With 217 television monitors, ranging in size from 32-inches to ten feet, it's a safe bet that whatever game you want to watch will be on at Stretch Run. In fact, betting's the very name of the game at this bi-level River North spot, which is the only place in the city that offers live race wagering. So for any girls wanting to act out your Jessica-Simpson-in-"Newlyweds" moment, this is your chance.

After passing through a marble entryway, guests can kick back at cafe-style seating sidled up to floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto LaSalle Street. A short staircase leads to the airy, open main floor where seasonal sporting events flicker on an enormous array of screens. At a marble bar flecked with old-fashioned, wooden bar stools, bartenders shake up signature cocktails like the Triple Sunshine (a blend of Stoli Orange, pomegranate liqueur and triple sec) or the Southern-charm tinged Bluegrass Martini, loaded with bourbon and brandied cherries.

The second floor houses 100 television monitors tucked into individual viewing carrels. More social bettors can opt to gather a group together in one of five private dining and event rooms, where classic American fare is served up complements of Executive Chef Gabriel Ortega. On the menu: prime steaks; chicken pot pie, kobe beef sliders, barbeque ribs and house-cut french fries. Desserts like the Big Carrot Cake are similarly unfussy and American-classic.

Centerstage Reviewer: Jennifer Berg