One Great Dish: Aberdeen Tap's Grinders

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Nov 2, 2011 6:40PM

I dressed as Parks and Recreation's Ron Swanson for Halloween, a low-maintenance costume that only required that I grow a mustache and use hairspray or mousse to shape my hair into Nick Offerman's trademark hairdo.

Embarking on Saturday night with a friend who lives in River West, we stopped at the Aberdeen Tap for some dinner. I wasn't expecting much from the bar when I saw grinders on the menu, so seeing the quality of their preparation at Aberdeen Tap threw me for a serious loop, like Ron Swanson relapsing into a relationship with Tammy Two, only the grinder doesn't work for the library.

I ordered the duck confit grinder, which was rich with flavor and teeming with chimichurri and garlic aioli on a buttery center slit roll. The crab grinder, the meat packed into a casing and served Thermidor-style, was even better. Both made better options than ordering all the bacon and eggs in the kitchen and, coupled with a surprisingly broad beer menu, made me miss the food and drink beat, a lot.

Aberdeen Tap's menu is small but creative. We'll be back to sample from the bangers and order the sweet potato tots.

Aberdeen Tap is located at 44o N. Aberdeen St. Hours of operation are 5 p.m. - 2 a.m. Monday through Friday; 11 a.m. - 3 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. Sunday.