Even the drinks get beads at Blue Bayou

Want more from Behind the Bar? Follow Bianca James on Twitter!

You gotta hand it to Blue Bayou—if they can pack the house when it’s zero degrees outside in the middle of a recession, they must be doing something right. Maybe it’s the drinks—New Orleans-style hurricanes served in a pint glass with a Bacardi 151 float (I get tipsy just thinking about it), $8 absinthe cocktails on Thursdays, a full line of Abita beers out of Louisiana, and “deli-style” Bloody Marys, garnished with salami and cheese. It could be the Mardi Gras vibe that permeates the place—giant carnival masks, beads dripping from every available surface, original artwork and light fixtures from New Orleans, black and white photos of jazz musicians, mobs of drunk, happy people. And then there’s the entertainment—scantily clad burlesque dancers on a bar top stage on Thursday nights, and live jazz, blues, and reggae on weekends. (The night I visited, pixie-esque blues diva Amy Kelly shook her way through a packed house while belting an Aretha Franklin number). Of course, if you’re looking for a mellower evening, you can head upstairs to the Ya Ya Lounge, which doubles as a private party room. The Ya Ya is constructed from reclaimed wood from a Civil War era barn, giving it a cozy, rustic feel that’s topped off by a blazing fireplace on cold winter nights.

My favorite part of Blue Bayou is the authentic New Orleans food. (The menu offers American standards as well, but why order a burger when you can have crawfish etoufee?) It’s been over a year since my last trip to NOLA, and my tastebuds have been yearning for some good Creole cooking ever since. Executive Chef Andy Zaitkus blew my palate away with his crab cakes, savory gumbo, collard greens and jambalaya. I left with a happy stomach, devoured my leftovers for breakfast the next morning, and will be fantasizing about the meal until I can go back and have another. Order the French Quarter Combo Platter with the hoppy Abita Jackamo (the bar manager was kind enough to include food/beer pairings on the menu). Your stomach will thank me later, especially if you have one of those super-strong hurricanes for dessert!

If you can’t wait for dinner, Blue Bayou rolls out Café Du Monde-style beignets and chicory coffee for a Sunday Jazz Brunch starting February 8. Knowing I can finally get my fix of Big Easy eats in Chicago means I might be able to put off my next trip to New Orleans…for another year or three!

Blue Bayou, 3734 N. Southport Ave., 773-871-3300, Mon.–Thurs. 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri., Sun. 9 a.m.–2 a.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–3 a.m. bluebayou.com