MK_111419

20 | November 14, 2019 | the mokena messenger dining out
mokenamessengerdaily.com
The Dish
Barrel Club more than the sum of its steaks, spirits and stogies
Oak Lawn eatery
switches vibes from
lunch to dinner, focuses
on gatherings
Bill Jones, Managing Editor
At a quick glance, The Barrel
Club looks on paper like
something of a throwback, with
a steak-heavy dinner menu, a
drinks list that leans hard on
bourbon and a showcase of cigar
selections for the smokers.
Make no mistake: Spirits are
the star of the show at The Barrel
Club. From the membership program
that for $39 monthly sends
customers home with different
bottles of the Barrel Club’s spirits
and accessories — think branded
shot glasses, ice ball silicones and
rocks glasses — to a list that rivals
most city establishments for
whiskey enthusiasts, drinks are
undoubtedly the No. 1 attraction
at the Oak Lawn establishment.
But the facade of the building
on 111th Street near Cicero Avenue
is enough to let passersby
know the offerings are more than
first meets the eye. The modern
confines hint at the wines Barrel
Club also proudly offers. A patio
with a fire pit welcomes musical
acts and outdoor loungers alike.
The event spaces are designed to
attract both corporate meetings
and small birthday gatherings
(ask to see The Little Pub). And
the lunch menu caters to a family
crowd more than the nightlife
seekers might otherwise imagine.
Barrel Club strives to be more
than the typical suburban eatery,
Oak Lawn’s Barrel Club offers sandwiches during its lunch hours,
including the pictured Barrel Dip ($14), featuring shaved rib-eye on
a French roll, with giardiniera, au jus and horseradish cream.
and it strives to please a lot of
different people in the process.
As Director of Operations
April Koerber, an Orland Parker,
puts it, “It’s downtown dining on
the south side of Chicago. The
food looks like a masterpiece.”
Behind that food is executive
chef Carlos DeLeon, who approaches
an ingredient-focused
menu with a “less is best on the
plate” philosophy.
“The products that we use here
are great,” he said.
They use Duke’s mayonnaise,
for instance, simply because,
DeLeon said, “It’s delicious, the
king of mayos.”
Diners will find that on the
lobster roll ($16), which Koerber
cites as a favorite for the simplicity
of its Maine lobster, mayo,
Old Bay and brioche.
The kitchen at Barrel Club
also takes the time to make its
own creme fraiche — a threeday
process. And the roasted
chicken (for 2, $29) — which is
sliced in front of customers —
goes through a 48-hour process.
“What you get out of it is a
crisp, seasoned-all-the-waythrough
chicken,” DeLeon said.
Among the sandwich standouts
for the lunch crowd is the
Cuban ($13), featuring pork carnitas,
smoked ham, Chihuahua
cheese, dill pickle and mustard
on a telera roll.
“Its not a traditional Cuban, but
it’s damn close,” DeLeon said.
The restaurant also has some
fun mixing influences with items
like the potato and cheese pierogies
($9), which feature Yukon
Gold potatoes and Chihuahua
cheese for a combination that is
part Polish, part Mexican, according
to DeLeon. Giardiniera
finds its way into Barrel Club’s
chopped salad ($13) for a distinct
Chicago tweak to the classic.
The Barrel Club’s Traces of Buffalo whiskey flight ($22) is one of 10
that offer guests tastes of three different spirits — in this case W.L.
Weller Special Reserve, E.H. Taylor Small Batch and George Stagg Jr.
— alongside optional bitters. Photos by Bill Jones/22nd Century Media
The Barrel Club
4910 W. 111th St. in Oak Lawn
Kitchen Hours
• Lunch: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday
• Brunch: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday
• Dinner: 4-10 p.m. daily
Bar Hours
• 10 a.m.-midnight Sunday-
Thursday
• 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-
Saturday
For more information ...
Web: barrelclubillinois.com
Phone: (708) 581-3357
And gluten-free and vegetarians
diners are not forgotten, with
options for both highlighted on
the menus.
“You just try to keep it balanced
for people with allergies,”
DeLeon said.
The Barrel Club maintains
membership with the Orland Park
Area Chamber of Commerce, and
Koerber, who previously worked
with several businesses in Orland
Park, said she made the jump for
a new opportunity to work with a
restaurant that does a spirits club.
It also gives her the opportunity
to continue to organize events,
including benefits for local organizations
Barrel Club has done
since its recent opening.
Koerber said she has enjoyed the
new role because Barrel Club tries
to create a “wow factor” for its customers,
whether that’s an elderly
group doing an early lunch, whiskey
fanatics working their way
through the spirits selection or executives
looking to impress clients.
“It’s really personal,” she said.
“And they want that personalized
touch.”
lw art
From Page 17
and I saw the light. I told him to
look this way and I took the picture.”
The result is a beautiful portrait
with shadows and lights
working together to reveal hints
of the subject’s personality.
Crosshatching, acrylic painting
and digital photography were
also popular mediums of this
year’s high school show.
Following the High School
Fine Art Exhibit, the Vogt Visual
Arts Center is getting ready for
the holidays with its highly-anticipated
Model Train exhibit.
“It’s time for our model train
show,” Dekker said. “Our dollhouse
and miniatures show has
morphed into a model train exhibit
and it’s gotten really popular.
This year we’re excited
because we have several new
layouts. We’re changing it all
around. We have new participants
so it’s going to be a little
bit bigger and I’m really excited
about it.”
The High School Fine Art
Exhibit will be on display until
Nov. 27 and the opening reception
for the Trains and Miniatures
Exhibit will be held from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 7 and
from noon until 5 p.m. on Dec.
8 to coincide with Downtown
Tinley Park’s Holiday Market.
The Vogt Visual Arts Center is
located at 17420 67th Court. For
more information, visit tinleyp
arkdistrict.org.