Chicago foodie board LTH Forum has announced it’s latest round of Great Neighborhood Restaurant Awards.
Sadly, I’ve only been to two of them (Hopleaf and Volo). I personaly feel that Hopleaf deserves the award, but shouldn’t get it. It’s well known, listed in all the guide books so even the tourists know about it, and it’s recently been on Check Please. The LTH awards should go to those that don’t get the attention they deserve. Or maybe I just have personal reasons for not giving the place anymore attention (I’d like a seat at the bar).
The surly barstaff at Hopleaf is stuff of legend, although I’ve never seen it unless it was justified (If you can’t find something you recognize or are adventurous enough to want to try on their beer menu, you might not want to be sitting at the bar, sit at a table and have some frites and a root beer). I’d be surly too if I had to deal with the multitudes of MGD drinkers who order a Duchess du Bourgogne (pronouncing it Ernest du Borgnine) then complain that it’s too sour.
In other challenging beer news, one of my local pubs, Prairie Moon is now carrying Dogfish Head’s 90 Minute IPA on tap. Even better, they have it for 3 bucks a pint on Tuesdays. 90 Minute is a serious beer, and the bartender usually has to warn unsuspecting Bud drinkers. It has an IBU (International Bittering Unit) of 90 and an alcohol by volume of 9%. Of course that’s nothing when compared to the 21% 120 Minute IPA available (in bottles) at Hopleaf.