I have a summer crush and I am finally making my move.
For months now I’ve passed my crush during weekly grocery shopping trips, but it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I was aware it was even there. Maybe it was the hint of summer love that made me fall, but I’m taking a chance and it’s time to pay my first visit to the Waterhouse Tavern and Grill and hope that it’s crushing on me as much as I am on it.
My summer crush is bold and doesn’t care who it bothers. I first noticed the Waterhouse when they began putting up the patio on the spacious—by city standards—sidewalk. But my crush doesn’t care how spacious it is because it likes to take up every last inch. Too bad for pedestrians. At least my crush takes care of me and knows I’ll be too drunk to be sitting on top of some other drunk on a sweaty summer day.
My summer crush and I have the same hobby. Besides an outdoor patio, my crush also takes advantage of people-watching. The Waterhouse is conveniently located right by the Brown Line Paulina stop and while you can get in some good people-watching just about anywhere, there is something special about going there around the time when people are getting off work and watching them watch you not in a suit, without a briefcase and on your third round. And with my crush there is always a third round.
My summer crush knows just what I like. It serves four different flavors of mojitos. Please take a moment to digest this. While most bars have trouble making just the standard mojito, my crush pushes the limits on my favorite summer drink. The flavors consist of regular, watermelon, raspberry and orange. How did my crush know my weakness? I have always had a thing for anything orange. I know you’re maybe thinking that it’ll just taste like orange soda, which I believe is the nectar of the gods, but other people without refined palates aren’t crazy about. But this drink is lighter and not so sugary. It’s hard to tell what they did, but I write it off as the pure magic of alcohol and orange combined. The other flavors are just as unexpectedly good. And by the way, my crush likes people to drink as much as possible so it’s likely that if you stay long enough you’ll get extra-special deals.
My summer crush also knows what I don’t like. Outdoor patios in the summer open the door to babies or, worse yet, children who whine and take over all the dartboards. I have yet to see either hanging out at my crush. There must be some unspoken rule about no one shorter than four feet being allowed there.
While my summer crush seems just about perfect, I’m aware summer is almost over and with that comes the beginning of football and eventually basketball season. My crush supports the Wisconsin Badgers, yet I went to school in Iowa and am by default a Hawkeye girl. This difference is just something my crush and I cannot overcome, no matter how many orange mojitos I’m handed. We’ll always have the summer, though. (Molly Sullivan)
Waterhouse Tavern and Grill, 3407 North Paulina, (773)871-1200
