Ladies at the Beach: Southern California

It is Monday and I am back at work after a wonderful week away from Chicago in Southern California (Oceanside, to be exact).  Between Orange County and San Diego lay a bunch of small, cute, charming beachside towns, and I was lucky enough to get to stay on the beach for the entire week.  Besides the beautiful beaches, charming shops, palm trees and plentiful pools, this area is FULL of microbreweries!  This was great news for my family and me as we all enjoy trying new beers and supporting local breweries.

the view from Oceanside's pier

Right in Oceanside are several breweries, but we only visited one: Bagby Beer Company.  It is off of the main road in Oceanside and I thought it was HUMONGOUS for a micro brew pub.  There were several areas for seating: the inside bar, a tasting room, a large back patio, a large upstairs deck and an upstairs bar.  We went for lunch one afternoon (I highly recommend the burger) and another night for a post-dinner beer.  Their best beer that I tasted was "Pesky Neighbor" an IPA but I also liked "Struggle Bus", a nitro IPA.  They have 25 (!) of their own beers on tap, as well as many other local brews and a few bottles.  All of the servers definitely knew their stuff and it sounded like most of them homebrewed as well.

so many taps!

Bagby is definitely a place I'd recommend for food, as well as for spending an afternoon tasting as many of their beers as possible!  It also seems like it would be a great place for a party, especially on that upstairs deck.  And considering that weather in Oceanside seems beautiful 85% of the time, you probably wouldn't have to worry much about rain outs.

view of the back patio from the upstairs deck

In Solana Beach, another cute little beach town, is Culture Brewing.  My parents stumbled upon this brewery (they have knack for that) on the first day it was open.  It is MUCH smaller than Bagby and consists of the main bar area (with no seating, I guess because of licensing laws?) and the back patio.  I only tried one beer here, their Mosaic IPA, and it was VERY good and "low gluten" (meaning it has 10ppm of gluten or less).  Half of the beers on their list were low gluten, so if you're sensitive to gluten but not celiac, I'd recommend this place to fill up your growler.  Hopefully one day they will have more seating to encourage people to hang around and drink for a while.

you can see the brewing equipment from the patio!

Finally, there is a small chain of pizza/brewpubs in the area called Pizza Port.  We went to the one in Carlsbad on Friday night and it was BUSY!  Luckily we snagged a spot at the bar; it is kind of first come, first serve seating, with no hosts/servers (you order at the counter and they call your name when your food is ready).  The pizza was DELICIOUS and I would tell you to order the beer buddies (basically garlic pizza crust with dipping sauces) for an appetizer while you wait for your pizzas to be done.  

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Since this is a pizza place as well as a brewpub the crowd was more mixed with lots of families, little kids, teenagers, etc.  I had the "Off the Chain" double IPA which reminded me of some of my favorite double IPAs and the "Grapefruit Puncher" IPA which had just the teeniest hint of grapefruit.  They had a LOT of their owns beers on tap (also available in pitchers) and many others as well.  Pizza Port offers cans and kegs of their beers to go, and we saw their beer cans in the grocery stores we went to while in the area.

If you're ever visiting the area, definitely research the local microbreweries!  Hopefully I'll get to back again and check out the ones I didn't have a chance to see.  There is more to Oceanside than the beaches!

The Betty

Despite working in the West Loop, I really haven't had an opportunity to try out all the new bars and restaurants that seem to be constantly popping up. So I was excited when Alyssa suggested that we get drinks at The Betty after work on Tuesday. The Betty is a new cocktail bar on Fulton Market.

The Betty made a good first impression with its decor - although I'm not sure that I enjoyed the curtained entryway (I felt like I was walking into a private event). The space definitely has an old-fashioned, retro vibe and is complete with a player piano! While we happened to be there on one of the rare warm days this spring, the bookshelves and leather couches suggest it would be a cozy place to get a drink when the weather is less hospitable.

While I've been a little turned off gin since our trip to Chicago Distilling (The Betty has a G&T option with Finn's Gin), the cocktail list had plenty of other options. I decided to try the Maximillion - a tequila based cocktail with ancho chile liquer, hibiscus syrup, mole bitters and sparkling wine. I was definitely not disappointed in my choice and probably would have had another had it not been for my empty stomach! Alyssa tried Le Grand Dame - a cocktail with gin, bitters, mint, lemon and grenadine. A lot of others were ordering this, too, so I imagine it is a good seasonal drink choice.

The Betty also has a selection of food - small and shared plates. We didn't have any, but it all sounded good and probably is, as the head chef is from Avec. The Betty would be the perfect place to bring a date (or have an after work lady date). I'd definitely go back to try some of their other cocktails, but, hopefully, I'll also get the chance to try out some of the other West Loop bars soon.

DryHop Brewers

Mondays can be rough: you're back at work after too short of a weekend, so they always seems extra long and terrible.  One way to make these days better is to have something to look forward to for after work.  DryHop in Lakeview offers the "Barman's Banquet": a cheeseburger, pint of beer, and shot of bourbon for $15.  The Barman's Banquet is my new favorite thing and luckily I live only blocks from DryHop.

First of all, DryHop brews their own beer and it is DELICIOUS.  Every time I've been there they've had something new on the menu, but sadly they only serve their beer on site.  You CAN get it to go in growlers or giant 32 oz cans, but the best way to drink it is to drink it while you're sitting down to a delicious meal.  All of the beers I've had from DryHop have been pretty hoppy and they like experimenting with new flavors.  On this particular visit I had Fearless Vampire Killer, a Belgian IPA with lemon and COCONUT (?) flavors.  I think it would be a great spring beer (which we may experience some time in April, if we're lucky).  

Fearless Vampire Killer

I also tried Too Many Puppies (the cutest beer name I've ever heard), a nitro lactose IPA.  I had previously thought that only stouts and porters could be nitro, but apparently those are just more common because they usually work better with nitro as opposed to other kinds of beers.  But the DryHop nitro IPA was VERY creamy and had great mouthfeel (so much fun to say) and I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for other nitro IPAs.

look at that creamy head!

The second type of liquid included in the Barman's Banquet is the bourbon.  I'm not much of a bourbon/whiskey drinker (unlike Caitlin), but I can appreciate it in small doses, which made a shot the right size for me.  On this particular Monday night they served Buffalo Trace shots.  I drank it in 2 large sips but my boyfriend shot it like a man.

Lastly, the CHEESEBURGER.  All of the food I've had from DryHop has been great but I think the burger may the best thing on the menu.  It was named to Thrillist's Best Burgers of 2013 IN THE COUNTRY, so you know it has to be good.  You can add an egg or bacon to it, which I'm sure would make it even better, but it doesn't even need that extra flavor.

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I KNOW I will be hitting up the Barman's Banquet again soon, but DryHop is enjoyable any day of the week.  If you like craft beer and good food, you'll love it.

The Rocking Horse

After the distillery tour on Friday, Alyssa and I were hungry and knew we had to find food before one of us (me) had a meltdown. Thankfully, Chicago Distilling Company is located in an area of Logan Square with a lot of food options. We decided to take a short walk and eat at The Rocking Horse, where we did not have to wait at all for a table - on a Friday night! I had been here before, but since it's been a few years only had vague recollections that it was good. 

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Since I don't drink liquor that often, the first thing that we needed was beer to cleanse our palates. We both started with the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Hoppy Lager - It was my first time trying it and it was perfect for my hoppy preferences and getting rid of the white whiskey taste. Alyssa also had the Summit Saga IPA, which I've also had - we both approve!

While the beer was good, I think the main highlight for us was the food. We started with the pretzel, which was a hit except for the extremely spicy mustard that came with it. Every time we took a bite, our sinuses felt like they were on fire!

I also had the turkey bacon sandwich, which was everything I wanted after the distillery tour. I don't know if it was an off night, but the tater tots that I chose as a side were SUPER salty. So much so, that I think I suffered from a salt hangover the next day. Alyssa had the pressed Italian sandwich, which she raved about and also the white truffle fries (I would go back just to eat these).

If you're ever in the neighborhood or looking for somewhere to eat after a trip to the Chicago Distilling Company, we would recommend Rocking Horse. 

Do you have any other recommendations for restaurants/bars we should try in Logan Square?

Old Town Social

St. Patrick's Day is over, which means: it is is MARCH MADNESS!  Hopefully you've all gotten into the spirit by filling out a bracket and sneaking out at lunch time to catch some games.  If you're looking for a fun place to have a few drinks and get something to eat, I'd recommend Old Town Social on North Ave.

I went here last week for a post-work dinner with my boyfriend.  It is pretty easy to walk to from the Sedgwick Brown Line stop (which is important for me since I am currently injured...).  There are a few different areas inside: the large bar area with many televisions behind it, the back area with booths and tables, a front area that seemed more cozy (it has a fireplace!).  There are TVs pretty much everywhere and one of the first things I noticed when I walked in: the wall bracket, just ready to be filled with winning teams and upsets (probably at least 9 feet tall?).

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Obviously this place takes March Madness seriously and will be open early on all game days so that you can get a good viewing spot.  They also take reservations, which I'm sure would come in handy this weekend.

Old Town Social has an extensive beer list, including many local Chicago breweries.  I tried a couple of Moody Tongue beers, which I'd heard of but never tasted, and I really enjoyed the Sliced Nectarine IPA.  My favorite part of their beer menu though was the explanations of the different types of beer at the back.  Good reading material if you're waiting for someone to join you ;)

We knew we wanted burgers and Old Town Social's were YUM.  I had the "OTS" burger that comes with bacon, gruyere and a fried egg--the most PERFECT fried egg I've ever seen.  The whole burger was great and the truffle fries and cheese curds were wonderful sides.  My boyfriend got "The English" burger and would highly recommend it to fans of blue cheese.

LOOK AT THAT EGG

Overall I'd say Old Town Social is chill pub with good food that MAY be trying a little too hard with its ambiance, but I'd definitely go back to watch a game.

Did anyone's brackets get totally busted?  Any other good recommendations for places to watch THE MADNESS?  Are you all spending all weekend glued to the TV or do you ignore the tournament?  Let us know in the comments!

Tacos, Tacos, Tacos

There are a lot of taco options in this city, but one of the most well-known is Big Star. While Big Star gets a lot of hype, in my opinion it's well-deserved. Not only do they have a delicious and varied assortment of tacos and other Mexican foods, but Big Star also has a solid bar. As a lot of the Mexican places in the city are BYOB, this can be a nice change.

A few weeks ago, wanting to find a warm respite in the sub-zero temps, a few of my friends and I decided to meet there for dinner. I've never been to Big Star before on a Friday night, but I was not surprised that it was super crowded and that there was a wait. However, what did surprise me was that we had to wait close to 2 hours for a table! 

Thankfully, we were able to order chips and guacamole to the barrel we were waiting at - hanger averted. I think part of the reason why it was so crowded, is that Big Star has a huge patio that's open when it's warm out, which probably doubles the amount of people it can seat.

I'm hesitant to say that Big Star is good enough to wait 2 hours (especially if starving), but it's definitely worth a wait, especially if you are able to snack on their chips and guacamole, which are quite good. Their tacos are equally delicious. Previously, I had only had the Taco de Papas (potato taco) taco, which I would recommend to even the most devoted carnivores. This time I had the chance to try the chicken and carnitas tacos and I was not disappointed.

Big Star also has a great selection of drinks. I really love their margaritas - they are super strong and not too sweet (get the pitcher!). The Cheladas (tecate and lime) are pretty good, as well - although it's hard to compare as I've only had Cheladas here! While I don't really understand the connection with tacos and whiskey - they also have a big selection of the latter. They have different $3 whiskey shots each day of the week, as well as a good selection of whiskey cocktails. 

Refreshing Chelada

If you're thinking of going to Big Star, it's best enjoyed in the warm weather out on their patio - just be prepared to wait!

If you have any other taco suggestions, let us know!

Haymarket Pub and Brewery

A few weeks ago, we met at Haymarket in the West Loop after work, to try some new beers.  A bar/restaurant/brewery, it was a great spot to meet a friend for a drink.  There is plenty of seating, and some of the brewing equipment is visible from the dining room and bar area.  It was pretty crowded around 5:30 on a Monday evening (impressive considering the frigid winter that Chicago has been experiencing!), but this won't seem surprising once you've tasted their beer.

Caitlin and I each ordered a flight.  I had Last Chance Belgian IPA (award winning!), Angry Birds, Lizzie's Simcoe Double IPA and Aleister.  They were all very good and I'd order any of them again.  Their beers seemed to skew more toward the lighter end of the beer spectrum; this is fine with me as I just have never developed the taste for stouts and porters.  Haymarket's specialty lies in double IPAs and Belgian style beer.

I'd definitely like to go back with a bigger group for a late lunch sometime and try more of their beers or maybe go on a tour ($15 + 4 samples + 1 pint!).  They also offers beers from other breweries by the bottle if you want to mix it up.

Sadly Haymarket does not sell their beer outside of the brewery, but if you bring a growler you can get it filled for just 3 times the price of a pint of the brew.

I'd recommend this place as a great meetup spot before a Bulls or a Blackhawks game.  Since it is on Randolph it would be easy to walk over here from the Loop after work and then drive/bus/taxi to the United Center after enjoying some beer and food (for MUCH cheaper than the $8-10 beers at the game!).

This would also be a great bar to meet up at before dining out at any of the other great and famous restaurants on West Randolph (most within a 2-3 block radius of Haymarket!).  Au Cheval, Girl and the Goat, Nia's, Nellcote, Maude's Liquor Bar and Graham Elliott Bistro are all walking distance.

Good for: happy hour, dinner, date

The Butcher's Tap

The Southport Corridor is filled with shops, bars and restaurants.  Caitlin and I used to live just off of Southport so we are very familiar with all of the hot spots.  One place we had never frequented was Wheel House.  I'd been there once for a drink but Caitlin had never even been inside.  When we saw that the name had changed to The Butcher's Tap, we were intrigued.  When we saw the menu, we knew we HAD to have dinner there.  So a few Friday nights ago we met a couple of friends there for post-work beers and dinner.

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The place is 2 stories, something I did not realize the only other time I'd been there.  We were seated in the upstairs at a a pair of high top tables.  The atmosphere is chill, with dim lighting and a few small televisions around in order to watch sports.  I was pretty impressed with their beer list; they have some of my favorite local breweries.

I had a Greenbush Jadis for my first beer and we ordered the cheese curds.  If you go there, ORDER THE CHEESE CURDS.  Maybe Caitlin and I just love cheese more than the average gal, but these were delicious and the dipping sauces put them over the top.

The Butcher's Tap prides itself on offering local meats and cheeses on everything from the appetizers to the burgers and sandwiches.  Next time we go there, I plan on making former vegetarian, Caitlin, share a meat and cheese board with me.  We all ordered burgers (a veggie one for Caitlin) and we all devoured them.  I had the "Big Al": BACON, PULLED PORK BELLY, CARAMELIZED ONIONS, PICKLED RED ONIONS, JAMESON BBQ...

With my burger I tried the 3 Sheeps Really Cool Waterslide IPA which was also delicious.  Thankfully almost all of their beers are on tap which is impressive/THE BEST.

Caitlin and I would definitely go back there and maybe this time she would try a meat burger...?  I want to try "The Diner" (TWO PERFECT 1/4 PATTIES FLAT & CRISPY, TILLAMOOK CHEDDAR, BACON, ONION) and some of their other beers on tap.  If you're an Ohio State fan, this place will show every game, and I'm sure they probably also show every Chicago sports game as well.

Good for: dinner, date, beers, burgers

Bar Trivia

If you're looking for something to do on a weeknight, especially during winter, bar trivia is one of our favorite options. It's not only good for groups of friends but it can also be fun for a date (just don't combine bringing a first date to trivia with friends...in my experience, it's not a great idea). In Chicago, where it seems like there is a bar on almost every corner and many of them have trivia, the options can be overwhelming. Thankfully, we have been there and tried them out for you. Here are our favorite three options:

Justin's

Justin's is one of our favorite neighborhood bars, and while we no longer live down the street from it, we don't mind making the trek back for trivia (or any other night when we want drinks). One of Justin's best qualities is that it always has a great selection of beers on tap. Lagunitas and Revolution beers are some of the staples and they always have a good rotating tap. Last time I was there it was Two Brothers Night Cat, which is one of my new favorite beers - make sure to try it out! I'll also make the bold claim that Justin's has the best tater tots in the city (unverified, but probably true). 

The Justin's back patio is a great place to drink outside once Chicago warms up
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Trivia at Justin's is every Tuesday night at 8. It's usually super crowded, so I would recommend getting there early. As far as actual trivia goes, it's definitely on the harder side of bar trivia, but that also makes it more fun.  There are picture rounds which are the trickiest if you aren't good with faces and and it draws a pretty diverse crowd in terms of ages (which can make it more difficult).  The prizes at Justin's are gift certificates to...JUSTIN'S (more tater tots for everyone!).

Mad River

Mad River is a bar that we just can't stay away from. Maybe it's the free happy hours that we ALWAYS win, maybe it's their yearly anniversary party with a free open bar (sign up for that email list!), or maybe it's the truffle fries - whatever it is, we have been coming to this bar on and off since 2011. We recently started going to trivia there again and it does not disappoint.

The free Mad River happy hours will do that to you...

Over the past few few years, Mad River's beer selection has improved considerably. They still have Coors Light on tap, but they have also expanded to other options. On trivia nights alll draft beers are $4, which includes Revolution options, Lagunitas (these are $5), Blue Moon, Dogfish Head, Golden Monkey (not $4) and a few others. Their sandwiches and burgers are quite tasty - make sure to get them with a side of truffle fries! But it's best to avoid their tater tots, as they resemble mushy potato pancakes more than anything (we told you Justin's was the best...).

"Triv at the Riv" is also every Tuesday at 8. It doesn't get as crowded as Justin's, but get there early to snag a table with a working TV. To top it off, at Mad River first place wins a $100 cash prize, and they usually have secret prizes like sports and concert tickets.  During bonus rounds, if your team guesses closest to the right answer you all win a shot.

Flagship

For another small neighborhood bar, Flagship is also surprisingly nice inside with a good beer selection. We first started coming here a few years ago, not just because it was a new bar near our apartment but also because the TRIVIA MASTER/host, Nicole (formerly of Mad River) is our favorite. Seriously, she is the best at running trivia and I would probably recommend going to Flagship even if the bar was awful (but it's not!) . If I remember correctly, she threw in some Mean Girls questions one week just because we asked.  She takes her hosting duties seriously but not TOO seriously.

If I were to rate the food overall at each of these trivia options, the food at Flagship is probably the best. They have a great selection of burgers, sandwiches, wraps and salads - notable standouts: the Porkx4 sandwich (PORK ON PORK ON PORK ON PORK, LITERALLY) and the BBQ burger.

Their beer selection has also always been solid and it's probably one of the only trivia bars where I would be tempted to order a cocktail, like the strawberry basil lemonade or ginger ball mason jar.

Trivia at Flagship is every Thursday at 8. I haven't been to trivia here for a few months, but last time I was, it was extremely crowded. I would recommend calling ahead and reserving a table.  Flagship also has a LOT of televisions, so if there is a game on during trivia, you'll be covered.

STATE
If you are looking for a more INTENSE trivia experience, go to STATE in Lincoln Park on a Tuesday night. We've only gone to trivia here a couple of times (due to humiliation) but it is an EXPERIENCE.  This place gets super crowded, so definitely get there early (like ***).  The last time we were there, there were at least FORTY teams.  Why so popular?  The grand prize for winning is $800 (2nd place gets $200 and 3rd place gets $100)!  They also raffle off a bunch of prizes at the end of the evening (each trivia participant gets 1 ticket).  One of our friends was lucky enough to win a barber kit (never been used, bet she'd sell it to you for cheap!) and a 20" television (won in separate weeks).

The questions are hard, so make sure you have a skilled and diverse team at your disposal, otherwise be prepared to cry when the sports questions come up...the food here is pretty good for bar food, so if you have to get there early you can at least enjoy a good sandwich.

While there are LITERALLY hundreds of trivia options to choose from, these are the ones we keep coming back to. If you're ever out on a Tuesday you might run into us!

Beermiscuous

Last weekend we met some friends at Beermiscuous for a few good beers. For those who haven't been, Beermiscuous is kind of like a beer tasting room/bar.  When you walk in you are greeted by refrigerators on either side of you, filled with bottles and cans of MANY different kinds of beers.  They are sorted alphabetically by brewery then by beer name.  Beermiscuous prides itself on having a HUGE selection of Chicago-based brewed beer, and they don't disappoint.  You can take these bottles/cans to go, or drink in them at the cozy tables and chairs in the back of the shop.

The Tap List on 1/31/2015

Before you get to the back of the shop though, you arrive at the cash register and beer taps.  There are always 12 beers on tap, the majority of which are from a Chicago brewery.  The best way to taste around is to order a flight (you pay by the 4 oz pour, so flights usually cost about $8-9, depending on which beers you pick).  I like to get a flight, drink each one and then decide if I loved any of them enough to get a full pour of it, or if I want to go back to the coolers and pick a bottle of a different beer.  Their beer is priced fairly, especially if you are buying it to go.

On this particular evening I got a flight from taps 4, 5, 7 and 12.  I started drinking left to right from my flight.

First up was Van de Velde Belgo-Pale Ale by Ale Syndicate.  This is a local brewery, and I've had some of the beers before.  I thought this was a standard pale ale but enjoyed it overall.  Next I had Half Acre Senita, an American IPA with a bit of a bite to it.  My third beer was Lilith from Goose Island; this was billed as a "pomegranate Berlinerweisse"...it was very fruity and my least favorite beer in the flight.  My last beer was Acclamation by Pollyanna: a "Belgian strong ale with apricot".  It wasn't as fruity as the Lilith but still had a very interesting taste.  All 4 of my beers ended up being from the Chicago area!

I didn't love any of the beers in my flight ENOUGH to order a full sized pour, so I went back to the coolers and got an Apex Predator by Off Color (also from Chicago).  This is probably one of my favorite beers right now, so it did not disappoint.

Beermiscuous does not serve food (and has no plans to), but they do provide menus from many restaurants in the area so that you can order food to the bar or go pick it up (we made one of our friends pick up our Mexican food from the down street).  They also have Food and Flight Nights, where you can order food at the bar from a food truck parked out front and one of the bartenders will bring it to you while you're enjoying your beer.

There are a few televisions and some board games, but I'd say overall that the atmosphere of Beermiscous is more for just friends chilling out, enjoying some good brews.  I could definitely see myself whiling away a weekend afternoon there and I know I'll back to see what kinds of new beers and breweries appear.

Good for: hanging out with friends, first date