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Best Alcohol-Free Selections At A Bar
Applebee's Neighborhood Bar & Grill
READERS' PICK: Many of us who enjoy liquid intoxication look on the prospect of "non-alcoholic" selections in pretty much the same way meat-eaters regard vegetarian dishes. Namely: Where's the rest? Because a good number of alcoholic beverages are redeemed solely by their alcohol content (try a virgin martini, if you don't believe me), it is incumbent upon the designers of non-alcoholic drinks to come up with a substitute bang for your buck. At Applebee's, sugar happens. Why choke down some oily glass of cheap tequila when you could be licking a Cookie Shake from your lips (vanilla ice cream blended with Oreo cookies and whipped cream)? Why stare into the depths of a lukewarm mug of beer, when you could be going Arctic with a Bananaberry Freeze (strawberries, bananas, and coconut whipped into cold fusion)? For the less adventuresome among us, Applebee's does serve a trio of pretty intense lemonades (raspberry, kiwi, and "regular"), all available frozen or on the rocks, with enough icy, sweet-n-sour tangyness to jump-start a Jeep. READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: T.G.I. Friday's, 4901 E. Broadway
A REAL SCREAM: Café Magritte, 254 E. Congress St.,
is well-known for its hip, urbane Bowler Room. But here, even
non-drinkers can enjoy the bar culture with exotic coffee and
tea creations such as the First Kiss (espresso, chocolate milk
and raspberry syrup) and Orange Cooler (orange juice and iced
tea). Fancy Italian cream sodas, an herbal iced-tea laced with
raspberry syrup and cream, and the fabulous Mocha Cola (a mix
of espresso, chocolate-cola and whipped cream) make happy hour
here a thing of beauty. Stay sober in style as you contemplate
transcendence and risk, evoked by those little water-filled baggies
hanging in the window.
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