Five For the Weekend - Things to Taste While You're Out and About

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Feb 26, 2010 8:40PM

If we had a nickel for every time someone asked us for recommendations for restaurants, cocktails or bars, we'd have a lot of nickels. Since we have a very opinionated food and drink staff here at Chicagoist, we thought that maybe we'd share some of our favorite dishes and libations for you, if you find yourself at any of these places over the weekend.

Fittingly, the inaugural installment is focused on booze.

Stolpman
"I have a favorite drink when out on the town - from El Barco on Ashland. A Tamarind Margarita. I actually gave myself an ice-cream headache sucking it down. I think they actually make it with real tamarind and not a powder because it was really, really good. And the drink was not weak. I was pretty buzzed after one drink.. Of course...like I said, I sucked it down like an asthmatic with an inhaler so, you know..."

Megan
"My new favorite drink is the"Tea Blossom" from Green Zebra - Tea Infused Vodka, Orange Flower Water, Up. You need to drink at Green Zebra to endure the awkward atmosphere."

Carrie
"Over the past year I have grown-up and grew some hair on my chest in the ways of cocktail imbibing. I have crossed the line into dark colored liquors and am quite fond of a nice Old Fashioned or Sazerac. I like Nightwood's Sazerac (Jim Beam Rye, Pernod rinse, Peychand's bitters)."

Chuck

I have two things that should be able to soak up all that alcohol. ever since my first visit, I can't get enough of the Purple Pig's pork fat-fried almonds with rosemary and garlic. Jimmy Bannos, Jr. and his kitchen staff slow fry raw almond meat in pork fat for two hours, then finish the almonds with garlic and rosemary. Right now, it's my favorite bar snack in Chicago.

I also can't go wrong with the chips and salsa from Big Star. Now that they're opening at 11:30 every day, it's easier to grab a seat at the bar, order a whiskey and beer for wash these homemade gems down, and relax.