ALBANY PARK — We've heard of neighbors borrowing a cup of sugar, but an entire menu?
That's the arrangement between Templestowe Pub and Angelo's Wine Bar.
"It was quite frequent for someone to call up the bar and ask first and foremost, do we serve food? The answer was 'no,' " said John Sheahan, co-owner of Templestowe with wife Jen and brother-in-law Terry Hanson.
Templestowe, 3135 W. Montrose Ave., doesn't have a kitchen, but Angelo's, just a couple blocks east, most certainly does, and runs a sizable takeout operation to boot.
Sheahan approached Angelo's owner Ramez Fakhoury about partnering, and the two created a customized version of Angelo's to-go menu — which differs widely from the wine bar's dine-in offerings — for Templestowe.
Patrons place their order at the bar, which installed a point-of-sale system to communicate with Angelo's, and the food arrives eight to 10 minutes later, "like at a normal kitchen," Sheahan said.
"The benefit is, we're keeping people in the neighborhood," he said, adding that between Templestowe, Angelo's and Breakroom Brewery, "customers are using this stretch of Montrose as a night out."
While similar to Angelo's takeout offerings, the Templestowe menu makes a few nods to Sheahan's Australian roots, including vegemite in the mushroom pie and a "chook" wrap, which is Aussie slang for chicken.
"We're having a bit of fun with it," Sheahan said.
After testing out the menu with the bar's Belly loyalty users, Sheahan said he's already "getting a clear picture of what people want to eat" — fried pizza dough nuggets have been a big hit — and is working out kinks in the ordering process.
Customers are still welcome to bring their own food or order from elsewhere, but having consistent food options has made for a "comfy, cozier environment," Sheahan said.
"If people stay in the bar longer, we would would prefer that they eat and remain more responsible," he said.
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