The Alderman has 16 seats: a velvet banquette that wraps the room and four spots at the bar. That is the whole room. It's accessed through the doors at Pilsen Yards on 18th Street and fills quickly on weekends, so the online reservation system exists for a reason.

Palo santo drifts through the air. The Espresso Martini, the Private Label Old Fashioned, and the Plum Daiquiri rotate through most menus. The cocktail list changes but the standard stays high; the bar won the 2022 Jean Banchet Award for Best Bar, which is not a small thing in Chicago.