Are faux "supper clubs" the new faux "dive bars"? (Chicago: neighborhoods, school)

[Lookout Kid]

Cordis Brothers on Irving Park Road opened a while back as a hipster version of an old fashioned Wisconsin supper club. (If you've never heard of a supper club, do some research). Now I recently heard that another hipsterized faux supper club may be opening elsewhere on the North Side. Is it suddenly a new hip thing to drink Brandy Old Fashioneds and Manhattans while eating overpriced steak and potatoes with a basket of crackers? What is up with this trend? It's one thing to order an Old Style, but dropping fifty bucks on a dinner just to be an ironic smart-alecky hipster seems kind of dumb to me. I think the real thing still exists in some older collar neighborhoods and inner suburbs, after all.

[Avengerfire]

What are your thoughts on L Woods in Lincolnwood? It has been there for a few years already...

[coldwine]

Wow. There haven't been supper clubs in forever.

Chicago certainly has the jazz presence to do an after dinner special, but no... No supper clubs. From what I saw, I never had to dress up in black tie to go to anywhere bordering on "supper club" style.

[CarolinaBredChicagoan]

Oh no. Manhattans are becoming hipster-chic?

Crap.

Time to find a new drink.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan

Oh no. Manhattans are becoming hipster-chic?

Crap.

Time to find a new drink.

It's a damn good drink, and I'm not going to let some hipsters mess it up for me. I love a good bourbon Manhattan.

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan

Oh no. Manhattans are becoming hipster-chic?

Crap.

Time to find a new drink.

Or grow a rat tail.

[supernerdgirl]

crazy hipsters, what will they think of next?!

[Drover]

Originally Posted by coldwine

Wow. There haven't been supper clubs in forever.

Chicago certainly has the jazz presence to do an after dinner special, but no... No supper clubs. From what I saw, I never had to dress up in black tie to go to anywhere bordering on "supper club" style.

Wrong type of "supper club." The "supper club" we're talking about here is the Wisconsin version, which is a far more casual affair. Some have slightly upscale pretensions, but they are still considerably casual. Technically they're not just a Wisconsin institution but they're still very common up there in a way I haven't really seen anywhere else.

Anyway, a supper club is Wisconsin-speak for a restaurant that is open for dinner only; no breakfast or lunch. Despite the name implication, they are not exclusive or private or members-only establishments. They are open to the general public. The focus of the menu is standard meat dishes like steak, burgers, chicken, and particularly in Wisconsin, fish dishes; typical side dishes include baked or mashed potato or french fries; the appetizer list usually features fried goodies such as mozzarella sticks, fried mushrooms, fried cheese curds, etc. It's a special treat if you can find a supper club that serves fried walleye cheeks. (And no, "walleye cheeks" is not a clever name for some prepared dish. It really is chunks of a walleye's face, deep fried.) In other words, the menu is pretty straightforward American Diner-style food with a Lake Country tilt.

Supper clubs are typically found in small towns. They are family-run mom-and-pop businesses, and they usually have a full-service tavern attached, often in a separate room. Some serve buffet-style; most do tableside service, even those that have a buffet. Most (if not all) have Friday night fish-fry specials, typically all-you-can-eat. And I don't care what anyone says, there is no way to convincingly do a "hipster" recreation of the real thing.

[MannheimMadman]

^^^Are they worth checking out? Sounds like typical bar food, unless the atmosphere is what makes the evening.

[Drover]

^^^ The quality of the food varies from place to place. Some of them are just okay, and some of them are quite satisfying. It's not quite "bar food," but the menus certainly are not innovative. Supper clubs are unapologetically old-school joints that serve old-school food, and old people often make up a fair chunk of their clientele. They make for great people-watching when you're traveling through Wisconsin, especially if you spend part of your time in the tavern section. I'd say the best and nicest supper club I've been to is J.W. Platek's in Richmond IL, about 2 miles south of the WI border. It's also a bit pricier than your average supper club. They also make their own beer there. If you ever find yourself in the Chain of Lakes area up in Lake County, check out J.W. Platek's.

Another favorite is Bonnie's Lakeside up in Three Lakes WI. I used to go there a lot with my ex's family. A friend of my wife's has a cabin right next door to it -- actually bought the land from Bonnie herself. They have their menu online: http://www.bonnieslakeside.net/dining.shtml

Oh, forgot to mention, prime rib is a big "supper club" dish too, sometimes only on weekends though.