Highland Grounds (The Dive)

Night and day, THE DIVE pumps out world-class comfort food and cutting edge cocktails. The menu ranges from perfectly crispy pizzas, thick burgers, (including their nationally renowned vegetarian Black Bean Burger) sandwiches on artisan breads and some familiar breakfast items to indigenous clay-pot cooking, like Triple C Stew (that’s Curried Caribbean Chicken) or vegetarian Clay-sagna.

Mixologist Josh Curtis honed his style at notable eateries Vida, Jar and Hungry Cat. He brings his flare and inexhaustible imagination to THE D!VE with, among other signature recipes, Smokin’ Cactus, a margarita with a kick, or Deep Purple, a muddled blackberry lemonade. His culinary cocktails are bursting with so much freshness, one drink should count toward your 5-a-day fruit and vegetable requirement.

Hand picked roots recordings set the mood with contributions from collectors and appreciators: Legendary Chuck E Weiss, music journalist Art Fein, guitar wizard Bill Thomson (Counting Crows, Bob Dylan,) and of course, co-owner, Rich Brenner (North side Chicago blues club Wise Fools Pub and Highland Grounds.)

Designer Ana Henton, of MASS, has created a visually arresting space, installing banquettes to create comfortable, conspiratorial corners or places to table hop and share dishes and dish with friends. This is a place that mixes cast and crew, writers and directors, producers and fans, where everybody’s a local.

There has always been a dive, tucked into some corner of the urban landscape, whether it was George Washington’s, George Bailey’s or George Bush’s America, - a place to just get in the mix. THE DIVE, located on the gateway to the Media District at 742 N. Highland, is full of all the basic necessities a local needs: good drinks, good eats, good people and good times.

So make yourself local and DIVE into something tasty.