Neighborhood spots provide some of the most hearty experiences. I’m biased, though, having earned a living in a quaint one in Evanston.

Albany Park’s Bokeh, nevertheless on the outskirts of the typical trodden path, proves to be a contender in a sophisticated Chicago bar scene.

It’s namesake, derived from the Japanese word “blur”, is a common phenomenon in photographic technique.

We scooch up close to the bar and scan the menu. My eyes graze the signature cocktail list: “crop factor”, “lens flare”, and “aperture” immediately reveal a theme.

Bokeh, in a photographic sense.

“The owner is a photographer”, the bartender engages.

I decide to order the drink that makes the most sense from the options: The Bokeh.

Bokeh, in cocktail preparation.

Fernet, simple, lemon & lime, and egg white. A Fernet “sour”: the egg white blurs the harshness of the citrus against Fernet’s unequivocally identifiable taste.

We make friendly conversation with our host and the single gentleman next to us, who offers us a free round. We hesitantly oblige to split one, accepting his half drunken gesture, considering the female bartender has been referring to him by name all night and keeping polite conversation.

Every bar has their regular..

Overall, the pleasant, sophisticated atmosphere on a Tuesday evening matched with  friendly conversation and a thought-provoking menu leaves us satisfied.

At the tail end of the CTA Brown line, places like Bokeh beg us to venture farther with our palates and our social scene.