“Son of a Butcher” By WHISK

[rating=5] There are restaurants that are termed “DESTINATION DINING SPOTS” and tonight, with friends, Alan and Vickie, Jane and I visited one that is off the beaten path, but close enough to make the trip worthwhile. The restaurant is “Son of a Butcher” -By Whisk located at 2934 West Diversey ( just a few blocks west of the Kennedy Hwy (California) and very close to Logan Square’s 6 Corners.. Let me tell you a bit about this location. The restaurant was built and operated as “Son of a Butcher” and then closed, but Rick and David Rodriguez, owners of Whisk, a great breakfast/brunch spot at 2018 West Chicago Avenue, looking to expand their operations, grabbed this great location and brought their staff and expertise along with the addition of their name WHISK, making the new name “Son Of A Butcher” by WHISK!.

Just minutes off the expressway and plenty of street parking available, we were greeted at the door by a host that looked very familiar, Teddy Brunson, who many might recall as the co-host of WGN-TV’s ” Chicago’s Best” series. You might want to check out his “Brunson’s Best” on U-Tube, where he does feature this new Whisk enterprise. As someone who visits and enjoys many of Chicago’s best, we do find ourselves coming together as a sort of family and caring about each other. Teddy was just there to help out tonight and I am glad that he was. He was very into what they offered on their menu and along with our server, the fantastic (and lovely) Eva, our dining experience was one that will be a great memory for all four of us!

Of course, we ordered cocktails. Vickie and I had Martini’s and I must say they pour a generous drink. Jane had an “Uncle Buck” -Gin, fresh blueberries, fresh lime juice and ginger beer- delish and on a 90 degree day, very satisfying. Alan tried one of the craft beers they serve made by a local company  5 rabbit in Bedford Park (where they have plenty of water as well as their beer)- a golden ale that had a brisk flavor.The appetizers we enjoyed were the Poblano Mac and Cheese ( I always taste the Mac and Cheese) a three cheese sauce with elbow pasta. We also truly enjoyed the Bacon BBQ Shrimp ( a little on the spicy side, but a flavor that is exquisite) as well as the Nachos Dos (three choices of meat-we selected the steak)- very Mexicano!

For our entrees, we chose the skirt steak tacos (with chihuahua cheese,lettuce, pico de gallo, and micro cilantro-superb! We had to have one of their specialty burgers (all 1/2 lb certified grass-fed angus beef) and with the Masa Steak Fries, that is all one needs to make their dinner a special event. We also had the St. Louis Ribs (dry rubbed, slow roasted pork ribs, served on a tray with corn bread (wonderfully prepared) and the last entrée we chose was the Straight Outta DF (Federal District , Mexico City) a delicious and tender skirt steak- wow! We added some of their sides such as home -made guacamole, roasted vegetables, creamy corn (a pure delight) and some well done crispy fries. FYI- the menu is far wider than this and yes, there is some chicken for you non-meat eaters. Lots of sandwiches as well.

There were four items on the dessert menu, and since there were four of us, we decided to test and taste them all. With Alan (Fox, not me) doing the cutting and serving, we all had the opportunity to taste: Oreo Cookie Bread Pudding ( I was in heaven), Snickers Cheesecake (did someone call my dentist?), Chocoflan (chocolate cake topped with creamy flan and sweet caramel) and last but far from least, Sopaipilla Nachos-fried pastry chips tossed in cinnamon sugar, topped with ice cream, cajeta and chocolate syrup- “to die for”!

We all remarked that for only being re-opened a few weeks, this neighborhood dining spot was very busy for a Thursday night. In fact, a Thursday night when the weather was scary and a huge storm was forecasted with warnings to stay home unless you had to go out. The many patrons at “Son Of A Butcher” BY WHISK were those that had hunger pangs and “had to go out”, and selected a perfect spot for a great drink, a superb dining experience and very affordable to boot. We had a chance to speak with  Rick Rodriguez who says he will add brunch to the week-ends here very soon. There is a great outdoor seating area in the rear garden as well as some street-side tables in front. The dining room and bar areas are comfy and comfortable. All in all- a wonderful experience for us all and I am now anxious to get down to Whisk at 2018 West Chicago Avenue for their Sunday brunch- call 773-252-9060. To make a reservation at “Son of a Butcher” call 773-270-4520 or visit http://www.sobutcher.comand enjoy! I know we did!

Hours: Monday-Friday  4 p.m.- 2  a.m.

Saturday  8 a.m.- 3 a.m.

Sunday  8 a.m.- 2 a.m.

Bruch is served on week-ends from 8 a.m.- 3 p.m.

This can be a great after theater spot as it is just off the highway and easy parking, dine and right back on to home- sounds like a perfect night to me!