The spot: After the City of Chicago passed the restaurant smoking ban, Babylon Eatery (2023 N. Damen Ave.) stopped offering hookah smoking on the weekends, but there are still a couple of pipes on display at this casual Bucktown spot. Perhaps they’ll be used again someday—management says they hope to expand upstairs within the next year to open a separate hookah lounge. For now, the food is the main attraction. The shawarma sandwich with a choice of pressed chicken, beef or lamb ($5.50; lamb $6.50) is the biggest draw. The vegetarian sampler appetizer, composed of falafel, baba ghanouj, hummus, tabbouli and dolmeh ($8), is popular too.

The bottle: Within walking distance of Babylon, you’ve got your choice of a 7-Eleven or Polonia Liquors (1956 W. Armitage Ave. 773-782-1111). Although Polonia’s selection isn’t the greatest, you’ll be able to find a chilled bottle of Santa Margherita pinot grigio ($24.99). The crisp, dry white pairs nicely with the vegetarian appetizers. If you’re feeling adventuresome, snag a bottle of Bacardi Silver ($15 for 750 milliliters) to spike one of Babylon’s fresh fruit smoothies ($3.50), offered in mango, strawberry or blueberry. No corkage fee.  --By Emily Hiser Lobdell

[ Emily Hiser Lobdell is a Metromix special contributor.] metromix@tribune.com

>> Whiskey Road recently moved into the former Darwin’s in Bucktown. It's owned by Matt Miller, the same guy who opened and ran Darwin's until selling it a couple of years ago. Look for burgers and Belgian ale-battered onion rings, beer, chalkboard walls for expressing yourself, and a back room with projection screen and Guitar Hero. Rock on.

>> Irish playwright Oscar Wilde is the inspiration for Lakeview’s just-opened Wilde Bar & Restaurant. Stained glass domes, cozy fireplaces and Victorian bars make for a cozy spot to meet your mates and nosh upscale pub grub.

>> We’re betting (pun intended) Stretch Run Sporting Club & Grill is on track for a Nov. 21 opening, judging by the new awnings and furniture we spotted inside. This sports bar with live race wagering features 217 TV screens (from 32 inches to 10 feet), a 165-seat restaurant and bar that serves American food, and plenty of private party rooms.