Boka . . . The Bar at

I'll admit that with all the personnel changes the Boka's bar had undergone in the last few years, I'd kind of written it off. When Ben Schiller was running it, it was great. Even after he left, it remained in good hands for quite some time. But time marched on and more changes happened. I lost track of who was running the bar there. Combine that with the fact that I'm rarely in the area and it was an easy place to avoid. But a friend of mine, who spends a lot more time around there than I do, assured me that the bar at Boka, now run by Tomasz (who spent around 4 months working under Ben Schiller), was definitely worth checking out. And he was so very right about that. I was recently in the neighborhood and stopped by for some cocktails, which were superb.

There's a compact menu of 7 original creations ($12 each) that stands out as one of the more delicious and interesting ones in town right now. Across the board, cocktails are balanced, distinctive and tasty. Most of the drinks on the menu contain thoughtfully conceived house-made ingredients, including The Northwoods which employs charred-walnut-infused Old Forester bourbon and the rum-based Counterpunch, which makes use of a delicious orange oleo saccharum that Tomasz crafts himself. It was clear in chatting with him about his process that he is intensely passionate and all-in when it comes to creating ingredients and libations. That was made even more clear when he came up with a delicious and complex bourbon-based Dealer's Choice cocktail that was boozy, dynamic and beautifully restrained in its sweetness. He has a notable fluency in spirits.

Needless to say, service remains excellent, as does the overall selection of spirits. As you might expect, beer and wine lists are top-notch, too. So, even if you're not in the area, I think the bar at Boka is a worthy destination. And if he isn't already (I don't necessarily follow these things), I think Tomasz is going to be a star.

=R=

Boka
1729 N Halsted
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 337-6070

Glad to see Tomasz receive well deserved accolades - he is not yet well known but IMHO already one of the best bartenders in the city, both with regards to the quality of his cocktails and his warm personality. I too frequently hung out at. Boka's bar during Ben Schiller's days and still enjoyed it when Tomasz and Savannah (know at Sepia) filled in, but was not as fond of Tim (the bartender that was eventually named to replace Ben). Now that Tim has moved on to The Betty and Tomasz is running the show at Boka I once again am making frequent trips there for my cocktail fix.

My two favorite Tomasz cocktails are currently "off menu" - but am hoping he puts them on soon so more can enjoy as they are phenomenal. The first is what I call the Tomcat which is a Mezcal based play on a Manhattan. The second is pronounced The Noy and is mainly different Amaros (amari). He recently taught his number two (Gil) the recipes so I am able to enjoy them even if he is off. Boka is once again among the best venues in Chicago for craft cocktails between the beautiful & comfortable bar area, extremely friendly team, an excellent array of spirits and Tomasz' incredible talent.