Hopewell Beer Dinner at Bite Cafe

The Empty Bottle has been around since I've been in Chicago (longer actually, opening in 1992).  It looks like a dive bar, but it is also a very good music venue that is able to draw bigger bands than you might guess from the size of the bar.  It is also the first venue in the 16" on Center empire which also includes Longman and Eagle, Dusek's, and Revival Food Hall.  Attached to The Empty Bottle, although a separate venue, is Bite Cafe.  When I was going to The Empty Bottle more often, I noticed it and thought it looked interesting.  The menu looked very veggie-friendly if not strictly vegetarian and I thought that I might want to try it out sometime, but until recently, it hadn't happened.  Although Bite Cafe is BYOB, about once a month, they have started doing a very casual beer dinner.  I went last month when they were hosting a neighborhood favorite of mine, Hopewell Brewing Company.  For the dinner, you had a choice of one of two appetizers and entrees, each paired with a different beer.  The dessert was set, but the last beer was a surprise.  Going there, I knew where The Empty Bottle was and I knew that Bite Cafe was right next to it, so I thought that it would be easy to get there.  Unfortunately there are several doors and I was confused as to which door was the correct entrance, so I ended up walking through The Empty Bottle to get there.  The sign for the cafe is over where the cafe is located, but it isn't specifically located over a door.  Once I was actually in the homey dining room though, I saw that there was an exterior entrance.  The space is small and bright, with a simple look.  It has hardwood floors, brick walls, wood chairs painted light blue, which is about the same color as the sign out front, and local art.  There is a small counter/coffee bar at the back of the room which is also used for dining and was where the owner/brewers of Hopewell Brewing were sitting, though I didn't notice that until I sat down at a table behind them.

For my appetizer, I had a choice of a Cured Salmon Latke served with First Lager or Beer Battered Cheese Curds served with Endgrain Lager.  While Cheese Curds are always a win, I was more interested in the Cured Salmon Latkes which were served with Dill Creme Fraiche and an Herb Salad.  For beers, while First Lager is eminently drinkable, I think Endgrain Lager (a Marzen-style) is more interesting.  I wish that I could have had the Endgrain with the Latkes, but First Lager would go better with the dish.  As far as the latkes were concerned, the salmon was very fresh and flavorful, the latke (potato pancake)  was lightly fried and pretty tender.  The dill, craime fraiche, and herbs, added a lot of good flavor and I really enjoyed it.

For my entree I had a choice of the Pan Seared Bass served with the 24:37 Red IPA or the Pork Schnitzel served with the Family Saison.  I went with the Pork Schnitzel which was served with Pickled Cabbage, Warm German Potato Salad with Apples, and Gravy and the Family Saison.  With this one, I again wished that I could have switched beers.  The saison is good, and has a nice flavor with a dry finish, but I like the IPA better.  I suppose though, that the botanical flavor of the IPA goes better with the bass than does the dry flavor of the saison.  The schnitzel was classic and very good.  The pork was pounded flat, well breaded, and fried, giving a nice crispy exterior and tender interior.  The red Cabbage was sweet and tart and the German Potato Salad also very good.  The apples in the salad added some sweetness to the tartness of the potato and vinegar salad.

There was only one dessert being served, so it was easy to make a decision.  We were served Ginger Lemon Bars with a Lavender Caramel Drizzle.  With this, the Hopewell team broke out their Squad Quadrupel.  I love lemon bars on there own, but the lavender caramel added a floral sweetness that contrasted with the sharp tartness of the lemon bar.  The Squad was Hopewell's 1st Anniversary beer.  At 10.4% ABV, it isn't light, but it is pretty good.  It's sweet, boozy, and tastes of raisins, and it has a nice head.  It was a great finish to a very good dinner.  I like Hopewell and their beer worked well with the food served.  I will continue to enjoy Hopewell, but I will have to return to Bite Cafe to try more of their regular menu (possibly with some other beer).