A Fan Fiction Follow Up

Thanks to everyone who came out for last Monday's Fan Fiction: Danny's Birthday installment! You made Danny work extra hard on his birthday -which was our goal for the evening.

For those that missed this awesome event, we've posted the menu below, along with some recipe credits as a bonus feature.

Two Crows from Tacos - Robby Haynes; Pinche Buena - Karin Stanley; Rum Dock - Paul McGee

Stay tuned for more info on our next Fan Fiction cocktail event!

Danny's Birthday Menu: Rum Dock

Rum Dock - El Dorado 5 Year, Smith & Cross, Allspice Dram, Orange Bitters, Angostura Bitters

Before he spent a lot of time behind The Whistler's bar, Danny spent a lot of time in front of it. So much so that when he was finished drinking through their current menu, he began requesting selections from the archives. The Rum Dock was served to Danny with some context: This cocktail was wildly unpopular with Whistler patrons, but beloved by staff. 

Danny loved this drink—and what do you know, he ended up on staff soon thereafter. Is liking the Rum Dock a secret barometer to cull future Whistler employees? Perhaps, but we may never know.* 

*It absolutely is not.


Please join us on Monday, June 25th, from 5pm-2am, as Danny mixes up his favorite cocktails in honor of his own birthday. Chef Mickey will also have secrets in store!

Danny's Birthday Menu: The Stinger

The Stinger - Cognac, crème de menthe

The Stinger is the first cocktail that Danny and his dad ever drank together. It was Danny's first time trying Cognac and crème de menthe, though his dad had lots of experience with the drink having worked at Morton's during the 1970s, where The Stinger was one of their signature cocktails. 


Please join us on Monday, June 25th, from 5pm-2am, as Danny mixes up his favorite cocktails in honor of his own birthday. Chef Mickey will also have secrets in store!

Danny's Birthday Menu: The Aviation

Over the next few days, we’ll be offering sneak peeks of Danny’s birthday menu. For our first preview, we get back to basics with the Aviation: 

The Aviation is a well-loved classic, though the history of its recipe seems to be a little up in the air. These days, if you order an Aviation at a cocktail bar, you’ll almost certainly be served a coupe containing London dry gin, lemon, maraschino liqueur, and Crème de Violette. 

Aviation - Broker’s Gin, Lemon, Luxardo Maraschino, Creme de Violette

This particular cocktail holds a special place in Danny’s heart as it was the first drink that garnered him return customers, back when he was bartending at Perennial. When Danny went to work under Paul McGee at The Whistler, he discovered their recipes for the classic shared the same proportions. It was with that sort of validation from his mentor that Danny began to trust his instincts and his cocktail career took flight. (Ba dum bum!)

Please join us on Monday, June 25th, from 5pm-2am, as Danny mixes up his favorite cocktails in honor of his own birthday. Chef Mickey will also have secrets in store. 

Happy Birthday, Danny; Where's my drink?

We're doing it. We're making our head bartender, Danny Shapiro, work on his birthday. A schedule is a schedule and just because Danny happens to be turning 26 on a day he's scheduled to work doesn't mean he gets the night off. But, as it turns out, we do have a heart--and that's why we're turning the evening's menu over to the birthday boy's whims and fancies.

So do please join us for a night of Danny’s favorite drinks on Monday, June 25, 2012 as we cut loose and say ‘happy birthday’ and he promises to turn the tables and gift YOU, lucky drinker, with his favorite boozey delicacies. 

But that’s not all! Because it wouldn’t be a birthday at Scofflaw without some mystery menu items. Chef Mickey has recreated two of Danny's favorite dishes: a Cobb Salad (Danny's favorite version of the salad from Toast in Los Angeles) and the Paseo Sammy (Danny's favorite sandwich from Paseo in Seattle). They'll both be available for $10 and $8, respectively.

And the real kicker: complimentary mint-chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches at midnight!

Whoa, we're sold! But you might not be, and even though that's kinda weird, it's okay. Just promise to stay tuned to our Facebook, Twitter and blog for up-to-date news on this very special occasion. Because, thankfully, you’re only 26 once.

Chef Mickey's Farmers Market Quickfire: A Photo Diary

 Stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter on Sunday mornings for details on that evening's Farmers' Market Quickfire special!

The Guapichosa

Sometimes life imitates art and then life gets even better. That’s what happened the evening Mickey Neely joined the Scofflaw team as Executive Chef. Head bartender Danny Shapiro, along with fellow food enthusiasts Rob Lopata and Peter Engler, took Mickey on a celebratory tour de sandwich of the Southside. (In fact, you may remember Peter as the southern-neighborhood ‘fixer’ from the Chicago episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations.) 

They devoured a veritable who’s-who list of Chicago sammies, including an Italian Beef from Al’s Beef, The Mother-in-Law from Fat Johnnie’s, and the Big Baby at Nickie’s. Appetites dwindling and the finish line in sight, the group closed the night at Dona Torta Chilanga, a tortilleria featuring a menu of 40-50 tortas, each named for a soccer team or Mexican band. In the spirit of ‘go big or go home’ (or maybe ‘go big THEN go home and slip into a food coma'), they ordered ‘La Guapachosa,’ the biggest sandwich on the menu packed with every meat in the house—plus guacamole, beans, and pineapple. 

The result of this culinary pilgrimage? A little indigestion and a lot of inspiration. A few days later, Mickey reached into his meat-clouded memory and came back with The Guapichosa, his tribute to Dona Torta Chilanga’s La Guapachosa. A secret, off-the-menu item that will leave you feeling like you just made a tour de sandwich of your own, Mickey prepares just five servings of The Guapichosa each evening. Check out all nine layers and grab a seat at Scofflaw early enough to enjoy your own Guapachosa (and for only $12!)