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Favorite Beer Selection iTap The bartenders at iTap are kind of like modern-day versions of telephone switchboard operators, but rather than plugging into various jacks to help connect one party to another, they pull tap handles to connect us to far-flung corners of the world through beer (and help us to party). There are around 40 kinds of draft beer – which is a plenty respectable number – but one that pales in comparison to the 500 of them in the cooler. You’ll find a bunch from heavy hitters such as Belgium, England and Germany, but there’s also the odd selection from, say, Thailand or Nicaragua. Closer to home, look for expansive selections from California and Colorado, and really, really close to home are great ones from Urban Chestnut, Schlafly, 2nd Shift and more. iTap’s offerings vary by season and even by day, but at iTap, your options won’t ever run dry.
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Cugino’s Cicero’s Three Kings Public House Nick’s Pub
Favorite Bloody Mary S out hwe st D i ner Booze gets a bad rap for being empty calories and an enemy of good decision-making. Bloody marys get a pass, though: They’re perfectly acceptable to drink in the morning (unlike, say, taking hard pulls of Rumple Minze), and the ones at Southwest Diner are very nearly a meal unto themselves – and a healthy one at that! Crowd-favorite Zing Zang is spiked with Pinnacle vodka, and the heat is taken up a couple of notches, thanks to horseradish and Sriracha. The margs are finished off with veggies (asparagus and jalapeño), fruit (a lemon wedge) and protein (locally sourced bacon that doubles as a swizzle stick/snack). Surely, a drink that’d be enthusiastically approved by MyPlate.
82 | RESTAURANTS 2015 | riverfronttimes.com