Hopleaf, the Bar...

[maggiethecat]

Was leafing through the current issue of that dreadfully declasse mag, "Gourmet" and happened on an article on Chicago places, written from the rib-sticking viewpoint.

Hopleaf, that wonderful bar in Andersonville, got a good mention. Something like...one of the best bars in a great bar city.

My daughter used to live around the corner, and it was her local. Went there once and loved it. Plain, reasonable decibel level, terrific beer list. No food, or even snackies, but one can BYO pizza or whatever.

Closest thing I've come to a good British pub on these shores. Cozy.

And then, of course, there was my daughter's beautiful laughing face across the table.

[nerissa]

This is one of my favorite bars of all time. I was actually wondering if the egulleteer Hopleaf ascribed her name to that place. I kind of wish Gourmet hadn't mentioned Hopleaf, as it may no longer be quiet. Last time I was there, they were in the process of expanding.

How lucky your daughter was to have lived around the corner! It takes me forever to get from the other end of the city to get there.

[maggiethecat]

Possible Chicago chapter pre-dins watering-hole for our next outing? Would love to meet you, Nerissa.

P.S. I beleive our revered Hoppy (a Boy, I think) did partially name himself after this great bar.

Expanding???? Oh no!

[awbrig]

beleive our revered Hoppy (a Boy, I think) did partially name himself after this great bar.

have you ever heard of the cool bar called Awbrig? I think it is somewhere in Europe or something...

[maggiethecat]

beleive our revered Hoppy (a Boy, I think) did partially name himself after this great bar.

have you ever heard of the cool bar called Awbrig? I think it is somewhere in Europe or something...

You wish!

The Awbrig Bar is in Milwaukee, silly.

[nerissa]

Hopleaf is a boy-or at least has a wife. Anyway, would love to meet you too. Is awbrig really a bar in milwaukee, or I am just terribly naive?

[maggiethecat]

Is awbrig really a bar in milwaukee, or I am just terribly naive?

Just naive, love. Stick around here a bit and ALL Will Be Revealed.

Chicago chapter luminary Awbrig (AKA Sponge Bob Square Pants) hails from Milwaukee.

He's also organizing the next Chicago get together. No date yet, but hope you can make it.

[victoria56]

I recently read somewhere, Trib perhaps, that Hopleaf is adding a restaurant specializing in Belgian Beer Cuisine. Be still my beating heart! Anyone know any details?

[Hopleaf]

Ok, first of all, I can't believe I didn't see this thread earlier; secondly, thanks to victoria56 for reviving it and third, I am a boy (at heart) and did in fact select my moniker, in part, in a reverential nod to my favorite bar in the entire world, Hopleaf. In fact my avatar was lifted from them.

If you haven't been to this wonderful place, go. If you live in Chicago, make regular visits, it will do wonders for your kharma. If you are visiting Chicago, put this place on your agenda as a must, right up their with Wrigley Field, Buckingham Fountain and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

[maggiethecat]

And welcome, Victoria!

[nerissa]

Has anyone been recently?

and welcome, Victoria

[guajolote]

Went to the Hopleaf Saturday night. The restaurant isn't open yet, many people came in thinking they'd order dinner but had to settle for delivered pizza.

Here's the beers (the ones I remember ):

De Korninck (sp?)

Delerium Tremulus - served in a cool glass with elephants, 9% alchohol

Leffe - Do you pronounce the "e" at the end? This was a 30 minute argument that I chose not to participate in.

Bell's Oberon - from Kalamazoo, home of Nero and Fritz

This would be a great place for an egullet get-together, especially after they start serving food. By about 11 I could have used some Frites.

[NeroW]

Uh, Maggie and Nerissa, you DID meet each other. Disco party.

I love Delerium Tremens. What a fantastic name for a beer!

Bell's Oberon is my favorite beer. The bar across the street from my apartment has it on tap.

I haven't been to Hopleaf, but I will. I'm sure.

[guajolote]

The bar across the street from my apartment has it on tap.

Quencher's?

That's a great bar. Every year they have a pub crawl from Quencher's to Wrigley Field. They stop at something like 17 bars along the way. I sat by them at a Cubs game one year and I think there were only 3 people awake by the end of the game.

[pete ganz]

Leffe - Do you pronounce the "e" at the end? This was a 30 minute argument that I chose not to participate in.

They did not pronounce the "e" at Les Halles in NYC, if that helps any. Wish I had a local similar to Hopleaf...it sounds great.

[guajolote]

Leffe - Do you pronounce the "e" at the end? This was a 30 minute argument that I chose not to participate in.

They did not pronounce the "e" at Les Halles in NYC, if that helps any. Wish I had a local similar to Hopleaf...it sounds great.

My brother-in-law who speaks French said it was pronounced "Leff". Our friend from the Netherlands said in Flemish that the "e" is pronounced - "leff-ah". The bottle had French and Flemish on it, further complicating matters.

I don't speak French or Flemish, so I didn't get involved.

[nerissa]

Uh, Maggie and Nerissa, you DID meet each other.  Disco party. 

I love Delerium Tremens.  What a fantastic name for a beer!

Bell's Oberon is my favorite beer.  The bar across the street from my apartment has it on tap.

I haven't been to Hopleaf, but I will.  I'm sure.

OF course we met! But this thread was started in January..we were at awbrigs March 15 (the day after my birthday so I remember these kinds of things.)

I think Hopleaf has Hacker Pschoor on tap--one of my favorites.

[NeroW]

Uh, Maggie and Nerissa, you DID meet each other.  Disco party. 

I love Delerium Tremens. What a fantastic name for a beer!

Bell's Oberon is my favorite beer.  The bar across the street from my apartment has it on tap.

I haven't been to Hopleaf, but I will.  I'm sure.

OF course we met! But this thread was started in January..we were at awbrigs March 15 (the day after my birthday so I remember these kinds of things.)

I think Hopleaf has Hacker Pschoor on tap--one of my favorites.

Duh, thanks nerissa.

guajolote, Quenchers is right. That place is great! I was reading about the Cubs pub crawl when I was last there, uh, yesterday.

Will perhaps try it when my dad is in town for the games.

Where exactly is Hopleaf?

[Fritz Brenner]

Bell's Oberon - from Kalamazoo, home of Nero and Fritz

This would be a great place for an egullet get-together,

Yeah! I love me some Oberon.

Still sad about missing the next get-together.... I hope we can all meet up later this summer for an e-gullet style pub-fest.

re: the Leffe thing. Last year, living in Rennes, France, they pronounced it without the e and it was a pretty popular beer in France. I only know one Flemish person (and I definitely don't speak Flemish!).... but it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Flemish prononciation was Leff-ah or some such. So I guess both are correct!!

Cheers, all.

**Fritz

[guajolote]

The Hopleaf is in Andersonville, on Clark, 1/2 block south of Foster.

It was quite refreshing to be in a pub (this is definately a pub, not a bar) where no one was drinking Bud Light/Lite. We did get a pitcher of some obscure Wisconsin beer that was $7 a pitcher. The bartender laughed because we had gone from beer that was $6 a glass to beer that was $7 a pitcher. The cheap beer (Pioneer something?) was quite good, I wish I could remember the name .

I have to get back to Quenchers some time soon. I love the blue collar/good beer vibe there.