THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Sable's website trumpets the restaurant's attention to cocktails—and it showed at a recent media event I attended. The drinks started with a refreshing prosecco cocktails that accompanied oysters from both coasts—and involved an adventure that featured some rather intriguing libations.

A lot of the cocktails are grouped in categories called the Metropolitan, Brew, Local and Greater American lines. One that is likely to pique your attention is the Playa Azul, a hue-changing concoction that contains Cana brava rum, coconut, lime, pineapple, tiki bitters, b'lure. However, several of my colleagues recently gravitated toward the Sun Blind Terrace, a Greater American drink that has Kappa Chilean pisco, lustau east India sherry, smoked pineapple, lemon and cherry bark vanilla bitters. If your idea of an exotic drink is having two limes with your Corona instead of your usual one, these cocktails will take a leap of faith—but they're definitely worth it.

I found myself also liking the Radler Square, which has Aviation gin, grapefruit, tarragon syrup, absinthe and Beck's. However, there are also several others that I'd like to try when I return, such as the E.W. Park and Field, an olio of Evan Williams, fig shrub, strawberry, cinnamon, lemon penrose raspberry dubbel and chocolate bitters. ( There are also extensive lists of wines and beers. )

However, please don't think that Sable has skimped on the eats. In a lot of cases, they are just as interesting as the cocktails—and the Sizzling Sisig ( with soy-infused blackstrap rum glaze ) is just one example. Consisting of grilled pork cheek, Napa cabbage and duck egg, it sizzles thanks to the server lighting the dish with a flame right at the table.

Some of the other dishes we tried included duck-confit tacos ( superb ), spring rolls ( solid ) and the enticing churros ( with a miso-caramel sauce ) that were paired with mini-rumchata milkshakes.

So I would highly recommend that you give Sable a whirl—you'll leave more adventurous ( and satisfied ) than you were before entering the place.