PlanJam!From your screen to the scene

Beer and fried chicken, anyone? If this sounds like your cup of tea, you’re going to want to check out Stanley's Kitchen and Tap. The one I visited was located on Racine, right off 290, in the West Loop. A huge blue sign stands tall and calls out to your inner drunkard.

I have a friend who just happens to live a hop, skip and a jump away from this joint, so one Saturday night we headed there for a few drinks, planning to catch a nice buzz and then head somewhere else. But truth be told, we never left.

When you walk in, the place is split into two parts. There’s a quaint, cutely decorated dining area where you could ideally take your aunt Judy to lunch. Then, there’s the bar, a dimly lit, cozy, sexy area that is warmed up by a rustic (fake) fireplace. It sort of gives off the feeling of a secluded pub.

Me and my friend got a table. We weren’t surrounded by many people, although the night was still young. I ordered my favorite: a gin and grapefruit. My friend had beer.

I was surprised when the drinks arrived. My gin and juice came in a huge glass, as big as the mug of beer my friend got! I guess I was expecting to get shafted as usual. When I took a sip and the liquor proportion wasn’t to my liking, the super-cool waitress snuck behind the bar and dumped a whole crap-load more gin in my glass. Kick-awesome!

Needless to say, three more of these babies and I was pretty toasty. The conversation got lively. We ordered food. Me: a giant salad full of fresh, juicy chunks of cucumber and tomatoes. My friend: a huge, sloppy, greasy burger overflowing with cheese. I like salads and all, but I was mesmerized by this burger.

At some point, I think I fell out of my chair. But the waitress was still super great about everything! That’s what makes Stanley’s special. The staff really takes the time to get it just right.

And just at the point when I thought I was gonna be sick, the heroic waitress came by with a magical concoction of mashed potatoes and gravy and literally saved my life! There’s nothing like some carbs to bring you back to sobriety!

I hear Stanley’s has a great Sunday brunch, but I don’t know. We didn’t wake up the next day till it was already afternoon.