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Land some cheap morning cocktails midday at The Kerryman.

Monday Aug 18, 2008.     By Erin Brereton

Lifestyle Feed

When three of my friends began e-mailing about getting together for our movie club—which should probably be renamed because we've never actually made it to a theater—I thought, "What a great chance to check out a Saturday brunch special."

I have thoughts like that a lot. I feel a nice breakfast with an even nicer mimosa is a fine way to start a weekend off right. But I’m also thrifty; and I was determined to find a Saturday morning drink deal. Alas, such things are harder to find than the average weekend warrior might think.

True, Sunday is the more popular brunch day—but what about those of us who spent Friday night watching DVR'd Bravo reality shows and eating cheese? Saturday morning is our first chance to let the weekend show us what it's got.

However, my research didn't turn up many places with good breakfast offerings and Saturday drink deals, so we finally compromised on The Kerryman, an Irish bar in River North. The Kerryman had discounted drinks ($4 mimosas and bloody marys) but alas, breakfast is not what this bar is known for. In fact, it's not actually even really served. The one breakfast dish on the menu is an Irish breakfast, involving Irish bacon, sausages and black and white pudding (which is no simple tapioca, I assure you). I'm Irish, but I like none of those things (which I realize may bar me from ever entering Gaelic Park or the Irish American Heritage Center, but it's true). All I really wanted was a greasy omelet, and, to be honest, more cheese (pretty much an every-meal menu staple for me.) Mayhap a pancake. But I had to settle for a grilled cheese. Which I will say, they were nice enough to make without ham, as it's listed on the menu, and it was good—served on thick, sourdough bread, it wasn't too soggy and came with tasty fries and a pickle—but wasn't an omelet.

The mimosa was OK—unlike some cheap brunch cocktails, it wasn't watered down. You get a decent amount of champagne, and $4 is pretty darn inexpensive. One friend ordered the bloody mary and reported it, too, was a thumbs-up. And the experience was nice: The restaurant wasn't too crowded, and we were easily able to snag a seat outside, in the sun, to people-watch--and watch the waiter dash from outdoor section to outdoor section on the sidewalk (being located on a corner isn't easy on the waitstaff).

But I do think it's odd that the restaurant serves breakfast cocktails and only one breakfast dish. True, the Kerryman doesn't open until 11 a.m., so serving lots of lunch items makes sense. But mimosas and sandwiches just didn't mesh that well.

Which is perhaps why we only ordered one drink each. Two drinks make me fun; four, horizontal. One? Just kinda tired. After our meal ended, I was ready to head home.

So I'm still on a quest for a good Saturday morning brunch-with-drinks deal. If you know of any, please fill me in. And if you enjoy a lunch with liquids, check out The Kerryman's weekend brunch cocktail special. The $4 deal is good on Sundays, too.

Curious about the Kerryman’s cocktails? Stop by Saturday or Sunday; it's at 661 N. Clark St., (312) 335-8121.

Erin Brereton is our resident urban cowgirl on a bi-weekly search for life on the cheap. If you know of the mythic happy hour that she missed, do clue her in.