Bar Review

Bar Review: Yard House – a “mile” of enjoyment

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

Lynn and I love to go to Yard House in Brea, CA for their happy hour cocktails, appetizers, or dinner. After we walk across the street to see a movie. Yard House is a wonderful place to enjoy your normal spirit, a craft cocktail or one of their over 125 beers on tap! They have  a great assortment of everything from beer and wine, to spirits and cocktails. They also serve fun and tasty appetizers and main courses. We have never had a bad meal there and I should own stock in the Brea location we go so often. To top it all that off there are big screen TV’s everywhere to watch sports, and they have a great enclosed patio when you want to sit outside.

Back to Happy Hour. Their happy hour is Monday to Friday from 3:00-6:00 PM and they have a “Late Night Happy Hour” from 10:00 PM – Close. Their happy hour has domestic pints and well drinks for $1.00 off. Import pints, wine, craft cocktails, and call spirits are $2.00 off. Martini’s $3.00 off and half yards $4.00 off. There are 26 different appetizers that are discounted and if I tried to list the ones we like most, I would list most of them. You can’t miss with the chicken lettuce wraps, pizza’s, Poke Stack, Moo Shu egg rolls, and the onion ring tower to name a few. They have some huge booths that hold 8-10 so take some friends and make it a party.

If happy hour is too early for your schedule, make a night of it with dinner and some of their terrific cocktails, wine, or beer. Their entrees are as good as their appetizers. They have a wide variety of options including salads, pizzas, seafood, steaks, burgers, street tacos, and the list goes on and on. My favorites are the chicken enchilada stack, Southern fried chicken breast, mac+cheese2. We always start with cocktails. My favorite is an solid “Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned,” and Lynn usually gets an “Old 43” which is made with Woodford Reserve, Licor 43, Citrus Agave, and Orange Bitters.

I like to drink a Kronenbourg 1664 with my dinner. We drank Kronenbourg 1664 in St. Martin on an anniversary trip 30 years ago and I haven’t seen it anywhere else on tap in Southern California.

Yes, this was an unpaid advertisement but when you like a place this much you have to share it with friends, family and blog followers!

Bar Review: Jimmy’s Grill “Fine Food – Craft Beer – Great Whiskey” (Naperville, Illinois)

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

I travel a lot for work. Mostly to exotic places like the Midwest and Texas. This week I’m in Naperville, Illinois.  It’s been cold here so I decided I needed a little bourbon. I headed to Jimmy’s Grill in downtown Naperville. It’s a cozy little place with an excellent selection of bourbon’s, rye’s and whiskey – by my count over 75 and that didn’t include the scotch.

IMG_4876

After looking over the bourbon list, I decided on the Old Forester 1897. I’ve had my eye on it after seeing it along with their 1870 at Hi-Time Wine and decided I should try before I buy; what better chance would I have. I was very impressed. It was very smooth and very full bodied. I really liked this bourbon and I was pleased with my selection. I’ll definitely be picking up a bottle when I get back home.

IMG_4871

For locals or those traveling through town, Jimmy’s is a great place to try a bourbon you have not previously enjoyed. The selection is good and their prices are quite reasonable. They also have a good menu with selections that have spice and body to compliment whatever you are drinking. When the weather’s nice you can enjoy the huge patio right on Washington Street right in the heart of Naperville. Jimmy’s is a great place for people watching, or a little mid day food and beverage in the sun. If you want to watch sports or on a cold spring night, inside fits the bill. (Of course there was a Blackhawk’s game on when I was there.)

IMG_4872

There are some very good bourbon bars in downtown Chicago, but if you find yourself close to Naperville make Jimmy’s one of your stops. Downtown Naperville has a lot to offer and for a bourbon lover this is a good place to start.

Bar Review: The Cellar Restaurant & Spirit Room (Fullerton, CA)

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

The Cellar Restaurant & Spirits Room as penned on their website says:

The Cellar in Fullerton is Orange County’s premier fine dining experience featuring one of the country’s largest and most exclusive wine lists. Whether it’s a romantic dinner for two or a larger gathering of friends, family or for business…

What it doesn’t say is they have a great bar! This is a place to go for a drink, small plates at the bar, or an elegant dinner. It is literally in the cellar of Fullerton, California’s Historic Villa del Sol, built in 1922.

DSCN3973

The interior of The Cellar was conceived and designed by craftsmen from Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean in 1969. You descend a flight of dimly lit stairs into the old world. The dimly lit restaurant is true to the 20’s and festive at the same time. Fun Fact: Richard Burton proposed to Elizabeth Taylor (for the second time) in a secluded booth in the cellar.

Photo from Urban Dining Guide

Ryan Dudley, the owner, has worked hard to keep it current, yet classic, including hiring bartenders with a flair for the history of classic cocktails and spirits (you can check out their bar menu here). They have a good selection of quality Bourbons and Ryes and they make a terrific “Old Fashioned.” Orange Coast Magazine’s February 2016 issue named the “Original Manhattan (1870)” from the Spirit Room at The Cellar as one of the tastiest cocktails in Orange County!

Bar
Photo from The Cellar’s website

Ryan’s creative approach to marketing the restaurant is to even have classes in the bar. We attended one on making “The Classic Old Fashioned.” What great fun we had that night.  It’s become my regular recipe, which I’ll share in the next couple weeks.

After a play last Thursday, Lynn and I wandered down to The Cellar for dinner (we’re in walking distance!) and split the “Steak Sandwich.” I had an Old Fashioned and Lynn had one of their specialty cocktails, “Just Peachy,” with peach, lemon, bitters, and bourbon. We like The Cellar for drinks and a bite after a play or movie, champagne after midnight on New Year’s Eve, or a well deserved dinner out.

I can’t say enough about the feeling of drinking an old fashioned in the ambiance of The Cellar.   You feel like you are back in the 20’s when Vila del Sol was built. It is truly as magical as the Disney artisans intended. Sit at the bar or one of their cozy booths and check out their list of specialty cocktails or order your favorite, you won’t be disappointed.

This is a Bourbon Blog but I have to mention they have a spectacular wine selection if you or your company doesn’t want bourbon (on Wednesdays they have 1/2 price bottles of wine). As I sit here writing this week’s blog I am dying for some of their Truffle Macaroni and Cheese and they are closed on Mondays! You can order small plates or a full meal at the bar. We love making a meal out of small plates. You can have the Lobster Bisque, Bone Marrow, Escargot…   There is no end to the choices but do end the evening with a Soufflé!

12509777_10153941040391522_5272709861958281770_n
From The Cellar’s Facebook page