Esquire Anoints Green Mill

Esquire released it's list of America's best bars and the Green Mill came in at number six.

Now in its 100th year, the Green Mill embodies the Golden Age, subsequent decay and present renaissance of the neighborhood that surrounds it, and serves a superb martini to boot. Long ago, one "Machinegun" McGurn ran the joint -- the man behind the St. Valentine's Day Massacre who was rumored to "coerce" the talent onto Green Mill's stage. Today, you can sit in Al Capone's booth (facing both the front and side doors), while listening to some world-class jazz until the wee hours for a cover charge less than an average order at Starbucks. You'll enter the spotlight when you take a leak as the johns are located right next to the stage. "The Mill" also hosts the Uptown Poetry Slam every Sunday, where poets seek to avoid (literally) getting run off the stage.

11 other area bars made the magazine's list:

Walter Payton's Roundhouse (Aurora)
The Violet Hour
The Red Lion Pub
The Matchbox
The California Clipper
Michael & Louise's Hopleaf Bar
Hideout
Duke of Perth
Chipp Inn
Bungalow
B.L.U.E.S.

It's a pretty subjective assortment, and the MenuPages blog, for one, takes issue with the magazine's methodology, or lack thereof.

The complete list is here.