A Bar Journal

In early 2025, Alexandrea Messner—a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney at Wallace Miller in Chicago—launched her restaurant-review blog, The Higher Bar.

“Before I went to law school, I was considering culinary school. I just really enjoy going out to restaurants and trying new food,” she says. “I think the writing was a natural progression of my love for talking about it.”

Messner’s first reviews included two of her favorite spots in Chicago, Le Bouchon and Chef’s Special Cocktail Bar. 

“I’m at those places all the time, the food is consistently phenomenal, and the people are great,” she says. “I try to focus on places I really enjoy going to. That’s the goal for the next few reviews, too: places I like to go and hang out at, great vibes and food overall.”

And while thinking critically during a meal may feel like work to some, for Messner, The Higher Bar is an outlet. “Legal writing has always been one of the more enjoyable parts of this job for me, so I enjoy the creative writing. It’s kind of an escape from law; it’s one of the few experiences where I can clear my mind and not focus on work or anything else.”