Don't judge a book by its cover — Chinaski's is a work in progress. Resurrected from the grave of Whiskey Road, the newly opened bar keeps its doors open for the popular, cholesterol-laden all-you-can-eat bacon and movie nights on Mondays, open mic literary readings on Wednesdays and open mic stand-up comedy on Thursdays.

Charles Bukowski fans may have picked up on the bar's literary theme, as the name references key character, Henry Chinaski, the fitting alcoholic protagonist of several Bukowski books. Naturally, the house sandwich, the Chinaski, plays off the title of his seminal novel, Ham on Rye, featuring maple cured ham on rye with Swiss, homemade slaw, Dijon mustard and sweet basil. Gourmet sandwiches named after other off-beat writers such as Truman Capote make up the growing temporary bar menu, and are reasonably priced at $7-$8 to accompany the ample variety of beer, wine and liquor available for your evening of quality boozin'.

Considering the excessive amount of nightclubs that have popped up and the downfall of cafes in the Bucktown and Wicker Park area over the past 10 years, Chinaski's is a refreshing, quieter addition to the neighborhood. While polishing up on the bar's final touches, exposed brick walls and dark wood decorative accents create a nice low-key, pseudo-coffee shop feel writer types who might stop in for weekly open-mic performances — except replace the coffee with a couple glasses of bourbon, or a $10 bottle of wine on Fridays and Saturdays.