Dive bars hold a special place in my heart. If I’m going out to drink, I’d like to enjoy some conversation and maybe some music — but not so loud I can’t hear myself think. Most of all I want to be able to drink something I know I’ll like.If I’m in the mood for a cocktail, I know Bar Deville general manager and bartender Brad Bolt (pictured above) will make me something special. The ‘tenders at Bar Deville do more than pop bottle tops and mix alcohol and sodas. They’re mixologists. They make their simple syrups from scratch and Bolt’s recipes have won him Best New Cocktail honors from the Chicago Reader. If I feel like a beer, I can get a glass of PBR for a buck or can choose from a variety of microbrews.

For something a little further south and away from the yuppies, I can head to Skylark in the Pilsen neighborhood. If you’ve seen the Vince Vaughn movie “The Break Up,” you’ve already been to Skylark. It’s the bar that Jon Favreau’s character owns in the movie. The clientele tends to skew heavily toward the hipsters, but being an art neighborhood, don’t be surprised to see some suburbanites on an art walk traipse through. A top notch selection of brews are always on tap, and people come from far and wide for their tater tots.