Spring Saturday At Ovie Bar & Grill

«The new honeycomb hideout»
That about summarizes the Ovie experience! It’s definitely not a place I would think to frequent considering I only work a few blocks up for several reasons. First, it’s off the beaten path and there are so many other things in between. Second, after looking at the menu, I thought it was kind of pricey considering the area and other options. Danny said — you have to try it for yourself — everything is super fresh, but you have to decide, LOL.
So I did indulge in the non-​meat entrees that were circulating. The flatbread pizza was fantastic as were the risotto balls. Too bad it wasn’t more of those, but it’s a great start to deciding if I’d try them out again.
So let’s talk about the huge wins: The service was absolutely fantastic. This alone would keep me coming back again and again. From the wait staff to the bartenders and mind you they were working! And then let’s talk about ½ off bottles of wine on Saturdays. Can you say Girl’s afternoon out without breaking the bank? I thought it was pretty darn cool that you could purchase a bottle and take it with you. Something completely new for me.
As far as Elite outings go – I am sooo super hype about the socks, «designer» shades, and the selections made available to us. We were definitely taken care of and I am glad I got to come out and participate. Bonus to meet some super fantastic new people as well!

I never ride the Metra and would never consider a bar/​/​restaurant in a Metra station a comfortable, but Ovie did not disappoint. There is a large bar with TV’s and some windows on one wall. I chose a very comfortable booth that allowed me still to see the TVs and bar. The service was stellar, and I couldn’t stop eating the appetizers. Tuna tar tar was excellent, and the arancini was masterfully fried crispy on the outside and moist and hot in the middle.

Great staff, delectable app’s and some quality drinks. Sounds good to me. The pulled pork sliders were tasty, but the mushroom/​cheese croquette like balls were delish. I don’t remember what was in them but it was good.
Had a great time sitting at the bar afterwards with several Unilocalers having some laughs with the barstaff.
Tried the Ovie Reuben, an enjoyable take on a classic. The meat was a little dry, and it could have used a little more oomph in the sauce department (I think anyhow) but it was very enjoyable and a little heartier than I’m used to. The gruyère instead of swiss was a great twist, and I enjoyed the roasted potato mega-​wedges, though my hesitance to deploying ketchup kept me from finishing them off. A very good portion size and not the ‘mess’ that a reuben usually is; and went well with the domane dupage I was drinking.
Thanks to the staff for putting this event on!
I was kind of surprised by the lower turnout but it was a blessing in disguise, I got a chance to talk to a lot of the people there and I didn’t feel like I was impersonating a contortionist when trying to make my way around the room or to the bar for a drink.

Awesome place for an event. Here with a bunch of Unilocal elites. Ambiance is between casual and chic, decent food. Definitely try the lamb chops.

Unilocal socks, Domaine Dupage, and Saturday drinking. I really liked the smaller space where it was easy to talk to people and hear them. I didn’t really try the Dark and stormy or the wines because DD is basically up there as one of my favorite beers. The sliders and the lamb were really good. The vegetarian cheese balls were just okay and standing at the far side of the bar made it hard for food to get from the kitchen to my mouth. For the most part though, I was having too much fun to care and what with the free socks and meeting new Unilocalers and staying a little after the event it was pretty aces.

I really can’t wait to wear my red Unilocal socks with my Birkenstocks or my Adidas flops this summer with Anthony M. Maybe we will go back to the Ovie Bar for their Dark & Stormy, delicious! Maybe we will go back for their delicious Lamb Lollipops, succulence! Maybe we’ll go back for the great atmosphere and their great staff.
Another great event guys. You all make me proud to be a Unilocaler Elite. Spring Saturday At Ovie was spectacular and it was very nice to see everyone too. You all looked handsome and pretty, or handsomely pretty or pretty handsome. It was great to watch Chicago sports with some really great people. Go Hawks! Ovie Bar was very welcoming and accommodating, even considering how much fun many of us were having. Drinks were great, the food sampling was delicious and, quite frankly, it was an overall great Spring Saturday day.
Mr. Sausage and Beth thanks for a great Spring event. You make me want to be a better… Unilocaler. I cannot wait until the next event and I hope to see you all soon. So long and thanks for the socks!

If Unilocal was a person, s/​he would be the guy/​girl who knew how to throw down a party. Its always good. You get to meet interesting people. Good drinks. Good food. And you want to try it all even though you are so stuffed beforehand from lunch at 25 Degrees.
I’m glad i checked it out as I didn’t even know a bar existed in French Market. Now I have some incentive to get to station a little earlier when I have to take Metra back.

Nice one!
I thought service here was very friendly and attentive, and from what I tasted (brisket sliders),
the food was good. If I’m ever to take the train up to Milwaukee or find myself in that area looking for a drink, I’ll be sure to head back. Thanks for arranging this one, Danny!

It was a fun but low key event. Unlike the Castle event which was huge, this one was very intimate. I heard there were 40 people in attendance. There were no lines for drinks and they were serving Domaine DuPage which is one of my favorite beers. I also enjoyed the food. There was a server coming by every 5 minutes or so with another bite! My favorite was the brisket sliders. Delicious!
And, I now have a pair of red Unilocal Elite socks. These will go great with my shorts and sandals! I’ll be stylin’!

Train station party was super chill.
That’s my lame attempt at a six word story to describe last Saturday’s event at Ovie. I’m not much of a Metra user nor do I work/​live in the area. I’m not as familiar with this section of the train station other than the Chicago French market. But I think that’s might change. I now know where to hang out when I do have to use the train or even after shopping at the market.
I tried the dark and stormy drinks (3 in fact!), a mushroom risotto ball, and the vegetable flatbread. All pretty darn good, I thought, especially the drinks. The employees were cool and friendly. Great spot to mingle, eat, and catch up with friends new and old.
Thanks to Danny and the gals (who remembered me from my last event) for planning a fun low-​key Saturday event. I haven’t been to one in a couple of months, so I’m glad I got in!
PS: Ovie’s has half price selected wine bottles on Saturdays. Thanks to the female bartender who showed us which ones on the menu to choose from. I took advantage of that deal and bought a bottle to bring home. Yay.

Hard to beat a triple OT Bulls victory, tasty food, awesome drinks, and lively conversation at a upscale location with plenty of street parking.

Wait… stuff is open in the Ogilvie station on the weekends? Heck, stuff in the Loop is open on the weekends?
Ovie (whose name I now understand) sure is, and they greeted us with open arms. Now, even though I was a bit hungover from both vodka shots and an intense Bulls game, I was still looking forward to seeing what Ovie had to offer us.
Amidst tasty steak sliders and veggie pizza, I got to try some really outstanding lamb lollipops and a great selection of beer and a dark and stormy that probably would have tasted delicious had my body not been enacting its self-​preservation instincts. Alcohol that normally tastes good instead tasted… not so good. Ah well.
Thank you Ovie for hosting us on a lazy Saturday and Danny W. for setting up a nice chill event!

What a nice, relaxing Saturday evening! Ovie Bar is a bit hidden, right near the French Market at the Ogilvie Station. Once you’re inside, the interior is completely surprising! It’s much more upscale of a sports bar (if you can even call it that — but it does have a nice bar with TVs playing sports games) than you would think could be found at a train stop.
Food was going around on trays and I was able to try a few different goodies — my favorite being the lamb lollipop. Super cute! I also loved the steak slider, totally filled me up.
Both bartenders for the night were friendly and on top of everything for us, which I know all of us Unilocalers greatly appreciated. The Dark & Stormy was very generous in it’s serving (Read: Strong drink!) and it was an interesting drink combo unlike I’ve had before. Loved it! I tried all four drinks of the night and it’s hard to pinpoint a fav… all were great!
Jessica P, Phill C., Lana P. (a new Unilocal friend!) and I were having so much fun, we invited three of our friends to meet us after the event was over for some more drinks & debauchery. It was such a nice atmosphere and so chill that we continued the night with some Prosecco and other drinks at Ovie. Hurrah!
Thanks Danny + Ovie Bar & Grill for a lovely night! Yay Unilocal Socks! :D

What better way to shake off the winter hibernation blues than at this spring evening event at Ovie Bar, tucked away in the Ogilvie transportation hub. Once I crossed the threshold (after picking up my nametag and stylin’ Unilocal socks) I made my way to the bar. The interior is modern and best classified as upscale casual – no seedy train station bar here! I couldn’t get over the expansiveness of the space, as there was even a private room in the back, with a party in progress, in addition to the Unilocal event, along with table seating in the front. I had no problem nabbing a place at the bar, and it was evident that all of the servers were on their ‘A’ game. I missed the circulating trays of food but took the opportunity to peek at the menu – the food selections looked promising and I’ve mentally filed this away as a spot to return the next time I’m in the area and scratching my head for a happy hour locale. The wines were serviceable and the pours were generous. I stuck with whites, starting out with a Sauv Blanc and moving to a blend, which I preferred. As an incentive to return on Saturdays, the bar offers ½ price wine bottles. Thanks, Ovie Bar, for hosting this merry band of Unilocalers and helping kick off spring in fine style!

DA BULLS OR LOS CALCENTINES!
What a way to start a Unilocal Elite Party! Game 4… triple overtime…34 points by Nate… and the Bulls take a commanding lead 3 – 1 over Brooklyn! And Red Elite Socks too! Winning my friends and living the Unilocal Dream!
We had arrived early and luckily the game was on in the Ovie Bar. So we were able to grab a great seat right in front of the tv. What a fun bar to catch a sports game at. In fact, later in the evening the three TVs in front of me had the Blackhawks, Cubs and Sox all playing… a Chicago fans dream spot!
After the Bulls sealed the game we were finally ready to focus on the drinks. Our two bartenders were great, Suzanne and Adam rocked the bar and seemed to be able to keep up with all of us Unilocalers. The bar is a giant rectangle that can seat 40 patrons, so you can imagine how much running they had to do. There were 2 wines, a Two Brothers Beer and mixed cocktail to choose from. I decided to go with the Dark & Stormy, which was dark Barcardi 8, Lime & Ginger Beer. I really liked it. I do wish I was sitting on a beach and enjoying it, but bar in train station is going to have to do. After drinking a few of these I also created the Light & Sunny drink, it’s really simple! Just fill a glass with water and add a lemon. I did end my night with a pint of the Two Brothers! I love this brewery!
I also want to thank Danny and Beth for putting this great Unilocal party together. But what’s a party without Unilocal Socks! New for 2013 and totally styling… look out Chicago because I’m bringing it. Thanks again for hooking us all up with these.
I would also like to say thanks to the owners and staff of Ovie for hosting a great party. We all had a great time.
We were able to try a few samples off the menu. I was able to try a mini rice ball, short rib slider, flat bread veggie pizza, steak slider and a lamb lollipop. My favorite item was the lamb. It is so easy to eat and was really tender. I know a lot of work goes into making one of these and it is gone in one bite. So delicious.
I am so glad that Ovie hosted this event because I had no idea they were even here. I live on the French Market side of the train station and never come over to this side of the station. It is a big train station. So I am excited to know that there is a fine dinning establishment here including white table clothes. Talk about fancy!!! I will say dinning in a train station has come a long way and it just keeps getting better.
It was also great to see all my old Unilocal friends and new Unilocal friends too. We were also able to get some new dinning options too. My wife loves asking other Unilocalers for there favorite dinning spots and it is great because we always learn about some incredible spots we’ve missed. Just when you think you have Unilocal conquered… you have to start all over again.
Until next time fellow Unilocalers… but please beware I will be rocking those Red Elite socks in some sandals this summer! Just kidding! Even I couldn’t pull off that look!

This was my first Unilocal event in Chicago…
Wow guys what a great job!!!
Thank you for the wonderful night and the nice atmosphere.

First ellite event. Great food! I definitely need to head back to Ovie soon. The manager of the place made sure we wee getting plenty to drink and the food was fantastic.
Danny from Unilocal too was making the rounds, good to meet you. Great times all around.

What a great way to spend a lovely Saturday Afternoon.
Unilocal always seems to know when I am in the need of some
fun and bonding with my fellow Elites.
I had such a great time at this event, Ovie is a lovely bar/​grill with
a phenominal staff of people, and they took great care of us yesterday.
I got to meet two new Awesome Elites, Vivien S and Chris T, and it
was so great for me to be able to hang out with them.
Great looking food was being passed around,
Tuna Tar Tar’, and really great sliders, so I was happy!
However. my beer consumption definitely outdid my food intake!
It was a great time had by all from what I could see, we all were
enjoying a great time at Ovie.
Onto the Props.
To Danny, and everyone at Unilocal Chicago.
Thank You for including me in another great event!
And. Thanks for my new Elite Socks.
I am rocking those as we speak.
Thanks once again to everyone at Ovie for taking such
great care of us.
This event was one of my favorites. got to spend a beautiful spring
day with the best of people.
For me. there’s not much better than that!

Socks Socks Socks Socks! Everybody!
If you can’t tell I’m pretty excited about my socks. Anyway what a great afternoon event at Ovie with Unilocal!I’ve been wanting to go to Ovie for a while since I work in the Ogiulvie building and saw the signs for this newish bar. The place is so sleek I can def see myself stopping by here for future work happy hours.
My favorite bites were the steak slider and tuna tar tar. Soo tasty! The staff was superb as well. The bar staff and waiters were very attentive.
All in all this was such a lovely Unilocal event. Thanks Danny for putting it all together!

Wow! That’s a bar! Well-​staffed too (they hustled)! Nice, strong drinks. View the pix for the featured beverages. One of these was a Caribbean favorite, a dark and tan (you have to like rum). Management and servers were on their toes, offering food and drink where needed. Highly appreciated.
I regret having to scoot out before those delicious-​looking lamb chops arrived. But I had most of the featured bar appetizers on the list and brief chats with Unilocalers I knew. I also snagged one of the new Unilocal Elite tchotchkes — the «Elite» socks. Packaging and knit-​in labelling makes them exclusive to Elites. Being vividly red, I’ll bet these would be a big hit in Boston! Just the right length not to fall down. New socks! The start of a good weekend.
The entrance signage for anyone approaching from the north was possibly TOO SUBTLE. We observed many well-​meaning folks coming in the exit at the far north end. Those who arrived there may have been mystified not to find the usual name tags table. Maybe they should have just locked that door, but it’s probably a fire exit.