Bottom Lounge

SECOND COMING The way Mike Miller sees it, the new Bottom Lounge is “a slam dunk.” Brought in as a third partner by Bottom Lounge owners Brian Elmiger and Dan Miskowicz, Miller’s job is to add a food and drink element to the lounge’s already-solid rep as a music venue. After three years of struggling with the city to relocate after a CTA expansion booted Bottom Lounge from its original location, the new-and-improved 2.0 version is open for business. The massive space includes a live-music room that’s already booking acts ranging from Office to Witchcraft; an upstairs “Volcano Room,” which Miller is turning into a rum palace, with 80 varieties on offer; and a main-floor restaurant and bar, with a pub-grub menu developed by Toon’s Bar and Grill’s Danny Beck and a 100-bottle-strong beer list. Permits are pending for the rooftop deck, which will offer a stellar skyline view. “Music is a way of life, not to be experienced as individuals like people do now,” Miller says. “so I’m calling this place MySpace for livers and Facebook for face-to-face interaction.” 1375 W Lake St (312-666-6775).