We concede that "Chicago Sweatlodge" may not be the most appetizing name for a restaurant. Even with the understanding that it's referring to a sauna and bathhouse alongside the restaurant, "sweatlodge" is still a pretty pungent turn of phrase. But whatever you think of its name, you have to appreciate the fact that there are so few places like it. Chicago Sweatlodge is a men-only sauna, bathhouse, lounge, and restaurant, located right in the Windy City.

The sign over the pool aptly declares the establishment to be an "Old World sauna," a throwback to a less modest, more communal time when grown men were comfortable being naked and sweating profusely in each other's company -- there's something a little "Grand Budapest Hotel" about the whole enterprise. In a changing neighborhood with less connection to its Eastern European heritage, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the Sweatlodge. But whether or not the bathhouse tradition continues, some things are made to last for a long, long time: namely, pierogies.

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The Sweatlodge has two varieties of sauna: the dry kind, which is Russian, and the wet kind, which is Turkish. This kind of Eastern European representation carries over into the establishment's restaurant, which has plenty familiar favorites sure to delight those with a favorite pierogi truck. Those tasty little dumplings make an appearance on the menu, of course, delectable potato and cheese morsels with a side of sour cream for dipping. (Fun fact: Sour cream actually originated in Mongolia, as a recipe for horse milk). But that's not the only appetizer on offer: There is marinated herring (an often overlooked fish) and potato pancakes, or deruni, as well as more Western options like Buffalo chicken and fried shrimp.

Soups include Ukrainian borscht -- that famous chilled beet soup with the dollop of sour cream in the middle like an iceberg in a great red sea -- as well as a Russian fish soup, ukha. The entrees dabble in Mexican and American cuisine, but kolbasa (Polish sausage) and dranniki (another kind of potato pancake) are also available. If you're in Chicago and you happen to be male, why not go for a schvitz and a bite?

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