Pork-belly sandwich

BELLY UP Sometimes you want a bar that’s simply comfortable, not a dive and definitely not a club. Easy enough. But what if you also want to watch the game, stare into a fireplace or eat something that wasn’t dropped into a vat of roiling oil? Harder to find. Now let’s up the ante and say you’re in the mood for pork belly…mmm, pork belly. Tall order? Not so, with the arrival of Old Oak Tap. The rustic-chic Ukie Village spot snagged former Mas chef John Manion to head up the kitchen, and now that he’s in more casual digs (and within arm’s reach of plenty of delicious beer that must fuel creativity), Manion has dropped the Nuevo Latino for straight-up American eats, a.k.a. wings, burgers, sandwiches and salads. The best of the lot is his pork-belly sandwich ($9), a heap of tender, pulled, perfectly fatty, five-spice-rubbed belly meat piled onto a mustard-slathered baguette. And for those worried about eating healthy, don’t—there’s a handful of arugula tucked in there, too. 2109 W Chicago Ave between Hoyne Ave and Leavitt St (773-772-0406).