Frontier | New restaurant

How did the guys behind two neighborhood sports bars—Lottie’s and the Pony Inn—end up opening a “gastro-tavern” with eight to ten types of oysters and shepherd’s pie made with braised elk? First, they teamed up with Brian Jupiter, a chef with an affinity for seafood and game. Second: “The concept came from the space itself,” explains Mark Domitrovich, who owns the bar with Dan McCarthy. “It’s got an old saloon, mountain-west feel to it—high ceilings, exposed timbers, brick—that felt right.” The elevated menu shouldn’t make Lottie’s and the Pony regulars feel out of place: With a “casual atmosphere,” 2,500-square-foot beer garden and buckets of beer, Domitrovich says Frontier is just “aiming to be your ultimate neighborhood tavern.” Because no neighborhood tavern is complete without oyster-artichoke bisque. 1072 N Milwaukee Ave (773-772-4322).