Grease is the word

Satisfy your late-night cravings with these sinful snacks

By Ellen Fox

2/18/03

A few beers works wonders on foods that -- like some people --- you would normally avoid while sober. Here's where to find the sloppy, salty and satisfying snacks your soused body's begging for.

The Silver Palm. Derail your date with a kiss-killing snack in this converted train car. The giant onion rings are coated with panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and served with roasted garlic aioli ($4). Next stop: Listerine. Served until 1 a.m.

Greektown Gyros and Ambrosia Sports Bar. What's Greek and spins on a pole? Hint: It's not Nia Vardalos at a bachelor party. This dive bar closes at 4 a.m., but its adjacent restaurant stays open 24 hours, serving up gyros sandwiches ($3.25) all night long.

Resi's Bierstube. Soak up that bellyful of pilsner with a trio of soft, crispy German potato pancakes ($7.95). They come with applesauce, sour cream, rye bread and butter. The kitchen's open 5-10 p.m. weeknights; 5-11 p.m. weekends.

The Grafton. The Irish like to say the reason English food sucks is because the country never had a famine. But if there's one thing the former colony can thank English imperialism for, it's this Indian-inflected, late-night snack: Curry fries ($3.95) cut that Guinness after-taste with a sweet, messy, crispy kick. The kitchen is open until 10:30 p.m. weeknights, later on weekends.

Prodigal Son Bar & Grill. Is there a defibrillator in the house? This Lincoln Park bar and rock club fries up to 50 pounds of free bacon every Wednesday. In fact, Bacon Wednesday is one night that never fails to draw a crowd -- like fat clots to an artery.

McCormick & Schmick's. This gleaming seafood restaurant always packs 'em in with its $1.95 bar menu, which includes cheeseburgers and fries, salmon cakes, steamed Golden Neck clams and beef fajitas with saffron rice. 10 p.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday; 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday (also available 3:30-6 p.m. Monday-Friday).

Ellen Fox is a Chicago freelance writer.

Originally published Feb. 18, 2003.