File Buz

Location: 2109 W Chicago
Cost: About $20 per person

Once in a while I get these emails from my friend Schneider. They more or less explain that his girlfriend has granted him a night on his own and that he wants to get dinner. Along those lines, Jeremy, Scottie, and the two Jeffs made a trek out west to get some beers and bar food at The Old Oak Tap.

Logistics
Old Oak Tap has this really cool setup right off of Chicago Avenue. Theres clearly room for a large patio, but it was packed up when we went. Instead we stepped into a dimly lit bar with a fireplace on the left hand wall and plenty of group seating options. We got this little table with leather armchairs next to the fire. The service was knowledgeable, quick, and welcoming. Our bill probably came to $20 per person not including the beers we had. To that point, the beer list is intriguing.

The Food
Although we wanted to order pretty much every appetizer on the menu, we landed on the Fried Pickles. It came with this Green Goddess dressing and was the right balance of breading and pickle.


For entrees we went with with Shrimp Po Boy, the Old Oak Burger, the Bistro Filet Sandwich, and the Chicken and Waffles. The waffles had a sweet potato base and were topped with a crispy thigh, andouille sausage, peach jam, maple aioli, and gravy. The Po Boy was very buttery and came with this avocado corn relish that rounded things out well. The filet was a good steak sandwich in that you could take a bite without the whole steak coming out of the sandwich. It was topped with blue cheese, arugula, and an onion ring too. The burger was nothing to scoff at either. With a perfectly cooked medium rare patty, special sauce, and sweet onion jam there was a good base to the sandwich. I couldnt pass on the fried egg and bacon add on option. The drawback was that it was a big mess that fell apart on me rather quickly.





Overall
Between the beer list, atmosphere, and collection of well designed bar food there wasnt much not to like about Old Oak Tap. Ive talked about it with some of my friends that are locals, and they suggested a few other (cheaper) spots with similar stuff. Still, I was a big fan and am giving them 4 out of 5 Pearls.

When "they" tell you that your first year of marriage is going to be a doozy, "theyre" not kidding. (You know, the proverbial THEY.) Mine has certainly been no exception. Pretty much as soon as we got back from our honeymoon, its been nonstop craziness. I left my job, he started a new job, I joined a tech startup, were doing all sorts of odd-jobs so we dont have to live in a box on the street; its wild. In midst of all that, how am I supposed to have any girl time? Girl time is important, especially for creatively-minded ladies, which is why I HAD to get some blog girls together for a little staycation in Old City. The folks at the Hotel Monaco were THRILLED to have us and we were just as excited to get to stay in such a beautiful place. I needed it. Long live girl time.

The Monaco is situated right across the street from the legendary Liberty Bell in the heart of the citys most historic neighborhood, Old City. If youre coming in from out of town or even just coming from another part of the city, its a pretty sweet deal because some of the best restaurants in the city are a stones throw away. (Oh, and all that history as well.) One of my favorite things the hotel had to offer were complimentary bicycles for exploring-- and they were much cuter than the citys bike share cycles. (And free...)