Lake is a semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program for the James Beard Foundation Awards! Huge congrats to the entire crew. Come by for a drink to toast the team with us!
Lost Lake will be doing double duty this Halloween! From October 25 - 27 and Halloween itself, Lost Lake will feature a spooky menu of Halloween tiki cocktails. And from October 28 - 31...Asians Fry Chicken is back!
Reprising one of the year’s most popular Shift-Ease, Lost Lake Executive Chef Fred Noinaj is excited to welcome an exciting roster of chefs for another edition of AFC: Asians Fry Chicken! And, since it’s Halloween, the whole bar will be making the transformation to AFC. From October 28 - 31, Lost Lake will feature a new AFC menu daily, with 25% of proceeds of food sales benefiting KAN-WIN, a non-profit whose mission is to eradicate all forms of violence against women, including domestic violence and sexual assault, by empowering Asian American survivors and engaging the community through culturally competent services, community education and outreach, and advocacy.
Chef Fred conceived of Asians Fry Chicken as a chance to celebrate his heritage through the language fried chicken, a ubiquitous dish in many Asian countries: "As a child, it is not always apparent that being different is cool. Being the kid with the "weird" lunch who spoke an odd language made me ashamed of celebrating my ethnicity until I got older. Being able to bring friends together with similar upbringings to celebrate our cuisines is extremely empowering, especially because we are doing it for a good cause.”
Full schedule:
Monday, October 28
Rishi Kumar, Bar Sotano: Yucatan Fire Fried Chicken | crispy chicken thigh nuggets, mango-habanero glaze
Zeeshan Shah and Yoshi Yamada, Superkhana International: Fried Chicken Pao: mango pickle-buttermilk marinated fried chicken pao w/ achaar aioli
Fred Noinaj, Lost Lake: Thai fried chicken thighs tossed with fried shallots and garlic and served with sweet chili sauce
Tuesday, October 29
Lorraine Nguyen, Land and Sea Dept: Tandoori masala spiced legs with a honey glaze
Lawrence Letrero, Bayan Ko: coconut adobo wings & pinoy macaroni salad
Fred Noinaj, Lost Lake: Thai fried chicken thighs tossed with fried shallots and garlic and served with sweet chili sauce
Wednesday, October 30
Palita Sriratana of Pink Salt: Tom Yum wings with lemongrass and makrut lime leaf. Served with chilli oil aoili
Jennifer Kim of Passerotto: Korean Fried Chicken with sweet gochujang glaze + wakame salad
Fred Noinaj, Lost Lake: Thai fried chicken thighs tossed with fried shallots and garlic and served with sweet chili sauce
Thursday, Octber 31
Fried chicken sandwiches by Fred Noinaj, Dani Kaplan, Jacob Moffet-Fleischer, and Eric Avila of Lost Lake:
Olive Oyl's: Fried chicken thigh, spicy mayo, extra pickles. $11
Thai fried chicken, garlic aioli, cucumber, lime dressing $11
Daily sides:
Potato salad
Hawaiian rolls with honey butter
Cole slaw
Congratulations are in order for the team at Lost Lake who came in at #91 on The World's Best Bars list! They've jumped 8 spots from #99 on 2018's list. It's an incredible honor to be included amongst so many wonderful bars around the world, we're so proud of our favorite lil' tiki bar!
Lost Lake is celebrating Canada Day with Canadians! And they’re really bringing their “eh” game: Canadian bartenders, Canadian Spirits, and Canadian food by a Canadian chef!
Led by Mike Ryan (Canadian) and featuring guest bartenders Christina Veira (Canadian) and Juliana Wolkowski (Canadian) — with a special appearance by Dave Mitton (Canadian) — they’ll be serving a menu of cocktails featuring Lot 40, Pike Creek, Gooderham & Worts, and J.P. Wiser's (you guessed it, all Canadian!)
Also on offer will be a menu of Canadian snacks by chef Will Serre (Canadian) and Lost Lake’s Fred Noinaj (sorry, not Canadian) will feature Poutine (mushroom gravy and goat cheese curds over fries), Maple Braised Pork Belly (Seared and served on toast with charred pickled onions and cured egg yolk), and Wilensky's Special (Salami, bologna, yellow mustard, and swiss on a kaiser roll; pickle on the side).
And because when our political climate turns sour, a go-to joke seems to be “I’m moving to Canada!”, we’re going to be donating $1 of each Canadian item sold (food and drink) to Organized Communities Against Deportation (OCAD) — an undocumented-led group that organizes against deportations, detention, criminalization, and incarceration, of Black, brown, and immigrant communities in Chicago and surrounding areas.
And those who arrive donning Canadian Tuxedos, there will be special treats... See you there, eh!
Here's a little roundup of some of the nice things people have been saying about LSD in the press! Thanks to everyone who included us.
Parson's Chicken & Fish Lincoln Park was included in Eater's best new bar heatmap for March (for the third month in a row!) Check that out here.
The Infatuation published a guide on where to go for "fake spring" and Lonesome Rose was on the list. Read that here.
Chicago Sun Times' journalist Ji Suk Yi does an online piece called The Grid where she explores different neighborhoods and cuisines and recently did one in Logan Square of Mexican & Latin food options. Lomesome Rose was included, you can read that here.
Reader's Digest published a piece on the best speakeasies inside of hotels and Milk Room was included. Check it out.
Liquor.com released their 2019 best bars feature called "Drink Here Now" and a handful of our spots were included in numerous categories. Longman & Eagle for "Whiskey," Milk Room for "Whiskey", and Lost Lake for "Rum, Cocktail, Tiki, The Team Players, The Food Slingers." The map is really cool and interactive, check it out!
Our Beverage Director Paul McGee recently shared Cherry Circle Room's "That's That" martini recipe with Imbibe and it's featured on their site here.
We've got some sweet stuff happening this February 14. Check out all of our V Day happenings and spend your lovin' with us:
Cherry Circle Room
February 14 - Book via Resy
Treat your loved one to a swanky Valentine's Day in Cherry Circle Room's James Beard award-winning space. Enjoy classic Cherry Circle Room dishes like their Beef Tartare (with chile, quail egg, salsa verde, and l'amuse gouda) served in a heart-shape just for Valentine's Day; Paul McGee's full menu of cocktails, and assorted chocolate bon bons from Executive Pastry Chef Angela Diaz.
Game Room
February 14, 8pm - 1am
Game Room is throwing it back for Valentine's Day with a No Scrubs dance party for you and your crew. DJ Audio Jack will be playing '90s and early 2000s hits just like all of your old high school dances. We'll have bubbly drink specials from Moët & Chandon plus a large format cocktail from Paul McGee to share with your buds.
Golden Teardrops
February 14, 7pm - midnight
Golden Teardrops (the basement bar below Lonesome Rose) will be transformed into The Lovers Lounge this Valentine's Day. The bar will be decked out in twinkling pink lights, and we'll have drink specials for whatever your aphrodisiac of choice is; fancy cocktails (try the gin & pomegranate based Have a Heart or the tequila based Rosita, $11 each) or a giant-sized mug of Hamm's, fresh from the tap. Plus, we'll have karaoke hosted by Katie Bates so you can serenade your partner or your pals.
Longman & Eagle
February 14 in the OSB
Longman's old school red sauce Italian dinner may be sold out, but you can still get in on the good stuff by heading to the OSB. Feel the romance with chicken parm sandwiches and drown your sorrows in a nice glass of chianti!
Lost Lake
February 14
Lost Lake is going Valentiki! For $50 (not including tax and gratuity), you and your valentine will enjoy three courses paired with cocktails, including grilled octopus, sizzling sisig and pork belly, plus pandan ice cream in salted coconut milk for dessert. Come on in on Valentine's Day for a tiki treat built for two!
Milk Room
Experience available February 8 - 10, 14 - 17
Book via Resy
Milk Room is offering a special Valentine's Day experience for two all week long. Couples will be greeted with a welcome cocktail built for two (served in a coconut, at that!), followed by a choice of two cocktails from a special menu designed by Paul McGee. Guests will also be served a seafood platter for two, a charcuterie plate with terrines, pickles and mustard to accompany their drinks, along with a box of chocolate with assorted bon bons to take home, and a departing cocktail. Reservations are $200 per person, and can be booked via Resy.
Parson's Chicken and Fish
February 14
Both the Logan Square and Lincoln Park locations will have the Lonely Guy special this year, which includes a Parson's Beer & 3 ounces of whiskey for $5. And now, for the first year ever, you can add on unlimited Hush Puppies for $8. The hush puppies will keep coming as long as you can put ‘em away. Who's lonely now?!
Illustration by Charlotte Croy Hudson
All of our restaurants and bars will be championing women-run or owned brands this IWD with special menus. We're proud to work with local favorites Hopewell Brewing Co. (co-founder Samantha Lee), Right Bee Cider (co-founder Katie Morgan), North Shore Distillery (co-founder Sonja Kassebaum), Metroplitan Brewing (co-founder Tracy Hurst) and Koval Distillery (co-founder Sonat Birnecker), plus Mexico-based Pueblo Viejo(owner Carmen Villarreal), and Italian Grappa Nonino (owned by sisters Cristina, Antonella and Elisabetta Nonino).
Cherry Circle Room will be highlighting female winemakers, including Angela Osborne of A Tribute to Grace, Anne and Catherine Parent of Domaine Anne Parent, Maggie Harrison of Antica Terra, Eva Fricke of her eponymous winery, Dominique Moreau of Marie Courtin, Esther Pinuaga of Bodegas Pinuaga, Nancy Irelan of Red Tail Ridge, and Diana Snowden Seysses of Snowden Vineyards.
Longman & Eagle will even have a special IWD whisky flight (available in the restaurant and OSB), featuring three female-led distilleries: Allison Parc and Brenne French Single Malt Whisky, Angela & Maggie Moore of Virginia Distillery Co., and Pam Heilmann & Andrea Wilson of Michter's.
On the culinary side, we're showcasing three women-owned farms: Three Sisters Gardens' Tracey Vowell and Kathe Roybal (from Kankakee!), Michigan's Werp Farms, co-owned by Tina Werp, and Nettle Meadow Farm (Warrensburg, NY), which is owned by Sheila Flanagan and Lorraine Lambiase.
Proceeds from the featured items will benefit Girls in the Game, a non-profit (started in Chicago) empowering young women to discover their strength and lead with confidence through fun and active sports, health and leadership programs.
Land and Sea Dept. is lucky to have lots of women running many of the shows we've got going on. Femme identifying people run many of our restaurants and bars. Handle our finances. Oversee our events. Innovate on the line. Pastry. Social Media. They hold it it down serving, bartending, running, hosting, barista-ing. Chances are, if you like something we're doing, a woman had her hand in it. Thank goddess.
We asked a few of our women in charge to share some advice, words of wisdom, or things to watch out for. Here's what they had to say:
Kerri Petric
Assistant General Manager - Drawing Room, Game Room, Milk Room
“The future of women in hospitality is immensely bright, and I work for the best company that exhibits this fact. Keep working together, supporting, learning from each other, and we will be unstoppable!”
Angela Diaz
Executive Pastry Chef - Cherry Circle Room, Drawing Room, Game Room, Milk Room
"My advice is be yourself. It's hard in the kitchen sometimes because you want to fit into this (once) male-dominated kitchen environment, but at the end of the day you will accomplish more and earn more respect when you do you. And in the hardest of times, when you feel like you want to compare yourself to your fellow male co-worker, be stronger and keep a level and equal mindset.
Be feminine and show pride in it, in whatever way that means to you. GIRL power is YOU power."
Elana Green
Executive Director, Land and Sea Dept.
“Let go of what doesn’t make you better. That’s not to say that you won’t have bad days or errors. I’ve made mistakes, and I learned from them. But channeling your energy towards the positive will yield a much better end result. I’m constantly looking at how we can do things better, make our jobs and business better, and these traits both fuel and feed my career.”
Ginny Cook
Director of Events, Land and Sea Dept.
"I'd advise against getting to the point that you feel 'above' doing anything. As long as you are willing and able to do the same work as the people around you, you will always be respected and supported. No one loves to haul trash, but seeing your boss do it makes you 100% more willing to do it yourself."
Mia Luna
General Manager, Lost Lake
“Working with so many womxn at Lost Lake the last few years has been a DREAM. Watching them champion each other, and offer unwavering support for each other has drastically changed my perspective on my own worth and capabilities both in and out of work. They are simultaneously fearless and strong, yet vulnerable and empathic. Find people like this to work with, to hire, and to befriend — you’ll be in good company when you make it to the top."
Seattle’s Navy Strength is coming to Chicago to spend the weekend helping Lost Lake celebrate her fourth birthday! On Saturday, January 12th, at Lost Lake’s Stranger in Paradise, Navy Strength will present a five course cocktail tasting from their acclaimed travel-themed menus, paired with small dishes created by Lost Lake’s Fred Noinaj and Dani Kaplan.
UPDATE: Saturday seatings sold out in a flash, but Sunday’s festivities are first come-first served! The Navy Strength crew will be in Lost Lake’s Stranger in Paradise from 4pm ‘til they run out of drinks. See you this weekend!
Good Fortune's Charles Welch is coming to Lost Lake! They'll be joining executive chef Fred Noinaj in the kitchen for two nights of intimate pop-up dinners in Lost Lake's Stranger in Paradise space.
The five course, seafood-focused dinner will feature equal parts mediterraean influences and island vibes, making for a truly collaborative experience between the Good Fortune and Lost Lake teams — including three cocktails.
1st: Korean chili | tempura mackerel | ‘nduja romesco | cilantro
2nd: apple and butternut squash “som tum” | marinated kale
3rd: dumplings: brandade | turnip | shoyu | fried garlic lamb and coriander | chili oil | black vinegar
4th: crispy rice | carrot-ginger jus | pork belly | sesame oil | roasted carrot
5th: jasmine tea ice cream | shortbread | tea poached pear | pepitas
note: we will be unable to accommodate dietary restrictions
Tickets are available at the links below:
Mon 10/15 - 6pm
http://www.ticketfly.com/event/1771138
Mon 10/15 - 8:30pm
http://www.ticketfly.com/event/1771139
Tues 10/16 - 6pm
http://www.ticketfly.com/event/1771140
Tues 10/16 - 8:30pm
http://www.ticketfly.com/event/1771141
Good Fortune — The first venture from newly formed hospitality collective Out To Lunch, led by critically acclaimed Chicago chef Charles Welch (Honey’s, Sepia, mk) and Creative Director Andrew Miller (Honey’s, Fine Diving), Good Fortune is going to be an elegant, contemporary American restaurant with an emphasis on sustainable practices set in Logan Square. With a wood-burning oven as the beating heart of the restaurant, the menu will showcase wood-fired meats, vegetables, bread and anything else that is deserving of a smoke bath. Aside from wood-fired fare, the GF menu will have a beautiful handmade pasta program and raw bar offerings. The bar program, led by bar director Miranda Breedlove (Bad Hunter, Sportsmans club, The Broken Shaker), is composed of modern interpretations of classic cocktails using limited and thoughtful ingredients, with a focus on complimenting Chef Welch’s menu.
Lost Lake just launched some new menu items from Executive Chef Fred Noinaj and Executive Sous Chef Dani Kaplan!
The new dishes are extremely tasty and go just perfectly with Lost Lake's tropical cocktails.
We're partial to the Orange Sesame Cabbage, served with chili-orange dressing, pickles, scallions, mint, and wonton crisp. And the new Rice Bowl, with ground chicken stir-fry, thai basil, fish sauce, fermented thai chili, and a crispy fried egg. Plus, a dessert! Try the new Mill-YEN-aire bars, a take on the classic Millionaires Shortbread, with matcha shortbread, white miso caramel, and sesame dark chocolate.
Come by for dinner very soon.
This weekend at the Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards in New Orleans, Lost Lake won Best American Cocktail Bar!
Huge congratulations to the entire team, who works so hard to make sure Lost Lake what it is — a welcoming little escape with great drinks, food, and the best crew in the game.
Thanks to the Spirited Awards for the recognition!
Tonight is a double whammy of good drinks and good vibes at Lost Lake.
It’s the final night of The Outpost, bartender Matthew Colin Clark’s homage to the safe havens created by small town gay bars across the country. From Matthew: “I’m inspired by small town gay bars, and the ways they can become a haven and home for those outcast and marginalized by society-at-large. Everyone deserves a little escape for the price of a drink, and The Outpost is an expression of my own escapist ‘tiki’ fantasy through the lens of a country western gay bar.”
On top of that, SHIFT-EASE, Lost Lake’s monthly charitable party, is back, this time fighting the adminstration’s actions at the border. Profits from Shift-Ease drink sales will directly benefit Organized Communities Against Deportation, an undocumented-led group that organizes against deportations, detention, criminalization and incarceration of Black, brown, and immigrant communities in Chicago and the surrounding areas.
The Outpost is open at 5pm, and Shift-Ease gets going at 9pm — come and post up for the night!
Land and Sea Dept. won big at the Time Out Chicago Bar Awards this year! We’re so excited to share that Golden Teardrops won Best New Bar and Lost Lake won Bar of the Year. Huge congratulations to the teams at both bars, and thanks to the folks at Time Out! We’re honored to be in the company of so many of our favorite bars in the city as well. Check out the rest of the winners HERE!
StarChefs just released their Chicago-based Rising Stars issue, and we are thrilled to share that not one, but two of our creative talents were recognized! Both Executive Chef Pete Coenen (Cherry Circle Room, Lonesome Rose, Lost Lake) and Wine Director Andrew Algren (Cherry Circle Room) are 2018 Rising Stars, and it couldn’t be more well deserved. Congrats to Chef Pete and Andrew — grab the latest issue of StarChefs to read all about it!
The good folks from Numero Group will be at Lost Lake Sunday, June 10 spinning records from their recently released Rhum Rhapsodies exotica collection. Join us from 9p-1a and sip some tiki drinks while jamming to the sounds of technicolor paradise. The perfect tiki soundtrack for summer at Lost Lake!
You can now get Chef Fred Noinaj’s tasty menu of island-inspired dishes delivered to your couch!
Yep — Lost Lake’s food menu is now available exclusively on Caviar.
That means every time you get a hankering for Ranguni (aka every night) but just can’t seem to change out of your pajamas (again, every night), a very nice person will bring it to you, piping hot and ready to be devoured.
Dreams coming true.
San Francisco’s Trick Dog, a 2018 James Beard nominee for Outstanding Bar, is popping up Lost Lake’s Stranger in Paradise on Sunday, May 6! Catch Trick Dog managers past and present slinging all the hits from their menu over the years from 4-10p.
It’s our kind of awards season! We’re very psyched to share that Lost Lake is nominated for Bar of the Year, Most Creative Drinks List and Best Speciality Bar, and Golden Teardrops is nominated for Best New Bar and Most Stylish Bar!
We’re in good company among some of our favorite spots for drinking in the city. Thanks Time Out, and congrats to our fellow nominees! Check it out HERE.
This Saturday and Sunday, San Diego’s Polite Provisions (a 2016 JBF nominee for best bar program & 2014 Tales of the Cocktail award for Best High Volume Cocktail Bar) will be popping up at Lost Lake!
On Saturday, March 10, the California-based cocktail bar is taking over Stranger in Paradise, Lost Lake’s mini-me space. Cocktails will include a tiki-fied version of Polite Provisions’ famed Kentucky Buck, and there will be a coordinating South-by-South Pacific snack menu by Lost Lake Chef Fred Noinaj. They’ll be in the space from 5pm – 2am.
On Sunday, March 11, Polite Provisions will take over the entire bar for a big Kentiki Luau, which will feature an expanded cocktail menu and a full-on Kentucky Pig Pickin’ Luau buffet by Chef Fred Noinaj! He’ll have a full Slagel Farms pig, spam potato salad, Chinese BBQ beans, green curry cabbage salad, Hawaiian rolls & spicy hoisin butter. It’s going down from 4pm – 1am!
(Lost Lake popped up at Polite Provisions over Valentine’s Day, so they’re excited to return the favor this weekend.)
