NORTH CENTER — Steaks might be the star attraction at the newly opened Knife, but the restaurant's cocktail menu is poised to steal the show.
Anthony Munger, who prefers the title "spirits guy" to "mixologist," has crafted an inventive list that encourages patrons to literally drink their feelings.
Each of the 10 cocktails on the menu takes its name from "The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows," a blog that creates words for emotions that defy definition.
Take the "Vermodalen."
The "word" refers to the frustration of photographing something that's already been photographed thousands of times.
Munger used it to name his riff on the classic Clover Club cocktail, a drink that thousands of other bartenders have attempted to put their own stamp on.
Then there's Munger's mix of amontillado sherry, blueberry-shiitake cordial, egg white and lime.
His apprehension about the in-your-face nature of a mushroom cordial is encapsulated in the name, "Opia" — defined as the invasiveness and vulnerability that accompany looking someone in the eye.
The Opia includes a blueberry-shiitake cordial. [DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]
Munger turned to "Obscure Sorrows" for inspiration after experiencing a far more common emotion — desperation.
"I suck at naming drinks," said Munger. "My parents joke that my kids will be 'Kid One' and 'Kid Two.'"
If Knife's cocktails wear their hearts on their sleeves, the restaurant's wines are uncharacteristically bottled up.
Owner David Byers invested in the Coravin system, a tool that allows a server to pour a glass of wine without removing the bottle's cork.
What's the point?
The moment a bottle's opened, oxygen sets to work degrading the wine.
"If we pull the cork on a bottle of wine, we need to finish that bottle," Byers said.
When it comes to popular and/or inexpensive pours, draining an entire bottle over the course of an evening isn't a concern.
But for pricier vintages in the $20 per glass range, which a lone customer might order every few months, Byers expects to use the Coravin to preserve the wine's freshness.
Only a handful of restaurants in the Chicago area use the Coravin, which works by inserting a hollow needle into the cork (natural only) and injecting argon gas into the bottle to push out wine through the needle.
When the needle is withdrawn, the cork "heals" itself and the argon prevents oxidation.
"Toward the end of the evening, we'll use it on everything," Byers said.
Knife is now open at 4343 N. Lincoln Ave.
Knife Cocktail Menu by DNAinfo Chicago on Scribd
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