When God burns down a restaurant, he opens a bar

A Phoenix rising from the ashes that won’t make Cyclops all whiny because it’s evil and doesn’t want to bang anymore, post-fire Aviary just re-opened with Aviary Bar, a full-service cocktail room/lounge/private dining area with thoughtful drinks and bar-exclusive grub. Just head beyond the main dining room and through a heavy curtain to enter sleek, modern confines borrowing interior elements from the church that once stood on the lot, including bright red boxes for programs -- and whether or not you’re starting defense, you can get a seat at this table. Or bar or whatever. You get the idea. Get ready to enjoy:

Liquid Love: With the help of a dude trained at a Chicago brewing school, A-Bar's dismissed soda guns n' bottles to brew all its own sodas, tonics, and sours, which’re employed in the Old Fashioned-riffing Brix Layer with sour/ bourbon/ bitters and a float of Cabernet, and the tonic/Ransom gin/tarragon “gntnt”, clearly named by someone who had a few.

The Happiest Hour: While Aviary's new menu is available a la carte at A-Bar, you can also nab impressive bar bites (but only during the 5-6p HH), including Banh Mi-ish pulled pork sliders, chicken liver-topped brioche dipped in tempura batter & deep-fried, and hot dogs smoked in-house before being charred and topped with bread & butter pickles, slaw, and French mustard, which’s what Mrs. Peacock dared Miss Scarlet to do when they had some downtime from killing each other.

And to prove someone other than your mom thinks you’re special, all through January you can stop in and order the Thrillist-exclusive, off-menu "Cocktail #10" featuring beet vodka w/ a soda made from peppermint and Earl Grey, which sounds way less volatile than the Jean kind.