World Famous Corporation Bar & Grill
captions by: Kelly Tenedini
New Orleans is full of rich heritage and even richer food. A stellar meal at Compere Lapin, Emeril’s, Commander’s Palace, or Antoine’s can easily set you back $200 a person. This is the city where paychecks are blown (I’m looking at you, Harrah’s) as well as waistlines. When visiting New Orleans and my wallet reminds me that I am actually not highfalutin, I head to Corporation Bar & Grill on S Peters St.
This is the kind of place that you'd almost walk past but the delicious smells coming from inside beckon you to stop. The outside of the building isn't impressive but inside you'll find no-frills food from decades-old family recipes. It's a dive bar with cold, reasonably priced beer and service that could border on surly but they’re hella efficient. Throw in some slightly dusty taxidermy on the walls and bathrooms covered with sage drunken advice or insults about exes written in Sharpie and that makes it close to perfect in my eyes. Don’t ask for a wine list, some small-batch liquor, or fancy garnishes. You are here for cheap drinks and tasty grub.
I was hooked the first time I visited Corporation. The friendly regulars and cheap Miller Lite’s started the experience off strong and then the shrimp po'boy and red beans & rice grabbed my taste buds like a warm hug. I didn’t even mind that it was served on Styrofoam. My friend’s alligator bites and muffuletta could stand up against any others in the city. Don’t forget to add some Zapp’s chips to your meal -- Voodoo flavor is my favorite. This food is the liner your stomach needs to prevent you from having a night like in the movie “The Hangover” while drinking your way down Bourbon Street later in the evening.
Skylark
image & captions by: Chicago Dive Diva
Is today's headline fake news or deep fakes? It's difficult to discern what or who is real anymore. The photo booth and the neon sign may be broken, but the realness of the dive bar brings me happiness. This isn't some manicured corporate wannabe hotspot. There are jail bars on the window outside. You won't get the flashy, blindingly gorgeous Instagram photo here, but I see beauty in that dirty, worn-in dive bar. Beauty in the bartop adorned with cigarette burns. Beauty in the sloppy spilling of drinks. Beauty in the artful placement of graffiti over the urinals.
A dive bar delivers the authenticity and connection that we all crave, now more than ever. It represents the heart and soul of a neighborhood. For me, the true test of a dive bar is whether or not it makes me feel at home, even if it’s my first time there and I am alone. Skylark in Pilsen, Chicago is one of those dive bars. A mini graffiti heart smiley face with wings greets you at the doorknob. The intimate dark den is the place to escape the pressures of daily life. Pour your heart out to the bartender and leave a little lighter. It's a hideaway club where you can wear whatever, drink whatever, and be whoever. There’s no application needed because the second you walk in the door you have already been accepted.
The kitschy cafeteria style chairs are uncomfortable, but who needs comfort when you have personality and an eccentric taste of history? Who had a chance encounter on this torn vinyl barstool? Whose heart was viciously broken in this vintage booth? The sauced scene is a mixture of artists and neighborhood regulars. There is thrift store art and quirky secret society flag decor to appease the odd bird hipsters. It's a rarity to find a divey gem that is also a respectable restaurant, but this bird can attest to the tasty fried whole pickles. The bleary eyed patrons rave about the fast and hot tater tots while sipping on stiff well drinks.
Dive bars are notorious for curious smells and nasty bathrooms. For the record, Skylark doesn't feature the smell factor. In terms of bathrooms, the cleanliness is above average and it claims to have the oldest functioning urinals in the city of Chicago. The urinals are said to be dated from the 1900s, but this is difficult to verify. For the trivia buffs, Vince Vaughn's character in The Breakup found solace in the cozy, eclectic wings of the Skylark. Fun fact for the hop heads, the building was built in 1910 for Birk Bros. Brewery, a north side brewery that opened in 1886, and closed in 1950.
Come for the jokes with the cast of mixed characters and jam to your go-to 80s tunes on the jukebox. Take that shot of Malört to forget your problems. Nurse that Old Style beer to heal your soul. It's a momentary respite. Nothing in this world lasts, but I want to hang onto the hope that the Skylark will keep singing.
Editors Note:
Skylark remains closed due to COVID-19. You can help keep the dive alive by donating.
Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge
It all begins with an idea.
image by: Gina Silva
captions by: Clay Collier
I will be the first to admit that the allure of New Orleans has never intrigued me. Being a native Atlantan, I have a strong disdain for the ‘Aints, and the strange pride everyone has for a city that smells so bad. But alas, off I went with a group of friends for a weekend of wedding fun. My only request for our journey? A stop at a little, out of the way dive known as Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge.
Located well off the beaten path, in the Carrollton Square area, I knew that it would take some intentional effort on my part to guide us away from the French Quarter on a Saturday night. After a day of drinking out on an air-boat in the bayou, I took the opportunity to get our group to take a walk through this mostly residential neighborhood. As we explored, I fielded questions from my friends, asking if there was really a bar around (The easy answer is “YES” it’s New Orleans, there’s always a bar around.) As we turned a corner, there stood a shack with no windows, an iron security door, and the simple word BAR written on the wall. The true calling card of the best dives is the complete lack of a sign, and this was no exception. Above the door was a single lit wreath, confirming for all who enter that it really is Christmas all year round at Snake and Jake’s.
Inside, where the only light shone from the haphazardly strung Christmas lights, I walked to the bar and ordered the usual for my wife and I, two PBR’s. “Nope”, said the bartender, “Schlitz”. He placed two cans in front of me as I slid him four dollars. It was at that moment I truly fell in love. In a world where bars cater to the whims of the masses, we found a shining beacon that gives you what they want you to drink, on their terms. And their terms are Schlitz. A beer that hit its peak in the 1950’s and is rarely found today. This isn’t the place where you walk in and ask for your fanciest of cocktails or a hazy IPA. Feel free to kick back and enjoy your Schiltz.
The owner, Dave Clements, claims that he sells more Schlitz per square foot than any other establishment in the US, and I have no reason to doubt him on that. In a city that is quickly changing, it is the unwavering tradition of cheap beer in an unassuming setting that has made Snake and Jake’s the cornerstone of a neighborhood that attracts blue collar workers and college students alike. The open air, New Orleans style back garden is filled with young professionals and hipsters. They are gathered around family style tables, talking about everything and nothing, enjoying the warm, humid summer nights of New Orleans.
Snake and Jake’s is a long way away from the bluster of Bourbon Street, and the cat calls to show your boobs from obnoxious young men and women alike. Miles from the dissonant sounds of jazz billowing out of the doors on Frenchmans Street we find an oasis, the true calling card of what every dive bar should be. Both stubborn and accepting, rude yet warm, we find a place where even the oddest of birds can call home. If you needed a reason to visit New Orleans, here it is. A bar that stands out, in a town crowded with bars that you forget as soon as you walk out. Anthony Bourdain, a personal hero of mine and many others, called Snake and Jake’s a “National Treasure”. After just one visit, and more than a few Schlitz, I am sure you will agree.
Editors Note:
Snake & Jake’s remains closed due to COVID-19. You can help keep the dive alive by donating and buying merchandise.