I don’t know if Joe DiVenere had the bar Redder in mind when he had to close his restaurant, Red Tomato, after 16 years, but it worked well for me.

Redder, the remodeled Red Tomato, recently opened in Southport and is still owned by DiVenere. The bar is more of a friendly lounge to hang out in rather than a dance club to stay in all night. The relaxed atmosphere makes the bar that much more appealing, though.

The bar remains smoke-free, and I like not smelling like cigars when I leave an establishment.

The rest of the restaurant has changed completely since its days as Red Tomato. Sandwiches and burgers have taken over the menu, made up previously of pasta and other Italian dishes.

The food is a bit expensive and the cost adds up fast, so I say order appetizers en masse; the selection includes mini blue cheese burgers, crab cakes and garlic dill pickles.

The Reddertini, the bar’s signature drink, is a mix of vodka and pomegranate juice. It tastes fine, but it also costs $8.50, so you have to decide quickly what you like better: your wallet or your booze.

Other than that, the bar specializes in wine ($9.00 a glass on average) and a selection of more than 30 beers.

There’s seating for more than 50 people inside the dimly-lit pub, and more outside as the weather improves. Overall, it was a great place to chill on a Friday night in Chicago.

Redder is located at 3417 N. Southport, right off the Southport stop on the Brown Line. It is open from noon to midnight on Sunday; 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday; noon to 2 a.m. Friday; and 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday.

– Emmet Sullivan