By Rick Karlin

Contributing writer

Pops for Champagne
601 N. State
(312) 266-7677
popsforchampagne.com


One of the lyrics from the musical “Sweet Charity” is, “I don’t pop my cork for every guy I see.” That’s true for me when it comes to champagne. You see, I used to think I didn’t like champagne, then after visiting the original Pops for Champagne on Sheffield in Lakeview, on Sheffield 20-plus years ago, I discovered that I didn’t like cheap champagne.

The original location was a quirky little neighborhood space. The food was nothing special but it was a great space for sipping the bubbly and, at times, great jazz music. In 2006, Pops for Champagne relocated to the historic Tree Studios on the corner of State and Ohio in the River North. The uniquely designed two-level space offers a chic street-level main bar, and a lower-level music club. The new place is beautiful but lacks the warmth and charm of the original location. One can easily picture the women from “Sex and the City” dishing around one of the tall, under-lit crackled glass tables or lounging on one of the low upholstered banquettes. Yes, it’s chic and will certainly thrill a lot of tourists, bit I miss the intimacy and casual charm of the original space.

If you’re going out for champagne, you’d best be prepared to shell out some cash. That’s always been true, but with the American dollar so weak against the euro, now it is even more so. Cocktails at Pops are all $10 or more. Champagnes by the glass are priced even higher. Yes, the prices are high, but not out of line with the market place, especially considering the posh surroundings.

For the best deal, read up on your wines. In general the mark-up on liquor is 300 percent in most restaurants. At Pops, there are many great deals to be had. For example; Gosset Grande Reserve NV (non vintage) Champagne retails for $120 for a 1.5 Litre Magnum, while Pops charges $244 for the same bottle, a significantly lower mark-up. Bollinger Grande Année Champagne (1999) retails for $105 and Pops charges $188. However, Piper-Heidsieck Brut will run you $24 in the store but $76 in the restaurant. As a general rule, you’ll pay a lower mark-up on higher end vintages.

At the old Pops, food was almost an afterthought. The new Pops offers dishes that are noteworthy in their own right. The dishes are of the small plate variety and range in price from $4 to $20, with caviar service starting at $80 for an ounce of Californian osetra to $300 for an ounce of Iranian osetra. The prices can add up. The same goes for another treat often paired with champagne: Oysters are $30 a dozen. This is not someplace you want to go with an appetite, unless you’ve recently won the lottery.

Bar plates are a little more reasonably priced at $4-$6 each for such items as olives marinated in orange, garlic and chiles or frites with garlic aioli. For the more unusual try crispy garbanzo beans with sweetened balsamic salt or asparagus tempura with a sesame puree dipping sauce.

Among the hot appetizers, the middleneck clams with poblano pesto, Niçoise olive tapanade and fresh chervil are delightful, as is the flatbread with red pepper and pecorino. Cold appetizers include plenty of seafood options: Alaskan king crab with snow peas, poached tiger prawns and lobster with rum-soaked pineapple and lemongrass, all delightful with a glass of the bubbly. Pate dishes are hearty and include a rabbit rilette with leek marmalade, country pâté with bacon or the now-legal foie gras, served with brioche.

Desserts for those of you with a sweet tooth include almond shortbread with lime pudding and a chocolate fondue. But, for my money, the cinnamon beignets with orange blossom sorbet is the stand out sweet ending to a meal.

Our server was funny, informative and attentive. There was often a long gap between courses, so don’t expect to be able to grab a quick bite and leave. Pops for Champagne is an experience to be savored.

The Bottom Line: A glass of champagne and a small plate runs about $35-$50 per person, tax and tip included.