Recently, Revolution Brewing Company in Logan Square was named Chicago’s top microbrewery. Although I believe that is a subject to debate, I do believe Revolution is pretty high up there in Chicago’s craft brew scene. The brewpub is insane.. no simpler way to put it. If you think you can just walk in and grab a table, think again. There is usually a 2 hour wait for a table. But that’s not such bad thing if you are a good barstool vulture. If you haven’t tried Revolution’s beers before, definitely start off with a set of flights to sample their beer selection of nearly 20 craft brews. My personal favorite is the Double Fist – a double india pale ale.
Not only do they have great beer, but also amazing food. I would highly recommend getting the wild boar meatballs as an appetizer. The meatballs are small and rather bland, but I believe the chef wanted to bring out the rich and robust flavor of the boar rather than water it down with onion and spices. Wild boar is a very clean-tasting form of pork, and I believe the chef had the right idea emphasizing the meat itself. The meatballs also come with crispy polenta triangles, which had the consistancy of a fried potato and the flavor of fried yucca. I’ve never had polenta quite like that before, nor have I ever had any that good. A cilantro sauce is drizzled over the entire dish to add a little flare to the dish without overpowering it or becoming the focal point. A great combination in my opinion.
The burgers at Revolution are also well-worth trying. Everything served at Revolution is completely homemade and locally sourced, so everything will be of the highest quality. The burgers come on an almost pretzel-like bun, and the paddy itself is massive. It had to be about 3/4lb. I tried the farm burger, which has roasted beets, fried egg, arugula, carmelized onion, and a horseradish sauce. A rather unusual combination for a burger, but a great blend of homely flavors. The garlic cream cheese smashed potatoes also make a great side dish to accompany the burger.
Some brewpubs have great beer and crappy food, some have crappy beer and great food. Revolution Brewing Company is one of the few I have found that has both great food and great beer.