Bar food made delicious at Spectrum
Kate Lee and Katrina Fajardo
Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: Frontline
I believe many of us are approaching the UIC Food Wall. Essentially, it is our uncanny ability to be utterly bored of all the food located on campus in an instant. Don't get us wrong, many places carry a delicious variety of food and it is highly convenient. But, for any normal human being, change is good and often coveted. Luckily, change (in the form of food and drinks) is just down the street from school.
Almost unseen from all the busy places along Halsted in Greektown, Spectrum is lively even in a dead hour of 4pm. There might not have been a bunch of rowdy college kids drinking pitchers of Miller Lite that day, but there was entertainment enough for a group of friends. It all started with an order of Saganaki. Flaming Saganaki. The talented server managed to light up the sizzling plate without setting her hair on fire. Mind you, she held a plate in one hand, lit it with the other, then raised it and said "Opa!" and managed to leave our table unscathed.
When we realized we hadn't had enough fire for that afternoon, we all decided to order a round of flaming lemon drop shots. Sweet, sour, smooth. The drink selection wasn't bad. Although I'm not a big fan of martinis, I pretty much gulped down my chocolate martini and pomegranate martini. The best part of it all? I got to finish what was left in the shaker (bonus points). Foodwise, the souvlaki special ($1.50 each, limit 3) was an extra perk. For those unfamiliar with such cuisine, it is delicious meat (chicken or lamb) on a stick served with pita bread and vegetables. The meal was nowhere near the commonplace food from average bars. The wings were one the best features of the afternoon. We were all pretty impressed that the wings were fried and the buffalo sauce was on the side so that it would be up to us to "buffalo up" our wings to our own tastes (hey, it's our life, let us buffalo the wings how we like). Even the grilled cheese was impressive. Reasonably priced under $5, your choice of American or mozzarella cheese is grilled between white bread and served with a heaping pile of lightly seasoned fries. Spectrum has daily specials, ranging from $2 MGD or Miller Lites, $10 pitchers, $1 tacos on Mondays, and even 15-cent wings. Yes, 15-cent wings. And these are no small sized wings. We took a couple of friends of ours to Spectrum after their show to enjoy some of these penny-pinching wings, and they enjoyed the food fanfare to the fullest. I would recommend getting all three available sauces (ranch, hot, and buffalo), mixing them together, and let the great taste set in.
This is a great place to wind down after a hard exam, post-concert, or even when you feel the need to listen to both BBmak and The Doors in one sitting (the music can alter severely, but it fits just right). So the next time you and your friends are craving something off the beaten path of the Inner Circle, venture over to Spectrum. Your taste
Almost unseen from all the busy places along Halsted in Greektown, Spectrum is lively even in a dead hour of 4pm. There might not have been a bunch of rowdy college kids drinking pitchers of Miller Lite that day, but there was entertainment enough for a group of friends. It all started with an order of Saganaki. Flaming Saganaki. The talented server managed to light up the sizzling plate without setting her hair on fire. Mind you, she held a plate in one hand, lit it with the other, then raised it and said "Opa!" and managed to leave our table unscathed.
When we realized we hadn't had enough fire for that afternoon, we all decided to order a round of flaming lemon drop shots. Sweet, sour, smooth. The drink selection wasn't bad. Although I'm not a big fan of martinis, I pretty much gulped down my chocolate martini and pomegranate martini. The best part of it all? I got to finish what was left in the shaker (bonus points). Foodwise, the souvlaki special ($1.50 each, limit 3) was an extra perk. For those unfamiliar with such cuisine, it is delicious meat (chicken or lamb) on a stick served with pita bread and vegetables. The meal was nowhere near the commonplace food from average bars. The wings were one the best features of the afternoon. We were all pretty impressed that the wings were fried and the buffalo sauce was on the side so that it would be up to us to "buffalo up" our wings to our own tastes (hey, it's our life, let us buffalo the wings how we like). Even the grilled cheese was impressive. Reasonably priced under $5, your choice of American or mozzarella cheese is grilled between white bread and served with a heaping pile of lightly seasoned fries. Spectrum has daily specials, ranging from $2 MGD or Miller Lites, $10 pitchers, $1 tacos on Mondays, and even 15-cent wings. Yes, 15-cent wings. And these are no small sized wings. We took a couple of friends of ours to Spectrum after their show to enjoy some of these penny-pinching wings, and they enjoyed the food fanfare to the fullest. I would recommend getting all three available sauces (ranch, hot, and buffalo), mixing them together, and let the great taste set in.
This is a great place to wind down after a hard exam, post-concert, or even when you feel the need to listen to both BBmak and The Doors in one sitting (the music can alter severely, but it fits just right). So the next time you and your friends are craving something off the beaten path of the Inner Circle, venture over to Spectrum. Your taste
Be the first to comment on this story