Beer floats at Sheffield's

This one is for all my beer people. Be honest, how many times have you waved away a restaurant's dessert menu just to splurge, instead, on another round? I've been guilty of this a few times-- but, I usually end up pairing my beer with a chocolaty treat.

Turns out I'm not the only one slinging back brews with sugar-shackled confections. Sheffield's beer dudes, Brian and Phil, like to put ice cream in theirs. They're so excited about these flavor combinations that the guys are hosting a beer float tasting this Wednesday in the bar's back room. For $15 you'll get a flight of four craft brews, each complete with a different flavored ice cream. The event starts at 7 p.m.

This article first appeared on Examiner.com

Chicago's best northside dives

For each swanky see-and-be-seen Chicago nightclub, there’s a jukebox playin’, bourbon-slingin’ dive just around the corner. When I don’t feel like prancing around in pumps and slinky dresses, I throw on some tattered jeans and head to these neighborhood joints, where I know I can chug at least three beers for the price of one fanciful martini.

Carol’s Pub has live country-western music on the weekends and the crowd here isn’t afraid to show its two-steppin’ roots. The bar is open until 5 a.m. and folks of all ages and races flock to Carol’s after midnight, when things really start to liven up.

The smoking ban has been in full swing since January, but you can still puff away on Edgewater Lounge’s outdoor patio. Recently, the pub’s beer prices increased, but the laid-back atmosphere is still unbeatable. Edgewater Lounge also has a full menu.

Baskets of popcorn at Kitty Moon are always stale, but they’re also always free. The bar hosts live music throughout the week and its jukebox song selection is second to none.

If there’s one place that can turn an epically awful day into a fleeting thing of the past, it’s the Long Room. The bartenders here know their brews and they don’t get pissy when you ask for recommendations. You won’t find any food at the Long Room, but the tamale guys make their rounds after 10 p.m.

Simon’s Tavern is a great spot to wait out long lines at the nearby Hopleaf. Sure, the beer selection doesn’t even begin to rival its Beglian-fueled neighbor, but Simon’s quick service makes up for that.

This article first appeared on The Whole 9.

Chicago's Signature Lounge

I finally made it over to Chicago's Signature Lounge in the John Hancock building on Tuesday night. After an ear-popping elevator ride to the 96th floor, I stepped inside and was surprised to see plenty of martini-swilling tourists decked out in cargo shorts and flip-flops. I guess I've just always had this impression of the place being so swank as to require some type of dress code. Part of me felt a notch above the gaping tourists in my flowy skirt and arch-killing heels, while the other part wished I had thrown a pair of flats in my bag for the walk home. At least the tourists were using good, commonsense.

It was around 8 p.m. and my drinking companion and I arrived just before a line formed behind us. We were seated in the middle of the room, among a cluster of other tables full of people vying for window seats. My friend noticed that a couple with a killer corner view was about to leave, so we staked out their table and avoided making eye contact with the waitress.

About fifteen minutes later the coveted spot was ours. Well, it was ours if you don't count the camera-toting tourists hovered over us at every angle. One guy even pulled out a tripod and did a full shoot of his fiance while she struck seductive poses near the window. The John Hancock building may be known as the observatory for its brilliant cityscape view, but the real observations here begin with the people inside.

Not even Signature Room's boisterous crowd could compete with my perfect view of the sunset, though. Tack on my carefully-crafted dirty martini with hand-stuffed blue cheese olives (three, for good luck) and the noise around me was instantly dulled.

Save room for dessert

All right folks, it's clearly been a while since my last post. But before you get all accusatory, let me provide you with a sugar-fueled link to some of my latest sweet discoveries. These were all written for Examiner.com and there's plenty more to come.

If you're more into instant gratification (this is America, right?) you can get quick updates on my Examiner articles by subscribing (it's super easy, just click 'subscribe' below any of my Examiner posts). And I promise you won't get any nasty spam notifying you about the latest trends in Viagra or discounts on breast implants. Just a lovely little email each time I write something new.

In the meantime, go enjoy some of these local Chicago treats!

Golden Pacific Market

Laura needed fresh mint last night. The girl's been hooked on mojitos since long before her 21st birthday. At this point, it's more of an endearing quirk than it is a routine habit. We went to the Jewel in Andersonville, but they were all out-- this is almost always the case when I need something from Jewel.

Though, I'm probably not at liberty to complain too much, considering the only time I ever stop in is when I'm in desperate need of Greek yogurt and don't feel like making the trek to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. This always tends to happen on a Sunday, when everyone else in Chicago is also, strangely enough, on the hunt for Greek yogurt (the stuff is damn good). Much like my Sunday dairy scavenging, Laura and I left Jewel empty handed.

Before she even had a chance to slam the grocery tyrants, I remembered the little Asian market next door. Actually, Chicago's Golden Pacific Market isn't little at all-- it just looks that way stacked against the big guys. We stopped in and, sure enough, we found some fresh mint sprigs. Some of them were a bit brown at the ends, but hey, they were dirt cheap and still reeked of minty goodness.

While Laura was busy rifling for the freshest herbs, I creeped into the snack aisle and loaded up on a few pre-packaged Asian goodies: dried wasabi peas, chocolate-infused crackers and a milky white chocolate bar (admittedly from Germany, but I needed a fix). Laura grabbed some Kasugai apple flavored gummies, sweet mini crackers and a carbonated lychee beverage. Neither of us spent a dime over $8. Our favorites out of the bunch were the little chocolate nibs that tasted like pocky, but looked like Goldfish crackers, and the heart-shaped apple gummis. Oh, and the mint was good, too.

Two Guacs and a Girl

Last Thursday I met up with two friends in two different restaurants. Go figure that they'd both be in the mood for guacamole.

6 PM: Ole Ole
Next to Carnivale's raspberry version, this Andersonville restaurant mixed up the best mojito I've had in Chicago. Rather than an overwhelmingly tall glass, the drink was served in a small rocks tumbler. And unlike many minty tipples I've had (and hated), there was no heavy dose of sugar overpowering the rum in this one. Ole Ole's bartender also used just the right amount of lime to bring in a nice citrus balance. I'm pretty sure the mint sprigs weren't slapped because their flavors weren't as detectable as they should've been, but that's a kink I can deal with.

As for the guacamole, my friend and I were both a little miffed about the low $6 cost, but our server assured us that it was all fresh and made-to-order. And then he asked whether we wanted it mild, medium or hot. Taking my companion's spice-sensitive palate into account, we opted for mild. Our server must've noted my dismay because he brought out a little ramekin of chopped jalepenos alongside the heaping square-shaped plate of guacamole.

A stark contrast to the reasonably sized mojito, Ole Ole's guacamole appetizer could've easily satisfied a table of four. But our mouths were too full to complain. The man was right, everything was fresh and prepared exactly as promised. Even the fried tortilla chips were packed with flavor. We've already made plans to head back soon, if only for the guacamole.

9 PM: Bar on Buena
I've been to the Bar on Buena several times. Initially it was the sweet potato fries and dirty martinis that warranted repeat visits and I wasn't ready to break away from the latter. So no report on mojitos at this place, but let me tell you about my martini. I ordered it with Bombay Sapphire and it arrived with no olives or garnish of any sort. One sip and surprise, it wasn't even dirty. Fortunately, when it comes to doin' it dirty or straight-up, I happen to swing both ways.

After a few quick sips, our guacamole arrived in a small, chilled white bowl with a separate basket of nearly-stale chips. The stuff tasted like it had been sitting in a cooler all day and, to make it worse, there was no trace of seasoning. Thankfully I was still full from Ole Ole's version.

I'm not writing off Bar on Buena just yet. I've had too many good experiences at this place to let one off-night knock it from my list of favorite neighborhood pubs. Also, the place is known for its burgers, beers and spirits-- but still, the bartenders here should be able to replicate those perfect martinis they've been known to shake up in the past.

One Tough Cookie

Sugar cookies are simple and I've yet to encounter a bad one. I mean really, all it takes is a heap of butter, a couple cups of flour, sugar and an egg. Add a dash of vanilla, refrigerate for a few hours and you've got yourself a mound of edible clay. Versatility is, after all, what makes this classic treat so appealing to the masses. You want a crimson-frosted heart? You got it. How about Barbie's disproportionate figure or, better yet, her little pink corvette? Done and done.

Not only do sugar cookies trump every other pastry's ability to morph into classic characters and toothsome organs, but the things never go out of season. St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Valentine's Day, Halloween,Christmas--show me a holiday that hasn't inspired a novel shape from the sweet dough. Hell, I've even seen a pair of freshly-pedicured and painted feet, ready to hit the beach, in the pastry case at Sensational Bites.

If ever in a pastry show-down, the sugar cookie would undoubtedly take the cake-- head on, in the form of frosted mini shotguns. A simple pastry, yes. But one of the toughest cookies to beat.


Here's a favorite, no-fail basic sugar cookie recipe, courtesy of Blueprint Magazine.