louisdog wrote:I have a quick question that I can't find the answer to in this thread. I know that Kuma's is essentially a neighborhood bar that serves delicious food, but if you go early (let's say 5pm) is it appropriate to for young children? Or are kids strictly a no-no?

We had a baby with us when eating our late lunch there 2 Fridays ago. They even had a high-chair available.

Atmosphere-wise though, it does lean more toward the bar-with-food rather than the restaurant-with-bar end of the spectrum. And since I've only been that one time, I can't say what it would be like in the evening, even early on. But the fact that they had a high-chair does tell me that they're prepared for people with children, anyway.

I have brought my 3 yo on a Saturday afternoon with no issue. I don't think they have high chairs.

louisdog wrote:I have a quick question that I can't find the answer to in this thread. I know that Kuma's is essentially a neighborhood bar that serves delicious food, but if you go early (let's say 5pm) is it appropriate to for young children? Or are kids strictly a no-no?

Thanks

We've brought our now nine-month-old daughter to Kuma's for lunch when she was 3 months, 5 months, 6 months, and 8 months old. That being said, most of the time we sat outside in the patio where it is pretty quiet. I think they have two high chairs.

I've only ever taken my kids when the garden was open; go early enough and we've usually had it to ourselves or close enough, and the kids have enjoyed it fine. I wouldn't really think of the inside as a kid-suitable environment at any time, but others might think it was fine before 7 or so.

My kids think the bathrooms are too scary to go in.

Thanks for all the replies...I think we might make a go of it.

I will let everyone knows how it turns out!

Keep the kids eyes from roving above about 4 feet up the wall - there's some sexy-type ink & pen pieces of leather-clad women, some in various states of undress. Or hey, use it as an opportunity to have "the talk."

"Daddy, why is that woman wearing nothing but electrical tape on her--"

"Heyyyyyyy, what would you like in your mac n' cheese today!..."

Went there Sat. afternoon for lunch. There was a tot in a high chair eating fries at another table.

louisdog wrote:I have a quick question that I can't find the answer to in this thread. I know that Kuma's is essentially a neighborhood bar that serves delicious food, but if you go early (let's say 5pm) is it appropriate to for young children? Or are kids strictly a no-no?

Thanks

Not sure about that exact hour but I had lunch there on a Saturday at about 1:30 and I was sorry my son wasn't with me. He would have enjoyed it and having him there at that hour wouldn't have been a problem at all. Plus, he loves metal!

=R=

Well, we went last night nice and early, we arrived at 5:15. It was my wife, myself, a 2 year old and an 8 week old and we had a great time. My son loved the mac and cheese as did my wife and I had a perfectly cooked Led Zepplin. The only disappointment was they were out of Darkness, but not a huge surprise seeing it is brand new to the market and it is in hot demand. I guess I will just have to go again So thanks to all for letting me know that kids were okay there, it worked out great and I got to eat where I wanted to on my birthday.

Bonus to the whole night was I found out my son loves heavy metal, he couldn't stop dancing in his chair!

louisdog wrote:Bonus to the whole night was I found out my son loves heavy metal, he couldn't stop dancing in his chair!

Isn't that a great parenting moment? I'll never forget that one, myself - my son was also two.

We've had the mussels, and I found them very very tasty. Make sure to ask for more bread, the broth is well worth sopping up.

Made my first trip to Kuma's on Sunday prior to the Bears game. It lived up to all the hype.
Had a Minsk, and was especially impressed by the quality of the beef and the bun. The pastrami, sauerkraut, and mustard were solid as well. Ate every bite and needed it, as the weather at the game was worse than expected.
Jessica behind the bar gave some spot-on beer recommendations and kept up a steady stream of witty comments for the clientele. I will return sooner rather than later.
A Kuma's burger followed by Devin Hester pyrotechnics -- that was livin' large on a Sunday.

Word on the street (OK, my wife told me) is there's a new burger special - the Fu Manchu.
A full report will be forthcoming.

johnny wrote:Word on the street (OK, my wife told me) is there's a new burger special - the Fu Manchu.
A full report will be forthcoming.

I was at Kuma's last night and was offered this special -- it involved Japanese eggplant and a couple of other things that, with all due respect, didn't sound too appealing. Maybe it's because there was no secondary meat (ie. bacon, pulled pork, beef chili, etc). Also, and I forget if this was mentioned already, but the Goblin Cock and Minsk are now listed on the menu, rather than just being chalkboard specials.

And as an FYI, if anyone goes in the near future and they still have Lagunitas' Brown Sugga on tap, I suggest trying it. It's good stuff if you want something different from Two Bros. Cain & Ebel.

danimalarkey wrote:
And as an FYI, if anyone goes in the near future and they still have Lagunitas' Brown Sugga on tap, I suggest trying it.

They also currently have the latest Frank Zappa-themed offering from Laguanitas - Kill Ugly Radio!

LTH,

The last Friday of the month Kuma's night bartenders generously give their salary and tips to a worthwhile cause, this Friday (11.30.07) is to benefit Windy City Roller's Tequila Mockingbird, who was seriously injured in a match.



There have been a few LTHForum Windy City Roller outings, which have always proven to be quite memorable.



Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:

Wow, a first season Congress Theater pic! We just finished up our third season which has been at Cicero Stadium for the past two years. Perhaps an outing to Cicero for a Windy City Roller bout is in order for next season (which starts in January.)

If you can't make it to Kuma's tomorrow, please check out www.helptequila.com for information on how to make a donation to her fund.

Thanks,
Fujisan aka Wes Sabi of the Windy City Rollers.

Any reports on what wait times currently are like on week nights?

leek wrote:Any reports on what wait times currently are like on week nights?

Wait time Wednesday (11.28.07) at midnight, zero.

leek wrote:Any reports on what wait times currently are like on week nights?

Wednesday two weeks ago was a 20 minute wait for a table of four at 7:00 PM.


Well worth if, of course.

G Wiv wrote:Wait time Wednesday (11.28.07) at midnight, zero.

If you were there then, I just missed you.

We were there last night about 5:45. Bar was full and one table occupied. Left at 7:15 and the bar and all tables were full. No wait at that point but the kitchen was sure hopping. Fun to sit at the end of the bar and watch them in action!

Took the advice and had a couple of Brown Suggas. Tasty.

They had a soup special. Creamy corn chowder. I would definitely recommend if available!

OK - as promised, here is my report on the current burger special - the Fu Manchu! (Again, in the interest of full disclosure, my lovely wife is a cook at Kuma's)
The Fu Manchu is a 1/2 pound burger with wasabi mayo, Chef Matt's family-recipe teriyaki sauce, grilled Japanese eggplant and frizzled daikon.
On paper, the concept left me a bit apprehensive. However, my wife insisted I try it - claiming it was her current favorite menu item.
Oh man - this thing packs alot of flavor! The wasabi adds just the right amount of heat. The frizzled daikon is a nice touch of texture - similar to the frizzled onions featured on the Kaijo and Mastadon burgers.
I know this burger is a bit of a departure - since it doesn't feature illegal amounts of meat and/or cheese but it's definitely worth trying. Think of it as the Steve Buscemi of burgers - kind of quirky, not much to look at, but surprisingly amazing.
I only wish I had my camera handy so I could have included a nice photo. I'll try to include one upon a future visit.

johnny wrote:If you were there then, I just missed you.

I was there then, and you just missed me.

We ventured out to Kuma's Saturday around 11:45 (am). By 12 all the tables were full.

We brought one baby, he was smiled at by the waitress.

Burgers: Still excellent. I have the Yob. Rare. Really Rare. Husband had the Mayhem. Also rare. And spicy.

Bloody Mary: Spicy as requested with a nice fresh horseradish bite and plenty of, but not too much, vodka.

I don't remember their fries being good, but they were. Fresh cut - we saw the potatoes being delivered. All 200 lbs of them.

We were also served Co-Op Hot Sauce, which according to the bottle is grown and made in Humboldt Park. I recommend asking for it next time you are there, instead of their standard Chohula. It has a touch of lime and chocolate mole, making it an addictive dipping sauce for the fries.

(Yes, I ate all that and then went for Cookies. Saturday was a good day.

My significant other and I had lunch at Kuma's today - she had the Nirvana and I had the Nirvana and I had the burger with pancetta, pepper jack cheese and jalapenos. Both were superb, as was the beer selection (I had the Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout and she had the Victory Prima Pils, both very tasty).

kafein wrote:(Yes, I ate all that and then went for Cookies. Saturday was a good day.

You go, girl!

Had dinner at Kuma's last night. Got there around 7pm and had to wait at the bar for a 4 top for a few minutes. Seemed all the tables were full most the night but there were some empty bar stools.

I went with the Slayer, and damn was it good! Was actually quite proud that I finished it. Only complaint is that there were some cold spots in it. Well, not cold, but not very hot. Imagine it must be tough to put a platter like that all together and keep everything scorching hot. One benefit of this negative was that my burger stayed a perfect rare while eating it. When I ordered I was afraid that the heat of the pile of food and a trip in the salamander would render it well done. Enjoyed a few Lagunitas Brown Shuggas and a Two Bros Rye. This was a perfect match for the Slayer, as is a nap...

One of the friends I was with got the Goblin Cock. He said it was excellent, though was upset that it did not have a poppy seed bun. Guess Kuma's is cutting corners...

Jamie

Jamieson22 wrote:One of the friends I was with got the Goblin Cock. He said it was excellent, though was upset that it did not have a poppy seed bun. Guess Kuma's is cutting corners...

If it had, it would have been a poppycock!

LTHForum,

After working the phones at WTTW Josephine and I, Steve Z had an early morning, went to Kuma's for burgers and beer. Goblin Cock and Lagunitas Brown Shugga for me, Mastodon and Great Lakes Eliot Ness for Josephine.

My burger was perfect and, as noted upthread, Kuma's uses a quality natural casing 1/4-lb hot dog on the GC. Best yet Victoria, one of Kuma's chefs, introduced us to Frizzled Daikon radish, which I absolutely loved. The bartenderess said it was the brainchild of Executive Chef Matt Erpenbach, who by the way has a current Q & A interview with Karl Klockars aka WhiskeyBent, in the Sun Times.

Victoria w/Frizzled Daikon Radish and Goblin Cock


Enjoy,
Gary