Chicago is a town that hasn't taken too well to combo terms. "Slashie" just isn't commonly used around these parts as a name for a packaged goods/liquor store. In a similar vein, no one has quite invented a name for bar/restaurants yet, but that's likely because they're a much more difficult category than simple food and liquor.

Far west of most of the action on Chicago, Cat's Meow straddles this line in a curious manner. With small, tall tables dominating the room and chic furniture in the nooks and corners, the space is somewhere in between the Continental and Tuman's both thematically and geographically. While DJs are occasionally scheduled, there is also a Touchtunes unit on the wall for those that want to take the bar's musical curation into their own hands. Yet at the same time, the tunes are pumped up to near-dance levels; not so loud that you can't hear your waiter, but enough that you may have to raise your voice a bit to be heard by your companions.

Lucky for you, there's plenty of good food and craft beer to fuel your lightly-shouted chattering at Cat's Meow. The nightly specials show a range of options for both those using laundry quarters for dinner and those who are putting it on their black card. Tuesday nights finds the bar offering $2 bottles of beer and 25-cent wings (with a variety of sauces and styles), while Thursday sees the bar offer a classy artisan cheese plate for $5 and a glass of any wine for six. Or just pick up any of their normal burgers and sandwiches for $7-$10 a night.

Wash it down with one of their many tasty crafts, such as local brewery Two Brother's Ebel Weiss. After a good meal and drink gets into you here, who knows; maybe you will decide the night needs a little more dancing.

Centerstage Reviewer: Dan Morgridge