The Mystic Celt: Good for Drinking and Socializing
Saturday, March 18, 2006
The Mystic Celt is one of those typical Irish watering holes that’s extremely popular precisely because it is not too popular—in other words, it’s packed on weekends but not so much that you have to wait in a long line to get in. This bar and restaurant (although I haven’t eaten here yet—just drank) is quintessentially Wrigleyville, complete with the type of twenty- and early thirtysomethings (think the cast of “Friends”) who lounge around, drink, dance/jiggle a little (if it’s not too packed), and try to converse with those of the opposite sex as the night wears on—and the Mystic Celt works well to encourage such behavior. The interior itself is very crisp and inviting, and the usual suspects are included: TVs showing SportsCenter and popular music pumping in the background. On a few occasions, I’ve seen a new-girlfriend-encounters-ex-girlfriend hissing contest, which makes for a nice diversion, but for the most part the patrons remain cocky but tame.