The Violet Hour is a place I have heard a lot about, and I was very excited to try. I love Wicker Park, and I was excited to venture out to a new place in the neighborhood that I hadn't been to yet. The Violet Hour focuses on "pre-prohibition" style cocktails and nails the speakeasy vibe. According to our waiter, "pre-prohibition" translates to drinks at The Violet Hour are about 1.5 times stronger than your average pour. The headache I woke up with the next morning didn't disagree. From the street, I would not have thought we were standing in front of it. Without our maps pulled up, we probably would have walked right past it. Inside, it's dimly lit place with a great ambiance. Overall, I loved it! Here is everything we ordered:
Cocktails: The Landlord Special & Melon Caller - both of these cocktails were refreshing, fruity and floral. They were definitely strong, but really good.
Food: Onion Dip, Whipped Ricotta, and Cheese Plate: The Onion Dip and Whipped Ricotta were great. The focaccia bread that came with the Whipped Ricotta was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I would order both the Onion Dip and the Whipped Ricotta again, both $8 for a good portion size. The tiny Cheese Plate in the upper right hand corner was a bit comical. Usually when you see "Cheese Plate" on a menu, you expect a small selection of cheeses, maybe three or four to sample. Instead, what arrived at our table was a single slice of brie cheese, barely enough for one person. And to top it off, it cost $16. The worst part is that it was $16. Safe to say, I definitely won't be ordering that again! At least we got a good laugh out of it.
