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How About a Bloody, Buddy?

With enough decisions to make in life, why make 10 about a Bloody Mary?

Monday Nov 06, 2006.     By Dana Kavan

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Drink of the week: A bloody mary at The Local Option, 1102 W. Webster Ave., on a Sunday morning...into early afternoon.

The damage: $4.50 for a bloody mary with well vodka.

Thousands of bars in Chicago, why this one? Forget bloody mary bars; when I'm hung over, I try to keep my decision-making to a minimum. After a night of binge drinking, I can't decide whether I want a slice of salami or pepperoni, a pickle spear or jalapeno, and blue cheese or pimiento-stuffed olives. Instead, I pop French fries like Ibuprofen and want a bloody mary mixed by a bartender and delivered to my table. Beyond the bloodies and beer-battered fries, The Local Option's chill vibe, low lighting and Creole cooking create a hangover haven.

How it went down: Nutritionists say tomato juice repairs cell damage. Maybe that's why a bloody mary tastes so good the morning after a kegger? I always thought it was the vodka—the whole "a hair of the dog" theory. Regardless of which part cures my pain, I recommend The Local Option's back-to-the-basics version.

The bartender starts with Tabasco bloody mary mix, vodka, a dash of pepper and an ingredient that sets it apart from the rest: horseradish, which adds a bite, but not such an intense one that you'll clear your sinuses. He pours the mix into a pint glass stuffed with ice, but not before he dips the dampened rim into a coffee filter filled with celery salt. No-frills but functional garnishes of lemon and lime wedges rest on the edge. The concoction taste peppery and punchy, but not too spicy or tangy.

Would I want to become a regular? The bar beckons locals with a green Rolling Rock-inspired sign outside the first floor of the three-flat the bar occupies. The sign, complete with the defining horse head, only hints at the degree of Rolling Rock paraphernalia inside. A Rolling Rock mural covers the entire back wall of the narrow front bar lined with tall tables. On tap, The Local Option offers, not surprisingly, Rolling Rock, but also impressive standouts such as Hoegaarden and Chambly. Bottled Belgian ales and microbrews line the top of a bar lit up in neon green lights.

My head spun as I toured the food menu. It wasn't because of my hangover but the extensive selection of seafood entrees, including po' boys, tacos, salads and sandwiches. The bloody mary's spice complemented the lightly fried, plump sea scallops I devoured on a crunchy baguette. Okay, so with the food at fault, a trip to The Local Option won't be decision-free. But one decision has to be less labor-intensive than 10. Spicy tomato mix or mild? One celery stick or two? The only choice I can make: to order a second bloody.

Dana Kavan scours the city for drink deals so good you'll offer to buy a round and creative libations that outshine your average on-the-rocks concoctions. Want to give Dana tips on where to rack up a bar tab? Share your finds before her next night out.