Summertime Chi - Castaways on June 28

Join us at Castaways on North Avenue Beach!

We'll be getting there at 11am (when they open) to ensure getting a table and MAXIMUM sun time! Bring your bathing suits!

Moe Money Moe Vodka

On a Sunday morning when I was extricated from my bed by visiting guests somehow I found myself staring down at the breakfast libation from Moe's Cantina. For those who don't know Moe, this is your quintessential Wrigleyville bar complete with hot waitresses who would rather be in another profession and grown up Frat Boys reliving their uber-masculine drinking binges during all day weekend benders. Attempting to embark on a casual Sunday Bender, I kicked off my day with the only Mary who is important in my life.

Here is the Daniellian breakdown for those keeping score at home:

the taste: Ah yes, that smooth Vodka bringing back in Saturday night mode without a hitch. We are clearly dealing with mix here, but the mix is chilled helping to make the medicine go down. 3.0 on the scale and it would have been higher had the bartender wanted to stir things up and not make an alcoholic Arnold Palmer.

the texture: 5.0 on the texture. As far as mixology goes this was one part yummy and one part refreshing.

the kick: Unfortunately this libation had no bite. I like 'em spicy so the lack of umph really disappoints. 1.0 on the kick. What does a man have to do for a shake of Tabasco and a little fresh pepper...

the sight: Moe's went simple on garnishes with an olive and a lemon. I do enjoy fishing my veggies out to eat, but their creativity was lacking. 3.0 for at least seeming to have thought hard about it.

the buck: Bling Bling. Clocking in at $7.50 we aren't setting any value records for 12 ounces of beverage. Then again my waitress is trying to make a career shift so I have to be understanding. 2.5 on the value scale.

Let me reiterate, you don't go to Moe's for the service, but more for the view of the servers. Although the Bloody Mary can't hold it's own, the hostess can always hold me. Happy drinking bracketeers.

- Jason M.

Moe's Cantina
3518 N Clark
(773) 248-0002

Bracket on Short Hiatus...

Hello All!

In just over an hour and a half, I'll be going to New York for nine days. Don't cry - you can try bloody marys on your own, and submit the reviews to be posted!

Meanwhile, please enjoy my friend's review of Moe's Cantina, and stay tuned next week for a look into Brooklyn's finest Sunday morning treats.

Love & libations,

Danielle

Two Of A Kind - Stanley's Kitchen & Tap

On June 8, we visited Stanley's Kitchen & Tap. The layout of the place is exactly as it sounds - up front is a big bar, and in the back is a diner-style restaurant. I use that term loosely, as there are no menus; each table is piled high with huge plates, and patrons help themselves to the huge buffet that all but personifies why America is obese. Having already ate, I only tried the mashed potatoes, fried chicken, bacon, melon (and as I was to soon find out, the Mango Lassie and her Empanada Boy both HATE melons. No wonder they're perfect for each other!), and a biscuit with gravy.

Stanley's has two kinds of bloody marys - one that they will make for you, and a do it yourself. The premade drink was dominant at our table, while only a few brave souls decided to take on the mammoth DIY....

Stanley's Bloody Mary - 1 pint, $6.35

the taste: 3.6

the texture: 3.7

the kick: 3.5

the sight: 2.2

the buck: 3.2

The house-made drink was very horseradishy, which I liked when I tasted it, but some others did not prefer this taste. The garnish was unanimously weak, consisting of just a measly (but crunchy! as one bracketeer noted) celery stalk - some described it as having "lackluster presentation", and "sparse garnishes", and of course Miss ML noted that presentation really is everything. Another bracketeer, while admittedly not an affecionado, noted how well it went with the mac n cheese. Yum!

The remaining judges (including yours truly) got the make your own. Weighing in at 32 oz and just over $8, this was truly a drink to contend with:

Stanley's Do It Yourself Bloody Mary Bar - 32 oz, $8.35

the taste: 4

the texture: 3.8

the kick: 4.3

the sight: 1.3

the buck: 2.8

The choices for building the base of your bloody mary were numerous, and the stock was well-maintained. You could choose from a mix, canned tomato juice, bottled tomato juice or clamato for the drink, and celery salt, worchestershire, various hot sauces (tabasco, Louisiana), white horseradish, pepper, lemons and limes to taste. The garnish choices were weak, consisting of basically only celery - though one thin, weak pickle remained, a glimpse of what once was. None of us had ever made a 32 oz bloody mary before, and it was difficult to figure out what proportions to use in the big paper cup.

I loved my bloody mary, especially because I learned from this experience that horseradish is what makes a bloody fantastic for me. Not being shy, I kept piling the stuff on, along with a nice amount of celery salt atop a base of mostly canned tomato juice topped off with some mix. Pepper of course, and LA hot sauce rounded it out. Better garnish choices would have been appreciated, but overall, I was happy with my (3.5 shot) concoction. Prince Eric liked his as well, and we happily sucked ours down. However, we can't forget those who "made their bed, and had to sleep in it. Not Stanley's fault." Better luck next time!

If you're hungover and want a huge greasy buffet (which I'm really kicking myself for not getting a picture of), and need a bit of alcoholic salvation, this is an acceptable location - though keep in mind that they don't take reservations and you might be waiting for a bit. The pre-made bloody mary could satisfy a stoned, non-discerning patron, but the DIY - if you're into that kind of thing - would be great on a game day.

Love & Libations,

Danielle

Photos courtsey of The Mango Lassie. Visit her site for a fantastic editorial, chronicaling her & Empanada Boy's adventures with local - and not so local - eats.

Sunday, June 8 - A Lincoln Park Treat

Hello Bracketeers!

Please join us on Sunday, June 8 at Stanley's Kitchen & Tap in Lincoln Park for some Sunday Funday:

1970 N. Lincoln Avenue

12 Noon

See you there!

Danielle

Twisted Spoke - Review

On Saturday, May 31, we visited the Twisted Spoke for some long-anticipated bloody marys. It was a beautiful day out, and we sat outside on the roof. They had large picnic tables, which was awesome. First, we tried the Road Rash - voted Chicago Magazine's "Best In The City". Cliff, the owner, came out and talked to us about the history of their bloody mary, as well as his philosophy on when to break into the garnish (eat the first item, then let the rest soak – eating bits as he drinks. Timeline: Finish the garnish with about 1/3 drink left.). We give him 10 points for fantastic-ness. Here's the breakdown:

the taste: 3
the texture: 2.8
the kick: 3.2
the sight: 4
the buck ($6.75): 4
beer back: yes, point.

The garnish was really out of control (a concept well-received by the generally over-indulgent judges). Topping off the 16 oz glass were 2 pieces of salami (too fatty for my taste), pepperchini, pearl onion and olive. Sprinkled on (and in) the dirnk was shredded parmesan – something none of us had seen before!

The group was split. Half the party thought that it was too thin, half thought it was just right. Half didn’t like the meaty overdose – the other half of the group ate everyone else’s salami. Most of us thought the parm only served to clog the straws! I don’t know, maybe it was all the hype, maybe it was the fact that it was pretty hot out and the drink didn’t really stay all that cold, but I wasn’t overwhelmed by it (you can tell which group I was in).

HOWEVER! We did try the Bloody Queen, which I thought was MUCH better. This was half vodka (lime infused no less), half gin:

the taste: 5
the texture: 3
the kick: 4
the sight: 4
the buck ($6.75): 4

I thought the this drink was fantastic, as did my fellow queen-drinkers. We only wished it were thicker! Besides that, the taste was fantastic. It was not overly spicy, which was good for the judges that tried it – a perfect amount. Garnish (shown) included a HUGE piece of celery, and 2 shrimp alternating with 2 pearl onion. Now, olives are a must for me so I was a little disappointed, and we had just finished a discussion about how we didn’t like shrimp as a garnish (fishes up the drink) – so, I passed on the shrimp (I was fearful of tainting). But, those who tried the shrimp liked it.

I would like to note that the Twisted Spoke does change up their bloody mary menu with the seasons (usually they have 4 on the menu at one time). The beer back changes as well, with Guiness being the winter brew of choice.

Danielle’s Bottom Line: Road Rash: meh. Bloody Queen = awesome.

PS - The corned beef hash & the fried egg sandwich were EXCELLENT!