Dixie and 1952 ½

This Is as Southern as Wicker Park Gets

A Carolina Home Filled with Pappy and Country Ham

By Sam Eichner ·
None 20 Photos Dixie and 1952 ½
You’ve been cordially invited to dine in a charming old Southern mansion this evening.

It’s in Wicker Park.

And Korean short rib is involved.

So, right. Nothing in that first sentence makes sense anymore.

But everything will be illuminated in this exposé of Dixie and 1952 ½, an idyllic Southern restaurant and a bourbon-drenched liquorette, respectively, that live harmoniously under one very quaint roof. They’re open now, and this slideshow will please you.

Let’s start putting the pieces together, shall we...

Dixie: The Restaurant
What this is: Two grandmotherly stories of intimate nooks, blue velvet cushion seating and totems of the old South that contain the word “Dixie.”
Where this is: After you walk in through the side door (it’s a Southern thing), head to the right and through the French archways.
Why this is: Country ham. Wagyu steak tartare with saltine fried oysters. This menu. Drinks from...

1952 ½: The Liquorette
What this is: A dimly lit, Chicago-meets-the-Carolinas amalgamation of white walls, brown leather bar stools, rusted mirrors and vintage whiskeys.
Where this is: To the left of the entrance. On the first floor. Contains a bar. Can’t miss it.
Why this is: You require a high-rye bonded bourbon and absinthe whiskey sour before dinner and a tumbler of 107-proof Pappy Van Winkle after.

Well, that was simple.
Sam Eichner

Sam Eichner likes literature, reality television and his twin cats equally. He has consistently been told he needs a shave since he started growing facial hair.

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