Good Measure brings back happy hour with unexpected menu
CHICAGO (WLS) -- What ever happened to happy hour? There's a bar on the Near North Side where the kitchen definitely punches above its weight, because not only do they offer a few happy hour specials during the week, their kitchen menu is full of delicious surprises you'd never expect to find in a tavern.
There are surprises all over this compact menu, most of which go exceedingly well with a hand-crafted cocktail. They also have a happy hour patty melt that I can't wait to try again.
Extra Course: Irish Coffee at Good Measure
Matt Troost is trying to bring back happy hour. At Good Measure, a retro dive that used to be a tailor's shop a century ago, he and his team are offering excellent cocktails - most turned fizzy with carbonated soda - plus thoughtful food, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. each weekday.
"It's a bunch of different combinations of highball drinks, prepared by Sophia de Oliveira, my partner here. We also have a patty melt special - on marble rye, foie gras-caramelized onions, smoked American cheese and Swiss," Troost said.
Butter is slathered on that marble rye, pressed onto a hot skillet until crisp. He then layers Swiss and smoked American on the other side, plus a tangle of caramelized onions fortified with a bit of duck liver fat. Everything is stacked along with a beefy patty, served with a handful of homemade pickles. Happy hour price? Five bucks.
But there's a lot more than just the patty melt. His hummus features sunflower seeds.
Zucchini and summer squash are tossed with fresh mint, a pinch of vadouvan curry, sesame seeds and olive oil are added, along with sherry vinegar. Once that salad has been tossed thoroughly, he mounds it in the middle of the hummus, adding a bit more curry and sesame to garnish. A warm, crusty loaf of bread is the ideal companion, for soaking, sopping and slathering.
"It's part chickpea. Then instead of using part tahini, we basically made a sunflower tahini to make a sunflower hummus," Troost said.
How many times have you seen a classic brandade on a bar menu? This salt cod-and-potato combination is labor-intensive. He places the mash beneath a broiler, then once the brandade is heated through to the point of bubbling, he pipes on truffled celery root puree and a bit of micro celery. A side of warm bread is mandatory.
"With melted leeks and some butter to kind of just create this, almost like mashed potato and fish spread," Troost said. "The idea for most of these dishes, if you feel like sharing your food, it's the kind of food you can share."
Good Measure
226 W. Chicago Ave.
312-600-9268
