The Good Taste of a Chicago Corner Bar
Archie’s, March 9, 2014–Photo by Nick Kam
The corner bar is the center of any urban neighborhood.
You hear small talk, big talk and jive talk. You know you’re walking into a good corner bar when everyone sitting along the bar turns around to see who is coming through the door. There is no place like their place.
Unfortunately in Chicago the corner bar has gone the way of corner news stands, Cubs victories and vinyl jukeboxes. There are more good corner bars in Milwaukee.
But Archie’s Iowa Rockwell Tavern persists.
The bar celebrates its cornerness to such a degree that it names itself after its Humboldt Park corner.
Archie’s, 2600 W. Iowa (at Rockwell) has Chicago liquor license No. 177. It is named in honor of founder Archie Boroca, who died in November. Archie’s has been serving good times since 1943.
In early March we had a signing for The Supper Club Book at Archie’s because of its North Woods ambiance. (Thanks to legendary Chicago DJ Joe Bryl for manning the turntables with sweet soul music.)
I also live a block away so it was convenient for me.
I started going to Archie’s about 12 years ago when it was an old man bar–as you will hear in this fine video produced by Nick Kam.
Back then retired railroad workers and manufacturers were at the bar, which shut down around 7 p.m. Now, I am the old man. I don’t hang around long on any given Saturday night although I do love the bottled Big Wave Hawaiian beer from the Kona Brewery.
In recent years I’ve grown to appreciate the classic neighborhood vibe of Archie’s. It goes beyond the hipster Hamm’s $2 beer in a can. According to the tavern’s distributor, Archie’s sold 50,088 cans of Hamm’s in 2013. The metal drawer on a 1922 button cash register says, “Thanks a Lot! Enjoy Drewry’s beer.” Archie was an honorary Meisterbrau brewmaster.
All this was before the craft beer movement.
Archie’s portrait by Nick Kam
Over the weekend Archie’s hosted a neighborhood clean up. The staff takes good care of “Elvis,” the tavern’s mute handyman who is a huge Blackhawks fan. Bar manager Katrina Arthur is the daughter of owner Deborah Pup. Katrina is married to Jon Arthur, a fireman in the Northwest suburbs. They love supper clubs as much as I love Archie’s.
Deborah Pup hit a home run at our event by serving her Kanapki open faced Polish sandwiches.
Everyone loved them. She was willing to share the recipe with us.
She pointed out she did not invent the sandwich, but they are a traditional favorite in Polish and slavic communities.
“As a child it was a way for my mom Elsie to get some food in me, because I was always way to busy to think of eating,” Pup said in an e-mail. “The recipe can change based on what ingredients you have at home and your ethnic background. I ate these in my childhood for breakfast as well as my dad Archie. These are a budget friendly alternative to appetizers at parties and are so tasty it makes people smile and say this sandwich is good. Plus they are great with a ice cold beer.”
Here you go:
Rye bread slices (seed or seedless)
Maslo (Polish mayo) and horseradish cream sauce
Polish ham, krakowska, swiss cheese
Sliced tomato ,sliced garlic /tart pickles, sliced onion,
hard boiled egg slices
parsley, chives or dill (dill is my fave)
Assemble the sandwich as written one ingredient on top of another.
Crush the dill before adding it to the sandwich so you can smell its essence.
Smacznego (enjoy).
You got that right!
Hey Dave, On Milwaukee’s south side, which still has some classic Polish corner bars, the famous open-based sandwich is raw ground beef spread on rye bread with a slice of raw onion on top. They are often referred to as “cannibal sandwiches.”
Hey Tom,
Good call, will check this out next trip North. Any specific suggestions?
Thanks
dam inn wheeling il.
party favors & octogenarians
Dave,
Try Frank’s Power Plant Bay View neighborhood of Milwaukee. Great Schlitz sign out front.