The Violet Hour- 1520 N Damen Ave- Bucktown

They’re something so ethereal and timeless about the Violet Hour. The same allure that brings people to Al Capone’s old hang out, The Green Mill, will continually fill the Alice in Wonderland like “thrones” of this establishment. While the Green Mill is a representation of the past, an age of prohibition long since passed, the Violet Hour represents an escape from the present. It represents an escape to those motifs that make the Prohibition Era of the twenties and thirties so fresh, so omnipresent, so trendy no matter what age you are in. Like jumping into the backdoor establishments of Bob The Gambler or any one of Jean Pierre Melville’s films, The Violet Hour inspires a sense of refined twilight , a sense of “hush and wonder,” that no establishment can really surpass; or hope to.

A joint effort between Terry Alexander (Del Toro), Donnie Madia (Blackbird), and Jason Clark and Toby Malone (of New York’s Milk and Honey fame), this special place uses a modernized version of 19^th century French and English design to create intimate small space that harks back to a very Victorian sensibility. The façade has no sign, only a yellow light, and a well-dressed Lichtenstein-like male figure. Entering the place feels somehow wrong, you cannot see inside, there are no windows, and you have to get through two heavy full length curtains to enter. However, once inside this dark intimate space, you realize that this is one of the best bars you’ve ever been in, and that’s before a drink has been poured.

The cocktail is king here, and you will be hard pressed not to be enamored of the creative and arcane nature of these drinks. Many of these drinks are inspired by out of print cocktail manuals of eras gone by, some might have been popular when your grandparents were drinking illegally in some basement somewhere and some are much older. Divided by type of alcohol, the cocktail menu seems to focus on your darker spirits, such as whiskey and rum, but includes gin, vodka, and almost any other type of libation imaginable. The menu has seasonal elements, and changes regularly, but my favorites are the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Eyes Wide, and the Juliet and Romeo. All ingredients are made fresh and on premise, including all the bitters, syrups and other artisan knickknacks that make these drinks special. The bartenders are truly skilled professionals, and while your drink may take 10 minutes to pour, all good things come to those who wait. The most economically stimulating drinks are the punches, the Parsippany Punch especially- served in a large bowl on a block of ice and with more alcohol than you can possibly imagine (though you wouldn’t know it by the taste). Each cocktail will set you back 12 bucks, while the punches are 30, but serve four people. The liquor selection, especially the rums and scotches, is expansive, and the beer selection isn’t something to balk at. However, like I said, the cocktail is king, and court is in session.

Food, while an afterthought for most patrons, maintains the refined nature of the restaurant. I had the coconut shrimp, the tempura battered green beans , the hummus, and the devilled eggs. While being well executed, the cuisine suffers from a lack of emphasis. Let’s put it this way, it’s on the last page of the novel-like menu. It’s focuses a little more on noshing than eating, and that’s the way it should be. This spot is a pre or post dinner spot, and not a place where the cuisine is the focus.

The service while necessarily slow, is excellent. Bartenders and co. are focused on delivering a consistently perfect product, not a fast one. Drinks for a table of four may take up to 20 minutes, but that is a sacrifice that is worth making.

While you may have trouble finding the Violet Hour, once you do, it will be an experience that remains imprinted on your mind. This might not be the case, though, if you have more than two of these monster cocktails.