One Too Many Martinis

It’s taken me some time to write this review. I’ve had to give some deep thought into how much detail I want to go into on this one. Not because the place is some sort of awful gin joint. On the contrary, it did its job a bit too well.

Let’s just say put it this way: I went for after-work drinks at Marty’s Martini Bar in Andersonville and then spent a very early evening doing things I haven’t done since college. I am still rather abashed about the entire evening.

So, here’s the lowdown:

Marty’s is a tight squeeze. They have a few high tops up front and a bar running the length of the place. Opposite the bar, they have a rail (with stools). If a rather large man tried to get between the bar and the rail on his way to the restroom (just hypothetically), he would definitely bump a drink or two. But, that’s OK because when the lady he bumped goes to order her drink, she’d have to really wedge herself between said rotund man and his friend.

The tight fit is OK because, honestly, after drinking one of their GINORMOUS martinis, you won’t really notice much in the way of decor or people bumping into you. They have two sizes of martinis, I would seriously suggest going with the smaller size.

That’s all they serve. Martinis. They have a full liquor menu, a few wines, and a selection of beer. But, that’s it. This isn’t a get some appetizers and have a few drinks sort of place. Nope. This is go and drink. Without nachos or charcuterie plates.

What I Drank

I ordered a Tickled Pink to start. It’s chilled vodka, raspberry liqueur, cranberry and sour mix. So, basically, my usual drink in a difficult glass. Then, I had a Lemon Drop. (Yes, it’s pretty much what you think it is… vodka, triple sec, and lemon juice with a rim of sugar.)

Now, here is where my tale gets painful. I didn’t finish this second martini. I liked it well enough, but I pawned half of it off on my friend. Then, I ordered the Funky Monkey Chocolate Banana which is what they invented the word awesome to describe. It’s a chocolate martini with a splash of banana liqueur. A wonderful dessert drink if I ever knew one.

I took two sips and that was it. I was done. And, by done, I don’t mean I finished the drink. By done, I mean, I couldn’t drink anymore. Because the magic alcohol fairies had turned me into a complete light weight. What the hell? A martini and a half and I began my descent into abject misery. This incident occurred about a month ago, and I have not touched hard alcohol since. (Wine… yes. But I am off the sauce, people. Off the sauce!)

That begs the question: Would I go back? Um, yeah. Because the servers the next day were very nice to me when I went looking for my lost credit card. (Don’t worry. It turned up at the bottom of my bag covered in sick minutes after I cancelled the card. I told you… it was not a nice night.)

So, once I get back on the alcohol wagon (that’s right… nondrinkers have their wagon, I have mine), here are my rules on going back to Marty’s:

1. Eat dinner beforehand.
2. Order the small size.
3. Start with the chocolate one.

Location: 1511 W. Balmoral Avenue (yeah, it’s there… go past the hot dog place)

Happy Hour Option Number 104

Sometimes happy hour is happiest on Sundays. (Maybe not this coming Sunday as a decent chunk of the Western Hemisphere will be spending the day with family and friends… but tuck this one in the old idea bag for a future Sunday.) The thought is that you can spend a lazy evening sipping cocktails and eating plates of appetizers while sitting in a kind of dark, but very mod-esque room.

If you want to play that game, Devon Seafood Grill is a pretty good bet. I say this because happy hour starts at 4 p.m. and lasts until close on Sundays. They also have half-priced bottles of wine (any bottle less than $100). And, by the way, if Sunday drinking isn’t your cup of tea, they repeat happy hour Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m. and then again from 9 p.m. until they close. The drink specials vary by day so if you want half-off wine, you need to do the Sunday part.

I popped in with a friend last Sunday. The happy hour appetizer menu is easily broken down by price ($5, $6,and $7 dishes). Although our server was pleasant and prompt enough, my friend did say that it can be lacking during the after work rush.

What We Ate

First, they bring you these lumpy biscuit things that are nice enough, but then they set down a bitty bowl of honey butter. That, made me eat three of the biscuits. (Not my fault that they kept bringing them out. They were probably 500 calories each and another 1,500 for all the butter I slathered on them. Holiday heft, here I come!)

Steamed Curry Mussels: A decent sized portion, the sauce was all the good bits of curry and butter. They also have mussels in a traditional white wine sauce, but I hazard to guess that the curried ones are way better. Not a run out right now, I’m dying for these mussels dish, but I’d order them again.

Lobster Tamale: Served in the decorative corn husk, there were two large chunks of lobster and a ton of corn and beans tossed about the plate. It had a pale green sauce next to it which I couldn’t decide if it was cream based or not. At any rate, the sauce was kind of eh, but the tamale was spot on.

What We Drank

Well, with the whole half off thing, we split a bottle of red. We went with a syrah from California. I liked that they denoted which wines on their list had been rated 90+ by Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate, or Wine Enthusiast. Their list isn’t overwhelming, but it is comprehensive. They also offer wine flights of three glasses that seemed reasonably priced (but the menu didn’t mention the pour size, so it could be a complete rip off).

We capped off the evening with Pink Pops. Served in a martini glass (the bane of the glass world), the drink consists of X-Rate Fusion Liqueur and brut. If you’re unfamiliar with liquor mixer things, X-Rated Fusion is from France and is vodka mixed with the juice of blood oranges and passion fruit. So, this was basically a sweet, fizzy cocktail that tasted scrumptious.

The food is decent, the drink specials are great, and the location is an easy distance from Michigan Avenue shopping. Now, depending on how you feel about chain restaurants, this next one can be a good thing or a bad thing: You can find a Devon in Hershey (that’s PA), Milwaukee, and Philadelphia. And, you can find similar restaurants owned by the same group in Atlanta, Kansas, and Missouri. So, take that for what it’s worth. But, if you’re shopping on Sunday at the large, chain stores on Michigan Ave, then I’m guessing you won’t have a problem with dropping in here for a post-excursion drink.

Location: 39 E. Chicago Avenue. Right off the red line at Chicago and State so forget about parking.

Autumn Is a Blowin’, I Best Get a Drinkin’

Today, Chicago feels brisk and fall-like—that season of new academic books and oversized sweaters. There are a lot of mental images that I can conjure up when September rolls around but none so much as wine. Here me out, it’s not really a stretch. Grape harvesting for wine typically begins in August and winds down in October. So, with that and Oktoberfest (which is actually held at the end of this month), September is definitely time to get your drink on.

So, let’s take a trip up to Andersonville for a bit of wine and charcuterie. I recently had the pleasure of visiting In Fine Spirits—wine shop turned wine and spirits bar. It’s a decent room—dark wood, candles on the table, lively atmosphere. I vote this a good first or second date sort of place.

What We Ate

They have a make your own cheese and charcuterie plate (three for $15 or five for $25). We went with the five options and chose the following:

• Manchego Gran Valle, aged 3 months: Sheep cheese from Spain. This is my favorite cheese. It’s a creamy hard cheese that works with a lot of different flavors. It’s very mellow.
• Midnight moon: A goat cheese from California which was tasty, but unremarkable.
• Recla speck: It’s prosciutto so it’s good. And, really there doesn’t need to be much more.
• Applewood smoked duck breast: It was duck, and while I always enjoy a good smoked water fowl, it can be difficult to get it just right. This was just right.
• Spanish chorizo: The menu redundantly points out that it’s from Spain. Um, right, or else it would be Spanish-style chorizo. It was still pretty tasty.

They have a bunch of other appetizer-type options, but we ordered two desserts. We had the goat cheese mousse and the chocolate torte. I will say that the mousse, served with a Humboldt fog cheese and a drizzle of honey was fantastic. Sweet with a bit of orange tang to it. The whole thing was very impressive. The torte was horrible. The crust was overly hard and pulled away from the mousse. Despite the fact that it was pretty much coated in brandy, we each had a bite and sent it back. (I know! We sent a dessert back… it was just not good.)

What We Drank

It is a wine and spirit bar, so in addition to a long wine list, they have a decent beer and liquor selection. They offer flights of gin, rum, tequila, and vodka, as well as red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert wine flights. So, with all of those options, we went with cocktails. I can’t remember which ones we ordered so that’s probably not helpful. But, their seasonal offerings change so regularly it’s probably not on the menu anyway (isn’t that a convenient cop out for my really bad memory).

Overall, a bit far out for after work drinks, but a comfortable neighborhood happy place for getting started on your autumn wine drinking. (I will warn you that their cocktail menu is a bit heavy on the gin side.)

Location: 5418-5420 N. Clark. It’s Andersonville, so street parking is typically just difficult enough to make you think you’re someplace trendy, but not difficult enough that you’re cursing while walking three miles to the restaurant.

After Work Drinks (Again)

As you can probably surmise, I like going out. I like going out to eat and drink. When I worked downtown five days a week, I was better about meeting friends and colleagues for the occasional lunch or to grab a drink after work. Now, that I’m only in the Loop two days a week, that pretty much kills getting together for lunch. (When will people take pity on me and stop scheduling meetings at noon?)

Soooo, I end up going out for drinks after work a bit more than I have in the past. (That is my long-winded justification for writing two blog entries in as many weeks about drinking after work.)

A friend and I went to Townhouse Restaurant and Wine Bar. Aside from the fact that their web site doesn’t know if they are a restaurant or a late-night TV ad for a singles dating line, this place is serviceable. (Now, you go back and click the link. See? I told you.) It’s an open room with tables and a long bar. The floor to ceiling windows let in fading Midwestern light and the room shape guarantees that you’re not sitting in a draft.

The food is a bit overpriced, but not any more so than the dozens of hotel bars downtown. They have some great cocktails, and because they are a chain, they are pretty consistent with the service and length of the pour.

What We Ate

Happy hour is really just an hour: Half price appetizers until 6:00 (well, from 3 until 6, but most of the American public works until 5). We had grilled bruschetta, ahi tacos, and sweet potato fries. The bruschetta is fun. It’s the standard tomato, basil, and onion. But instead of sitting on top of crusty bread, they put it on grilled wedges of extra thick pita. Then, there is a drizzle of reduced balsamic glaze. Would I pay $8 for it? Probably not. Four dollars? For sure! The ahi tacos (four to a plate) say they come with avocado salsa, but it was really just huge chunks of avocado mixed with lime juice on mini corn tortillas. The fries needed salt and only came with ketchup. (I now expect some sort of “housemade” something with my fries. I’m a snob.)

They also serve lunch and dinner options (large plates, salads, and sides). I’ve been here before for lunch–decent, but not crazy amazing.

What We Drank

My friend started with a peach fizzy vodka-based drink and then switched to a cosmo. I had a berry mojito. Large chunks of blackberries at the bottom were a welcome addition until they started getting stuck in my straw. Even if you don’t like mint, this drink was so mellow the mint is not overpowering. For my second round, I went with a pomegranate margarita (no salt… I’m trying to watch my sodium intake… and I laugh with you). It was good, but I liked the mojito better.

Drinks are decent sizes and run about $10. In addition to the full-service bar, they also have champagne and wine by the glass and bottle.

Overall, the Townhouse is conveniently located for after work drinks or if you’re grabbing a show at the Lyric, but I wouldn’t go out of your way to dine there.

Location: 111 S. Wacker Drive. The door is tucked in a ways from the street off of the building’s plaza. If you’re coming from the south, you’ll see the big windows, but if you’re walking from the north, it’s easy to pass right by it.

Sometimes One Is Plural

If you have a sibling (and I hope you do… they’re very useful), you know that they can be very convincing and sometimes manipulative. Mostly because your sibling has known you your entire life and knows how to push your buttons. They know how to make you do things that you normally wouldn’t do. For example, when your sibling says, “Let’s grab a drink after work.” And, that drink becomes… well… plural, plus food, plus a change of venue and more drinks.

OK, I’ll be honest. It wasn’t that difficult for my sister. She said, “Let’s grab a drink after work.” And, I said, “Sure. And, maybe we might want to switch up from a cocktail to wine.” And, she said, “Oh, and it would be cheaper to just get a bottle of wine rather than a glass.” And, I said, “Right. We should probably eat something. I’m getting a bit hungry.” And, then she said, “You know, we’ve been here a while. Want to try a new bar?” We started out at 437 Rush because I had a gift card. And, then we ended at Gilt Bar.

437 Rush is a great place to go for after work drinks. It has a decent size bar and quite a few tables in the bar area. They have happy hour specials until 7:00 p.m. The wine list runs the range from $8 a glass to $300 a bottle.

Gilt Bar is just where the hipster cool kids hang out. Even if you don’t feel hipster or cool, you should check it out. They have Edison bulbs hanging from the ceiling (yes, my interior designer sister pointed them out to me and named them). The bartenders know what they’re doing (and they wear bow ties and vests… so, you’re guaranteed to be better dressed than at least three people in the room).

What We Ate

We had appetizers off of the bar menu at 437 Rush, including bruschette di caponata, calamari, and East Coast oysters. The calamari was a surprise because it isn’t breaded. (And, by surprise, I mean a pleasant one.) The calamari sits in a basil broth with a bit of olives and tomato. The oysters are served with the traditional horseradish, cocktail sauce, and mini bottle of Tabasco. And, the bruschetta had a bit of veggie caponata so that was lovely and different.

But, you don’t go out for after work drinks to eat the food. (Well, fine. Sometimes I do.)

What We Drank

Emily had an Effen dirty martini and I started with a limoncello martini because I have a stalker-type relationship with limoncello. It is one of the truly blessed liquor concoctions that the good Lord has seen fit to place upon this earth. This “martini” (let’s use that term loosely just because it’s served in a martini glass does not a martini make) is made with limoncello and ginger ale. Brilliant!

Then, we split a bottle of Louis M. Martini cabernet sauvignon. And, then there was the glass of Broquel Malbec. To be fair, we were there for quite a while.

After which we headed to Gilt Bar where we snaked some seats at the bar (mostly through sheer force of my sister’s shining personality). I had a wonderful cocktail that had about 90 ingredients in it. (I only slightly exaggerate. But, when the bartender uses an eye dropper to add something to a drink, you know that there has been some thought put behind it.) Our cocktails were served in lovely small cocktail glasses that were reminiscent of the 1940s–with the extra in a small carafe on the side. I’m a sucker for a carafe on the side.

Locations: 437 Rush is at 437 Rush (didn’t see that one coming, did you?) and Gilt Bar is at 230 W. Kinzie. Valet parking or cabs are recommended as parking is neither plentiful nor easy.