Cultivate by Forbidden Root

Just down the street and across the tracks from Is/Was lies another Forbidden Root location, this time a more upscale-feeling entry in Ravenswood. Being the absolute dork that I am, I couldn't figure out where the door was, so I happened upon the entrance to the event space in back. Luckily, a helpful 'tender pointed me in the right direction, around the corner and into, get this, the front door. Go figure. Anyway, inside it feels like a local prairie-state historical society building went off and threw a large bar area in its own midst. The tap list included a few IPAs, some lagers, some wheats, and a couple guest taps with the same. The beers are the usual Forbidden Root fare, which I have found to be perfectly adequate over the years. The bartender in this proper bar area was also rather friendly and helpful, and I kinda feel bad that I had to leave so quickly on him. With such a short visit (sure, that's the reason), I didn't have time for any food, so no comment there. Overall, it's a nice place for some FR brews, and its location right across from the Ravenswood Metra station is very much a plus for the sake of convenience.

 

The latest addition to “Malt Row”, a dubious real-estate term defining the Ravenswood corridor area that's home to several breweries and a distillery. Formerly Band of Bohemia, they kept the layout and some decor, as well as the 10bbl brewing system. The vibe is sort of funky and eclectic, custom metal chandeliers made out of rusty metal baskets, as well as several sharp rusty rotary hoe wheels mounted to the wall. Farm implements and lava lamps, that’s a look I guess.

It got pretty busy and crowded at the dinner hour. Service was excellent, speedy, friendly and knowledgeable. A manager came by to chat when we asked about some of the cocktail ingredients. They were really helpful and genuine.

Beer selection is pretty wide, considering there’s a separate taproom bar with 16 more taps plus the 16 in the brewpub. 32 drafts plus a dozen cans. House beers were hit or miss, the highlight was Double Radio Swan for me. Two other kettle-soured beers tasted exactly the same, like raspberry jello. The house foeder-aged table bier was pretty bland and underdeveloped, hopefully it will improve with time. Cocktails and guest drafts are a good plan B, there’s a lot to choose from. Hoping that the foeder program just needs a little more time to really shine.

The food was the star of the show, every dish was excellent. Lamb cassoulet was very hearty and savory, the perfect cold weather dish. Solid Indian-inspired vegetarian options, and a well made porchetta French dip also. Will be back to try more of the menu. The chef came from Longman & Eagle, which is a high pedigree.

Note that the Taproom bar is off the parking lot, up some stairs. Look for the barrel sign. They had some Weldwerks and eclectic import drafts worth a look. Limited barhours, only Friday & Saturday currently.