Toasting Oktoberfest
Posted in Chicago on November 29th, 2008
If this week’s weather hasn’t tipped you off, summer is officially over. Soon the leaves will turn, people will break out the windbreakers and beach volleyball will be a distant memory. But at least we have one reason to celebrate the change of the season: Oktoberfest. It’s that time of the year again to order a stein of Spaten, shout “prosit!,” get down to oompa bands and become reacquainted with the city’s German taverns and restaurants (check out the fests, too). Here are our favorite lederhosen-worthy spots for hoisting a few.
Huettenbar
Few German bars wear their authenticity as well or as proudly as this Lincoln Square institution. During good weather, the tavern’s Bavarian-style, giant bay windows open up onto the street, allowing the outside air to circulate into the bar. German beer is a given here, with 10 brews on tap like Spaten Oktoberfest, BBK and Warsteiner; but try some of the schnapps, including Apfel (an apple-flavored liqueur that will swear you off of Sour Apple Pucker) and egg schnapps. Yes, egg schnapps. One shot of this liquor, which calls for an acquired taste, and you’ll never speak ill of Malort again. Choke a shot of it down at the giant booth in the front; called a stammtisch, it’s a traditional German setting for meeting old friends and making new ones.
Resi’s Bierstube
A true survivor amongst the rampant development in the North Center neighborhood, Resi’s is still going strong after 40-plus years. Grab a seat at the bar or at one of its well-worn tables, take in the kitschy decor (old maps of Germany, coats of arms and posters of old soccer teams), order some kassler ribchen (smoked pork loin), hackepeter (steak tartare) or knackwurst, and wash it all down with any pick from its extensive list of German brews. Resi’s was one of the first bars in the city to introduce non-German Chicagoans to weiss beers. It offers 27 types today, as well as classic Deutschland lagers like BBK, served cold in heavy glass steins. If the weather permits, take the party outside and lounge at one of the picnic tables in the beer garden, one of the most uncomplicated and comfortable in the city.
Edelweiss
Walk through the doors of this longtime Norridge favorite, and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped onto the set of an Errol Flynn period film. The high-beamed ceiling gives diners a sense of visiting a classic Bavarian beer hall, and the enormous dining area is packed with tables, high-backed booths, an open hearth fireplace and stained-glass artwork. Settle down and start dinner off with a pate and cheese plate or some wild mushrooms sauteed in red wine and baked in soft goat cheese. Edelweiss’ list of schnitzels encompasses the major regions of the Fatherland, from classic Bavarian jäegerschnitzel to West Prussian schnitzel à la Holstein. Beers here include BBK, DAB, Hofbrau, Warsteiner and Stiegl. It also carries Carlsberg and Stella Artois, but if you don’t drink a German selection here, you might as well ask for a Miler Lite.
Mirabell
Located a short walk from the Addison stop on the Blue Line, Mirabell also has a hidden gem of a beer garden, with a lantern-outfitted pine tree as its centerpiece. The decor blends classic Bavaria with a Wisconsin hunting lodge, with its drop ceilings and wood-paneled walls. The bar rounds out at the ends, where most customers tend to congregate, and the sandwiches are to die for. If the open-faced roast beef or turkey on rye don’t entice you, try jumping off into the deep end and ordering a Nova lox and caviar sandwich on white toast. Served with tomato, onion, cream cheese, and a fruit cup, it’s both haute cuisine and everyday food. The beers here, delivered to your table by waitresses dressed in traditional garbs straight out of Munich, include Julius Echter, Gösser, Franzikaner Dunkel, Hofbrau and Bitbuger. You can also score various schnapps, like Mirabell golden plum brandy, Gold Wasser (a lighter version of Goldschalger) and Lillehammer.
Other spots to raise a stein:
Chicago Brauhaus
Come for the live music at this festive Lincoln Square tap; stay because you’ve got a boot filled with two liters of Spaten floating around the table.
Glunz Bavarian Haus
This place feels downright jolly year-round, so we can only imagine the revelry that goes down during Oktoberfest.
Laschet’s Inn
Though not necessarily a picture of authenticity (it has jalapeno poppers on the menu for Pete’s sake), it offers respectable brews like Warsteiner, Radeberger and Konigspils.
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Before Liza Minelli hit the stage in fishnets, green fingernails and fake lashes, Chicago was brimming with Broadway acts and burlesque shows. But after reaching its peak during Prohibition, the once-popular stage performances went cold with the repeal. Over the past few years, however, cabaret has made a comeback in these local haunts.
Blue Bayou
Skip the movies at Southport’s Music Box and head across the street for a live show instead. The New Orleans-inspired Blue Bayou Bar and Grill hosts a French Quarter burlesque show every Thursday night, starring local cabaret queen Michelle L’Amour. The show kicks off around 10:30 p.m. when L’Amour slips into a scandalous striptease number on the venue’s signature bar-top stage. The free performance allows you to put your money where your mouth is with the restaurant’s Cajun and Creole-tinged menu, featuring Louisiana favorites like lump crab cakes and classic jambalaya. And if you’re lucky enough to catch the lady’s garter, Blue Bayou will buy you a congratulatory tipple.
3160
3160 Owner Jim Flint has turned this popular Lakeview spot into a nonstop cabaret, and the acts just keep getting better. Local showstoppers, including a few nationally known names, take the stage Wednesday through Sunday. Velvet curtains, theatrical lighting and several disco balls provide a classic cabaret backdrop in the venue’s rich brown interior. The space also houses a number of cocktail tables, a jukebox with over 100 selections, an antique-style bar and a baby grand piano that serves as a focal point. Flint’s handpicked lineup of high-energy performers provides a familiar mix of music and comedy, while his drink list offers a fun mix of classic and contemporary concoctions. And since there’s no cover, you can splurge on the booze.
Davenport’s Piano Bar & Cabaret
It’s not enough that Wicker Park has already laid claim to saucy, sought-after spots like Violet Hour, Debonair Social Club and Flat Iron. The neighborhood also claims one of the city’s most notable cabaret joints. Davenport’s Piano Bar and Cabaret hosts a number of theatrical acts, but it’s Fridays and Saturdays with Daryl Nitz and George Howe (or Mr. Entertainment and Mr. Music) that captivate the club’s trendy crowd. The duo has been performing together for eight years now and for the low price of a CTA bus ride, you can catch their cabaret-style “Experience.” Part of that experience includes audience participation, piano requests, comedic relief and music ranging from pop hits to jazz numbers. Additionally, Davenport’s Piano Bar and Cabaret, in conjunction with the Chicago Cabaret Professionals, will host a special holiday performance this year. The show takes place Monday, December 1 and Tuesday, December 2 at 7:30 p.m.; proceeds from the evening will benefit Teen Living Programs and Save The Children.
Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club
This modern-day supper club attracts a diverse crowd of Broadway-lovin’ babes and theater junkies. A regular lineup of female impersonators including Madame X, Traci Ross, Angelica Love Ross, Candi Stratton and Kathryn Cole entertain guests with lip-synching skills and swaying hips. Kit Kat’s drink list, boasting over 70 cocktails, are almost as entertaining as its glitzy divas. Try the kitty’s dream with vodka, orange and cream or the Peggy Lee martini with vodka, orange, banana liqueur and cranberry.
Drury Lane Water Tower Place
OK, so it’s not the type of place to sit back and sling drinks, but there are plenty of those places nearby. After taking a quick hiatus from Chicago’s bustling theater scene, this historic downtown space is back in full swing with a monthly cabaret concert series. Performances take place on Mondays and tickets typically run around $25. A full crew of Chicago Cabaret Professionals-including performers, producers, writers, directors, composers and lyricists-reel in herds of locals and a handful of tourists, too. The series currently runs through December, and with any hope, will live on long after.
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Drink of the week: Baby in the Corner martini Where you can find it: Encore Liquid Lounge, for as long as “Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story On Stage” is running next door at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.
The damage: A surprisingly cheap $8, considering the bar’s prime Theater District locale.
Why here? In the year or two following the release of “Dirty Dancing” the movie, I spent countless hours shoving a cassette tape of its soundtrack into a bubble gum-pink boom box and moving my bedroom furniture around so I would have enough room to channel my inner Baby. I would play the entire album over and over again, choreographing smooth moves to “The Time of My Life.” As a kid I cared far more about the movie’s music and dancing than the plot, which was why I was excited to hear it was being made into a musical. That could only mean more dancing and music, right? Not exactly. Let’s just say I was happy to have downed a martini at Encore before having to sit through the performance at Cadillac Palace Theater.
How it went down: My friend Eliza and I had originally decided to stop in at 312 Chicago for a pre-theater drink, but its packed and formal environs turned us off, so we hopped a few doors down to Encore instead. I figured given its location, right next door to the theater, the bar would be filled with tourists and have a forgettable decor and overpriced drinks. Instead, we were pleasantly greeted with a lively post-work crowd and a chic, mostly black-and-white room with bright accents and a huge, circular bar in the center. We pulled up a couple stools and scanned the martini menu.
Encore whips up specialty cocktails for most Cadillac performances, and will offer a handful of “Dirty Dancing”-inspired drinks throughout the musical’s run. I had a hard time keeping a straight face while asking for a “Baby in the Corner” but I was too intrigued by Nuvo Sparkling Liqueur to not order it. Nuvo is a fancy new spirit shamelessly marketed to women with its delicate, perfume bottle-like packaging and bright pink hue. It’s triple-distilled vodka infused with sparkling French wine. For Baby, Encore mixes Nuvo with Ciroc Vodka and a splash of Cointreau. It tasted super heavy on the vodka with a hint of citrus from the triple sec, but mostly just like a stiff vodka martini. I didn’t pick up on the effervescence Nuvo proudly claims to impart, but its color reminded me of the pink dress Baby wore in the notorious final dance scene of the movie.
Would I want to become a regular? If I worked downtown, I would stop by Encore for happy hour, but it’s probably not a destination place. It’s definitely ideal for theater-goers who don’t want to fork over 12 bones for a vodka soda, and while I can’t vouch for the food, the menu price point also looks fair. What’s not fair: calling the theater version of “Dirty Dancing” a musical. I’m no theater expert, but I will say that I belted out more tunes from my bedroom in 1987 than the actors did on stage. Still, the nostalgia was worth the ticket price, and I can never complain about a reason to meet up for a mid-week martini.
Dana Kavan scours the city for drink deals so good you’ll offer to buy a round and creative libations that outshine your average on-the-rocks concoctions. Want to give Dana tips on where to rack up a bar tab? Share your finds before her next night out.
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If you’re anything like us, it’s probably not safe for you to be alone during the Presidential debates. We think the best way to watch all the false politeness, smirking and over-rehearsed talking points is with plenty of friends (and plenty of booze). With that in mind, here are some places to go watch tonight’s final argument – er, debate. Really hungry for politics? Head to one of these local restaurants, known as Obama’s favorites.
The Joynt
American history is fraught with illustrious political dynasties: the Adamses, the Kennedys, the…Bushes. Well, anyway, turns out there’s some great American musical dynasties, too. Following this debate watch party hosted by the 42nd Ward Democratic Party, Shirley King, daughter of blues great B.B. King, performs at The Joynt. And while Shirley’s legendary dad certainly helped launch her career, she’s stayed in the spotlight thanks to her undeniable talent…which is more than we can say for some other high-profile offspring. We’re referring to Lisa Marie Presley, of course. Purchase your $20 individual ticket, which includes beer, wine, and vodka drinks online at BarackObama.com, or call (312) 274-0042.
Venus Greek-Cypriot Cuisine
My friends, with all the belt-tightening going on these days, you would be wise to watch the final Presidential Debate at Venus, where there will be half off food and drinks. While the candidates go head to head in fierce debate of domestic and economic issues, Chicago’s only Cypriot eatery serves favorites like hummus and saganaki (fried cheese) as well as less familiar fare such as sieftalia (grilled rolls of ground pork and spices). Now that we think about it, this might be one instance where there’s more belt-loosening than tightening going on. RSVP is suggested or call (312) 714-1001 for a reservation. Donations will be accepted for the Obama campaign.
Mad River Bar & Grille
Ever get frustrated watching the debates, wishing there was some way to make your voice heard? Well, here’s your chance. At Mad River Bar and Grille’s Obamaganza! Debate Watch Party and Postcard Campaign, you can watch the candidates duke it out and then send them your thoughts with supplied postcards. $5 Ketel One mixed drinks, $3 Blue Moon pints, $3 Coors Light bottles and $2 Coors Light drafts will help bring out the political critic in you. Or, you could just stay home and yell obscenities at your TV screen. Suggested donation is $10. Obama books and gear for sale while supplies last.
M Lounge
In dire economic times like these, we could all use a stiff drink. So head to M Lounge, the South Loop’s premier martini lounge, for the third and final presidential debate and $5 cocktails. If economic policy and liquor prove too powerful a combination, settle down with complimentary appetizers. Doors open at 5 p.m., appetizers begin about 7 p.m., and the debate starts at 8 p.m. Be sure to come early…there’s a high demand for seats, and M Lounge, unlike the Fed, won’t be imposing any regulations.
Rosa’s Lounge
If the election’s got you fired up, then Rosa’s Lounge has got your antidote. After the heated presidential debate is viewed on the club’s 52-inch HDTV, Ray Allison takes the stage and delivers some soothing blues. There’s no admission charge for the music, so sit back and forget about all the gloom and doom…well, at least until tomorrow morning’s headlines.
Rumba
Need some in-the-flesh debate action? In addition to showing televised debate coverage on its theatre screen, this River North restaurant will add an in-person element to the proceedings. Before the debate, 13th District State Senator Kwame Raoul (who replaced Obama in 2004) and 26th District Democratic Nominee for State Representative Will Burns will discuss what the next few weeks will mean for Chicagoans. During the event, the two will join various tables and discuss key issues. Following the debate, you can ask the pols all the questions you don’t hear on TV. Note: There is supposed to be a Republican presence at this thing, but as of yet, no one has stepped forward. RSVP to rumbarsvp.com.
McCormick Freedom Museum
Illinois is not exactly a battleground state, but in case you’re one of the few who still hasn’t sided with a candidate, come to this bipartisan watch party and panel discussion at the Freedom Museum in the Loop. Organized by Lake Forest College, the panel features Professor Emeritus Paul Fischer, Associate Professor Siobhan Moroney, Assistant Professor Carrie Nordlund and resident scholar from the Freedom Museum Shawn Healy. Of course, even scholars like to party, so the $20 registration fee also includes food and beer or wine. Mixed drinks will be offered at an additional fee. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the panel beings at 7 p.m., followed by the debate at 8 p.m.
Chicago History Museum
Didn’t vote last election because you didn’t know enough about the candidates? This year, you don’t have an excuse. In the K/Now presents Debate Watch at the Chicago History Museum, featuring a panel of experts including Sun-Times journalist Laura Washington, Chicago Public Radio political correspondent Ben Calhoun, DePaul University professor of political science Michael Mezey and DePaul University Department of Political Science chair Wayne Steger. Listen to a fascinating panel discussion, watch the debate and this year actually make an informed decision. After all, those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Cost is a $5 suggested donation.
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