Outside Please~at ZED451

It’s summertime in Chicago, and of course, we must take advantage of the quick 3-4 mos. of fabulous weather!  I wanted to comment on a recent trip to a new joint called ZED451. It’s located in the trendy River North Neighborhood, amidst the new, glass highrises, and expensive, old Brownstones.  I was having a quick drink and appetizers with some co-workers, and arrived to the posh new spot, only to be stopped at the door, by a scrawny guy telling me that to get up to rooftop I must “wait here.”  Here before me was a line (it was only about 7pm on a Friday night~at a steakhouse mind you) that was already about 15 deep.  My 2 friends and I were meeting some colleuges already atop the new resturant, and we tried to tell this to the bouncer, but it didn’t matter.  We were to wait roughly 35 minutes, with the other poor souls in front of us, to experience this new heavenly oasis.  By the time we were finally let upstairs, I began to wonder what the wait was for as the patio seemed about half its capacity.   The service was slow, and the crowd was decent at best.  The plush couches and fancy cocktails were nice, but after I finally got my drink and chatted it up for an hour, I decided to spend the rest of the evening in my cozy backyard with immediate service and a place to put my feet up.  Hopefully this new hot spot will ditch the pretentious line outside, and with time, improve their service.