Twisted Spoke - West Town

Once again on the quest for the best Bloody Mary.  The Twisted Spoke, has a rep for having some really good ones, So I thought I would give it a try.  I brought along a friend, who prefers mimosas, and of course, they had those too!

So to start with, they had 6 or 7 different kinds of Bloodies, so I picked the spicy version of their original, It was good!  I have to say, I enjoyed it and the beer chaser was a nice addition.  For $8 it was well work it.  Was it the best or my favorite?  Well, I am going to have to say .... No.  Bad Apple still rocked my Bloody world.

There was an app that caught my eye, which I had to try.  Bacon tempura.   You cant go wrong with bacon!  The garnish was an avocado, caper and radish slaw, which was killer good!  The Bacon Tempura, rocked!  It came with a maple ponzu dip which really added to the tempura.  I have to say that I was impressed with this new find.

Brunch was also just as impressive.  I ordered the house-made corned beef hash.  This was amazing!  Big chunks of corned beef, Some seriously good potatoes and a bit of rasher to add color!  Top it off with 3 poached egg and some toast, I was in heaven!  My friends had something with some champagne cooked spiced pears and cooked brie, with tht home fries, rashers and eggs, wow...those pears rocked! 

Service was good, though they mixed up my credit card with another table in the end and it took a few minutes to correct, overall it was not bad and a really good experience.  I will definitely go back there again! 

The Tasting Room

The other night I found a hidden gem that I never knew about, but was shocked to learn it has been there for 13 years.

The Tasting Room at 1415 W. Randolph.  This place is hands down, the best wine bar I have yet to visit in Chicago, for price, ambiance, food and service.

They have a nice wine list and the prices are good, about $10 for a full pour and $5 for a taste.  But that isn't all, the food menu was eye catching and the choices I had, didn't disappoint.  Bacon wrapped dates and baked brie.  The brie was good, not the best, but a tasty value.  However, the Bacon Wrapped Dates were outstanding!  Bacon wrapped and stuffed with cheese and in a light red pepper sauce....oh man!  Needless to day these disappeared fast and I was tempted to lick the plate.  

The ambiance is excellent as it is a sort of loft with large windows, wood and brick, low lighting and loaded with couches and love seats.  A definite hot date spot!!!  The place has a low volume, eye catching art works line the walls and the service is prompt and friendly.

I am adding this to my list of favorite places to go.  Webster was a fav, but now they come in at number two.

3 glasses of wine, 2 sizeable apps, tax and tip around $70.  Plenty of street parking in the area, I found a spot right away.  Cant beat that!

http://thetastingroomchicago.com/main.html