Wrigley Mansion Club: Happy Hour Report Card

By Nikki Buchanan Tue., Jan. 29 2013 at 1:00 PM

Categories: Buchanan, Happy Hour Deals

Continued from page 1

Buchanan

Cheese board

Everybody and his mother offers a charcuterie plate or cheese board these days, so the competition out there is stiff, and frankly, the WMC is not in the running for either. Silky prosciutto, fatty salami, toasted baguette and cornichons offer a good start, but a little knob of nondescript pâté, crummy black olives and limp, thick water crackers (like powder in the mouth) hardly make the heart beat faster. Considering the five buck price, I guess it's decent, but I'd rather pay more to eat better.

The cheese board, which comes in various sizes and price ranges (at happy hour, $5 for three cheeses, $7.50 for four, $10 for five), features the same dreadful crackers and two of the worst cheeses in recent memory, one granular and studded with blueberries, the other a forgettable lump of something-or-other containing mango. Seriously? This is such an easy one to get right. There are lots and lots (and lots) of good cheeses out there. No need to torture people in this fashion.

Buchanan

Sweet and spicy chicken wings

Our server -- who must be told to bring water, asked to replenish it and reminded we need a knife to cut the burger -- swears the chicken wings are wonderful, telling us the kitchen brines them to make them extra-moist. What I like about them is the sweet-spicy, vaguely Asian sauce (sticky with honey), that coats them. They're crispy on the outside but not quite as juicy inside as brining would suggest. Still, they're among the best of the happy hour offerings, despite a stack of water-logged and completely tasteless celery and carrot sticks ($5 at happy hour).