Maria's Gears Up For Bridgepork This Weekend
By Chuck Sudo in Food on Aug 18, 2014 6:00PM
Ed and Mike Marszewski have not rested on their laurels and reams of good press since they revamped Maria’s Packaged Goods and Community Bar from a traditional dive bar into one of Chicago’s best taverns four years ago. The Bridgeport watering hole has earned its reputation as one of Chicago’s best beer bars, has a simple and tasty cocktail menu that now includes drinks on draft, and has made inroads to endear itself to the surrounding community.
Recently, the Marszewskis launched Marz Community Brewing, a collaborative brewery that has been turning out some seriously good brews now making their way to taps across the city, in addition to Maria’s. This weekend marks the anniversary of Maria’s renovation and the Marszewskis celebrate with Bridgepork, Aug. 22-23.
Starting at 8 p.m. on the 22nd, the current crop of Marz Community Brewing beers—The Machine (an American Pale Ale), Bubbly Creek and The Bubbly Creek YUZU (both Berliner Weiss), Smoke Wheat Every Day (a Grätzer) , and The Bridgeporter (a porter)—will be on draft at $1 off the normal sale price. Beer fans would be wise to try the Bubbly Creek, as it is a phenomenal take on the Berliner Weiss style.
Maria’s will be also break out some specialty brews for the occasion including Firestone Walker XVII Anniversary, The Bruery Sucre, Revolution 4th Year Quad, North Coast/Goose Island Class of ’88, Surly Darkness and other rare suds. Maria’s will be grilling its Korean Polish BBQ cookout (a Monday evening summer staple) in the back patio featuring free brats, kimchee and other side dishes. At 9 p.m. until closing DJ and Maria’s entertainment curator Joe Bryl will spin for the bar’s Secret Disco monthly residency.
Saturday’s festivities see Maria’s parking lot transformed into a food court and concert stage. Kevin Hickey, who has been turning heads at Bottlefork and is now hiring staff for the soon-to-open Duck Inn in Bridgeport, will be manning a grill and serving up some noshes. The Korean Polish BBQ and Marz Community Brewing offerings will still be available. Maria’s master mixologist Ken Zawacki has put together the afternoon of electronic acts including J+J+J, Chandos, Windbreaker and onyou. Zawacki also performs electronic music under the guise of Dar Embarks.
At 9 p.m., the Sonorama DJ crew will spin mambo, rumba, cumbia, guaracha, garage, rock and other musical genres of Latin America, while clips from Mexican horror films and Lucha Libre wrestling screen on the walls.
Maria’s Packaged Goods and Community Bar is located at 960 W. 31st St.