Experience before you go . . .
So we walked out of stop #57 feeling quite hungry and we had a great recommendation for another brewery, but one that served great food also. That was Forbidden Root! It was a short walk for us north a bit up to Chicago Avenue, turn right and there it is! It's in a great neighborhood and the front of the building was very inviting. The trendy neighborhood had terrific buildings adorned with murals and personality. The neighborhood, like all of Chicago's neighborhoods, has a long history. From the ForbiddenRoot.com website: "1746 W. Chicago Avenue has seen a few lives, but the building was originally The Hub Theatre, which opened in 1913. Entering the restaurant now, you can see the original floor tiles that spell out the theater’s name."
In 2014, after visiting 20 other spaces, Forbidden Root's founder Robert saw the building and called the head brewer the same day. They agreed this was the space they'd been seeking - a place that would accommodate the restaurant and brewery concept, but more importantly, allow them to become part of a neighborhood and community.
Once inside, you'll notice a big square shaped bar right in the middle. It makes for a nice gathering space where you can see and share your day's activities with others. The menu sign is a very colorful piece of artwork. You see from its design and the names of the beers what Forbidden Root's claim to fame is - Chicago's first botanic brewery. Beers brewed with Wildflower, Basil, Vanilla, and Lactose! Several beers on their menu are brewed with Lactose. I was intrigued and tried a few. If you've ever had a "Milk Stout" you've had Lactose in your beer. They don't use milk, but they use milk sugar - Lactose! It gives a nice sweet and full body to the beer and I came to realize that I am definitely Lactose tolerant! Looking further down the menu I saw Straberry, Grape, Juniper and that was it, I knew I needed a flight to try as many as I could.
Joe and I sat and the far corner of the bar and talked to our wonderful bartender Nasli. She helped with our flights. I had the WPA - Wildflower Pale Ale 5.5% ABV and one of my new favorites. It has Elderflower, Marigold, and Sweet Osmanthus flowers. They call it "a breath of fresh air, like a bouquet picked along a country lane." I also had the Maplewood 6% ABV, which they call the "Grahammie Cakes", a golden ale with Coffee, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Lactose and Graham. Then the Mo Piccolo, a 4.9% NE "Mosaic" Pale Ale. That was awesome! Then came the Continental, a collaboration with Corridor Brewing. A 6/7% NE IPA. Finally, I had the Radio Swan, a 6.4% ABV Rye IPA with, you guessed it, Lactose.
Joe's flight consisted of the Contenental, the Radio Swan and also the Money On My Rind, a Belgian Wit 5.5 % ABV with Juniper berries and Grapefruit juice. He also had the Sparkling Rose Ale, a 12% (yowza) ABV ale brewed with the Niagara Grape, and finally the Grand Cru, a 10.5% Spiced Belgian Tripel. A total of 16 beers on the menu. As usual, some were regulars and some were available for a short time only. But it was quite a selection. Check out the picture of their hanging menu but also their printed menu for more details. They even had some specialty "House Shots", as you'll see in their menu. I think ours was The Closer. Very interesting.
Forbidden Root has been open for less than two years and Brian is the General Manager. Nick gave me a tour of the brewing facilities in back and Maks was behind the bar with Nasli. Helping keeping everything cleaned up and running smoothly was Patrick. Great people serving great beer and they had great food too! Joe and I ordered a batch of wings and split a burger. Sounds boring but the burger was highly recommended and it did not disappoint! I was quite hungry which may have affected my rating here, but it was better than most burgers I've had! The wings were also above average. I wish the picture of the food was better to better represent how great it was, but the food didn't stay on our plates long and the chance for the perfect picture was gone.
I'll be back at the Forbidden Root again. I think I'll bring Clyde next time. I told him about the Lactose beers and to nobody's surprise, he said he'd like to try them. If you want great beer and food, botanics and Lactose, go visit Forbidden Root!
Until next time and remember.........
Go get'cha one!!
