Food find: Mickey Finn's

When I'm feeling homesick, food is always a comfort that brings familiar places into focus. Tonight I was thinking about Mickey Finn's, a Libertyville eatery and microbrewery that's been around longer than my family has lived in the North suburb.

It was only recently that I was able to drink the brews there, but I've been enjoying their eats for quite a bit longer. Recently, my mom and I had a quick bite there -- we got an appetizer of chips and salsa and split a cheeseburger. The chips were a bit hard and the salsa was mild for our taste, but it still tasted OK and we ate quite a bit of it. The burger was delicious -- it was still juicy when cooked medium-well and the toppings were all fresh and crunchy. The fries served with the burger were delicious; blistery on the outside from frying and hot and cooked on the inside with a pleasantly hot taste from the seasonings.

But on this particular visit, I came for the beer. I had the 847, which is the North suburban area code, and I found it to be satisfying but not filling. It's an American-style wheat that balances hops and malts. I also had the pale ale as well, which was slightly citrus-y and hoppy. I didn't really like the hoppy quality, but I'd have either of these beers again.

Mickey Finn's is just a hometown tradition that should be savored by Libertyville residents. It's a local eatery that we should support because of their tradition with the town, tasty bites and savory brews. I miss home tonight.