Red Bull for Breakfast ?!!!!

As luck would have it, I currently live within walking distance of two notable North Shore establishments, the Little Island, and Sarkis. Since I have recently arranged to move house to an even more favored chow locale within city limits, I have been hit with a wave of remorse for my spotty patronage of these two old standbys. So, when an urgent auto repair matter left me within steps of Sarkis last week, I succumbed to the lure of the greasy breakfast. The guy next to me at the counter was ordering a Diet Coke with his omelette. I confess that I inwardly clucked my disapproval, while sucking down a mug of standard-issue coffee. But then I saw it. On the breakfast menu, Red Bull was on the short list of beverage choices. Wow.

So, I appeal to hipper members of the forum to clue me in. Is this the abomination I believe it to be, or am I hopelessly behind the times? I REALLY WANT TO KNOW.

Red Bull is good for a hangover.
Add a greasy breakfast & it's almost a perfect match!

viaChgo wrote:Red Bull is good for a hangover. Add a greasy breakfast & it's almost a perfect match!

Yeah, Sarkis' has always been big with the collegiate hangover crowd. Me, I'm a coffee drinker, but sometimes when my stomach can't handle it (usually due to some form of overindulgence the previous evening), I have been known to have a Diet Coke or better yet, a diet Dr. Pepper with breakfast. I have known people from Texas who pour a bag of salted peanuts into a bottle of Dr. Pepper and call that breakfast.

I have friends in the music biz that consume massive quantities of Red Bull as a wake-me-up when they are on tour (it's more convenient than making coffeee on a bus). In fact, it seems every dressing room is stocked with the stuff. Very often, there are even little Red Bull fridges. I think Red Bull pays clubs to stock the stuff backstage in the hope that the band will walk on stage carrying their product. Very clever marketing.

Josephine- Living in that area, do you ever go to the U-Baa/Old Crawford?

I have friends in the music biz that consume massive quantities of Red Bull as a wake-me-up when they are on tour (it's more convenient than making coffeee on a bus). In fact, it seems every dressing room is stocked with the stuff. Very often, there are even little Red Bull fridges. I think Red Bull pays clubs to stock the stuff backstage in the hope that the band will walk on stage carrying their product. Very clever marketing.

Not really apropos of the original post, but since we're off on tangents here, Red Bull is also very popular in Major League Baseball clubhouses. I recall sitting in the outfield bleachers behind the home bullpen at Fenway a few years back and seeing Derek Lowe drink a few cans after warming up before the game and then taking a number of cans with him from the bullpen to the dugout when he went out to start the game. I'm guessing that with the testing for amphetamines this year, it is likely that Red Bull consumption in MLB has increased.

d4v3 wrote:Josephine- Living in that area, do you ever go to the U-Baa/Old Crawford?

Never been to the U-Baa, but I might check it out if you think the regulars are not too scary. Do they serve food, too?

Was talking to my Coke rep and she said that most kids today forgo coffee in favor of an energy drink in the morn. Then she tried to push the new coffe flavored coke that they now have. I passed.

WARNING - The following is totally OT...

Josephine wrote:Never been to the U-Baa, but I might check it out if you think the regulars are not too scary. Do they serve food, too?

I haven't been there for a couple of years, but no, the place isn't scary at all. It is actually divided into two sides, the UBAA side (I mistakenly hyphenated the name in my previous post) and the Old Crawford Inn side. The UBAA is basically a neighborhood bar with a pretty good beer selection. It is dominated by a huge U shaped bar. It can get pretty crowded and smokey. The Crawford Inn side is a (smoke-free) family friendly old style roadhouse type restaurant like you see all over Wisconsin with booths and tables with checkered table cloths. They have a very basic menu of burgers and sandwiches with daily specials like ribs, chicken and meat loaf. The burgers are very good. However, the main attraction of the Old Crawford Inn is not really the food, but the authentic family-tavern atmosphere which has probably changed little since the place opened in 1939 (except for the big screen TV in the bar area).

The story of UBAA, as I remember it, is as follows (I may have some of the details confused). At the end of prohibition, Evanston, being the birthplace of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, remained dry. To satisfy their thirst, Evanstonians and Northwestern University students had to sneak across Crawford Avenue into what was a no man's land between Niles Center (which became Skokie in 1940), Evanston and Wilmette, where Crawford takes a jog to the east (or west depending on what direction you're headed). The Old Crawford Inn was one of the establishments that catered to Evanston's backsliders. The bar room there had a big U-shaped bar, so the place got dubbed "The U Bar". I believe, at one point, the city of Evanston tried to annex that area, which would have forced the evil dens of iniquity along that border to close. Instead, the area became part of Skokie. Skokie however, in deference to its teetotaling neighbors, passed a law that forbade any establishment to have the word "bar" in its name, so the owners simply changed the R to an A, and UBAA was born.

Again, sorry for drifting so far of topic and rambling on, but I drank too many Diet Cokes and Red Bulls for breakfast today. Seriously, a friend who is a caterer got stuck with a couple of cases and unloaded some on me. I've been twitching like a bedbug all day.

Hi,

UBAA - this is situated at the T-intersection of Crawford and Old Orchard Roads, right? I have to admit almost lunching there a few weeks ago and felt somewhat intimidated.

Now that we have the history, how is the food?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:UBAA - this is situated at the T-intersection of Crawford and Old Orchard Roads, right?

That's the place. I know it looks uninviting from the outside, and the bar can get pretty raucous, but the dining area is relaxed and comfortable, especially at lunchtime.

Cathy2 wrote:Now that we have the history, how is the food?

Like I said, it has been a while since I have eaten there, but I don't imagine it has changed much. I have almost always had burgers there, which were very good. Charbroiled burgers are a house specailty,and they are made with quality fresh meat and a choice of toppings. Once I had ribs, which was a Saturday special. The price was so good, I couldn't pass them up. I didn't expect much, but I recall they were surprisingly tasty. I have a friend that used to really like the meatloaf, but I am not sure I trust his palate.
Here is a link to a bad scan of their menu. http://ylunch.com/ylunchschevasko/ubaatap/ubaatap.html

To tell you the truth, I hadn't really thought about the place lately until Josephine brought up that area. I think I might go there soon. I'll be sure to take notes (and maybe pictures).

UBAA and Old Crawford Inn
9956 Crawford Ave.
(Crawford and Old Orchard)
Skokie, IL 60076-1108
(847) 673-3080

Thanks d4v3, I had no idea of the history of the place, which makes it a must-see for me prior to my departure to a spicier locale. The menu has quite a nice selection of burger toppings. One of my favorite variants of the classic 30's burger (as defined here by MikeG) is a burger on dark rye with raw onions (but I can't remember what it's called). I can't recall ever seeing sauerkraut offered as a burger topping, though. A rare burger on dark rye with sauerkraut and onions, grilled and raw, with pickles on the side--sounds like a plan!

Josephine wrote:One of my favorite variants of the classic 30's burger (as defined here by MikeG) is a burger on dark rye with raw onions (but I can't remember what it's called). I can't recall ever seeing sauerkraut offered as a burger topping, though. A rare burger on dark rye with sauerkraut and onions, grilled and raw, with pickles on the side--sounds like a plan!

At first I read that as you wanted your burger "grilled and raw" rather than the onions. I thought, "yeah that's exactly how I like my burgers, grilled on the outside and raw on the inside". My favorite burger variation at UBAA was rare on rye with raw and blue cheese. Man, now I am making myself hungry. I wonder why I haven't been there lately? The chili is another house specialty, but I can't remember if it is any good. It must not have made an impression.

Mr. J's on State street used to offer a burger with sauerkraut and hot peppers. I think they called it a Dagwood. I don't know if they still have it.

d4v3 wrote:Mr. J's on State street used to offer a burger with sauerkraut and hot peppers. I think they called it a Dagwood. I don't know if they still have it.

Interesting. I ate at Mr. J's a few times during the eons of grad school, but I probably never had a burger there. I'm not getting the hot peppers & sauerkraut combo, though. "Dagwood" dates the dish, though. About time for a remake of that old flick, don't you think? Sorry, I guess that's an invitation to veer way off-topic.

I drank a 4 pack of the new Tab energy drink this morning (small cans,tastes like- cherry?).Usually i do the big can of Arizona R/X low carb before work.Pretty much drink Fresca black cherry and Minute Maid lite Cherry Limeade for the rest of the day.

grant wrote:I drank a 4 pack of the new Tab energy drink this morning (small cans,tastes like- cherry?).Usually i do the big can of Arizona R/X low carb before work.Pretty much drink Fresca black cherry and Minute Maid lite Cherry Limeade for the rest of the day.

um...urf

grant wrote:I drank a 4 pack of the new Tab energy drink this morning (small cans,tastes like- cherry?).Usually i do the big can of Arizona R/X low carb before work.Pretty much drink Fresca black cherry and Minute Maid lite Cherry Limeade for the rest of the day.

grant--good call to go with the diet version, from a dental perspective, that is. I know a guy who used to down a bunch of Mountain Dew's every day and he ended up with over 30 new cavities at one check-up. ':shock:'

I've lost 10 lbs in the last month or so drinking this stuff and drinking NO BEER.I'm at 158 now and will be back to 145 by June.I still eat whatever i want.