frankfortstation.com dining out the frankfort station | December 28, 2017 | 23 The Dish Girl in the Park puts on a show with purpose Flashy drinks and meals play to flavor profiles, in addition to style Bill Jones, Managing Editor A customer orders an Old Fashioned 108 at Girl in the Park. The server shows up with the classic cocktail, expertly prepared with a beautiful brown hue aided by the addition of cinnamon and cloves in a glass that blossoms out toward the drinker. There are two medium-sized ice balls keeping it cold. When he sets it at the table, the server pulls out a lighter, twists the orange peel and the flame takes the fuel, flaring up as the oils from the peel rocket as tiny fireballs toward the top of the cocktail. He explains he is heating the oils to activate both their flavor and, more importantly, scent through the warming process. On the one hand, it appears to be pure spectacle — the cocktail equivalent of setting ablaze a frying pan with saganaki tableside at a Greek restaurant. And make no mistake, it is an act of showmanship, much like the blue hue and pink sugar rim of the Winter Blues margarita, or crushing ice to order for the whiskey smash. But like most of the Instagram-ready presentations at the Orland Park restaurant and bar, there is more than meets the eye. And sometimes that means educating customers, if Girl in the Park hopes to get them out of their comfort zones. “As much as we’re known for food — and we’re very much a food-forward establishment — one of the things our customers don’t know about is cocktails,” co-owner Robert Parker said. While Robert’s wife and Girl in the Park co-owner, Jayme, is developing the food side of the menu, he is working with staff on the everchanging cocktails selection. And despite some suburban customers balking at the citylike $12 drink prices when the establishment opened roughly one year ago, they are starting to understand the premium nature of the drinks. Much like Girl in the Park’s food, the drinks avoid things filled with preservatives and Girl in the Park 11265 W. 159th St. in Orland Park Hours • 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday • 11 a.m-1 a.m. Thursday • 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday • 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday • 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays For more information … Web: www.girlinthepark. com Phone: (708) 226-0042 unnatural ingredients. They use no mixers, opting instead to craft everything in house, by hand. Girl in the Park makes its own syrups. It uses Danny Gonzalez, of Orland Park, sets fire to the oils of a citrus peel Thursday, Dec. 21, over the Old-Fashioned 108 at Girl in the Park in Orland Park. Bill Jones/22nd Century Media fresh, seasonal ingredients. It leaves the bright-red maraschino cherries behind for a dark, imported version from Italy. It even creates its own infusions, with everything from strawberry and basil vodka that takes 14 days to make to a riff on Fireball, crafted in-house through a number of experiments with whiskey and chili peppers. While it would be easier and cheaper to simply mix the cocktails everyone knows and loves with commercially available ingredients, Robert said he knows the effort is what will set Girl in the Park apart in the long run. “To do what we do from a cocktail perspective is tedious, expensive and a [ton] of work,” he said. “We’re in Orland, restaurant-heavy. People can go anywhere and get a burger and a drink up LaGrange. Something has to be different.” 9425 . 191 $90 ( )
24 | December 28, 2017 | The frankfort station classifieds frankfortstation.com