Author Archives: tradertodd

20

Dec. ’12

Time for a Hot Buttered Rum

The forecasters are all calling for snow here in Chicago.  Some of us are not happy about the news.  I, however, have to admit, that although I’d rather be on the beach any day of the year…I do once in a while like a good snow storm.  It gives me a chance to hunker down and enjoy one of my winter favorites – Hot Buttered Rum!

A lot of folks associate Hot Buttered Rum with the west coast and indeed it is a popular drink out there, especially in the pacific northwest where they can use the warm stuff to knock of a chill almost year round!   But it’s origins date back to colonial times, where the pouring houses of New England mixed locally distilled rums with sugar, spices and hot water or cider for Hot Toddy’s.  Add the butter to the mix and voila – you get a Hot Buttered Rum.

Here’s my recipe for this bone warmer; highly recommended on a day like today. Enjoy!

Skipper’s Hot Buttered Rum

Butter                                             1 tsp

Brown Sugar                                1 Tbsp

Pineapple Juice                          1 oz

Dark Rum                                      1 oz

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum         1 oz

Nutmeg and Cinnamon to taste

Mash a little  nutmeg and cinnamon together with the brown sugar and softened butter (you can prep a batch of this mix ahead of time if you plan to make a bunch) .  Plop a dollop of said butter sugar stuff in the bottom of a large mug or heavy pint glass.  Pour in the two rums, the pineapple juice and a couple of cinnamon sticks.  Top  with hot water, stir.  Serve promptly but don’t burn your tongue!

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25

Sep. ’12

What’s the Scuttlebutt?

Ya’ know, sometimes hanging out at Trader Todd’s is like hanging out around the water cooler at work.   We all like to take time out of our day to refresh, stretch our legs and just shoot the breeze.  And that’s how it is on nights like Monday, when we see so many of our favorite regulars. Why? Maybe half-off everything has something to do with it.  Whatever the reason, it’s great to see so many friends and neighbors stopping in to eat, drink, sing and  catch up on all the buzz.   It’s our version of the water cooler. 

But did you know that hanging around the water cooler at the office was, in a way, first practiced by sea dogs and pirates?

Ok, let me explain.  Back in the day when royal armies, explorers and pirates rode the waves in wooden ships there was, of course, the need to keep  fresh water available for the seamen to quench their thirst.  The water was kept in a scuttlebutt.  Let me break  down the etymology (nice big word for a booze hound, no?): butt, referred to the cask that the water was in; scuttle,  a term  originally used for a hole or hatch in a ship deck, was used in this word for the hole made in the cask to get to the water.    Naturally when sailors had time to refresh at the scuttlebutt they talked, and maritime gossip was born.   After centuries of use, the term scuttlebutt came to mean not only the water cooler but chatter that it inspired.  So when you ask, “What’s the scuttlebutt?”  Now you know.

Oh, and by the way, although a scuttlebutt is usually defined as storing water, on many pirate ships you would find rum as easily as water in the scuttlebutt, which is the way we like ours at Todd’s.   

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19

Sep. ’12

Ahoy, Mateys! A Few Words about Rum

Shiver me timbers it’s National Talk like a Pirate Day!  What’r ye doin’ t’celebrate?

Seriously, this is in fact the tenth anniversary of this outlandish holiday which originated as an inside joke between two buddies, and then ,thanks to the promotion of columnist Dave Barry, became the “tradition” it is today.

At Trader Todd’s we love Talk like a Pirate Day and we’ love to shoot t’breeze wit ye!  But I always find it easiest to do so after swillin’ a wee bit’o rum.  And rum we have!  The latest additions to the back bar include Bacardi’s newest product “Oakheart.”  Oakheart is spiced rum with complex flavors and a smooth finish.  It carries the expected flavors of vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon but also has hints of maple and honey – which give it that smoothness.   I recommend the Oak’n’Coke.

If you’re feeling like a fancy pirate you’ll want to try one of the best rums in the house, the aptly named Pyrat Rum XO Reserve.  Although you’ll drop a few more pieces o’eight  for this rum you’ll savor the quality of the blended Caribbean rums aged in French Limousin and American sweet oak barrels for up to 15 years.  Try it neat or on the rocks with a splash of water.

Once you have your rum in hand, ask about the time Trader Todd and his jolly band of booze hounds buried treasure on a small isle called One Tree Island.  It a great story that involves a Jager bottle, some cash and a bunch of bartenders on vacation!  Maybe I’ll tell ya more next post.  ‘til then,

Cheers,

The skipper

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14

Jun. ’12

Interleague Week – Tigers at Todd’s!

Inter league play is in full swing at Wrigley Field this week.  The Tigers are in town with one game left to play this afternoon.  Then the Cubs will host  the Boston Red Sox for the weekend.  And as usual the out-of-towners are here in big numbers enjoying the north side of Chicago.  Last night we were thrilled to have Jim Leyland, manager of the Detroit Tigers, and some of his coaching staff stop by for a drink.  Turns out Leyland is quite the karaoke aficionado.  Todd was especially happy to meet him, since as some of you already know he is from Detroit and a life long Tigers fan.  Todd gave him one of our fine Trader Todd’s polos and I got a cool picture of him and Scott with Leyland.

Trader Todd’s still has a few of our awesome tickets packages available for the game on Sunday. Packages include two tickets in section 524 (right next to the press box), lunch for two at Todd’s and a free ride to Wrigley in our souped up shuttle bus – the Tiki Transit II.  How do I buy these fabulous ticket packages, you ask?  It’s simple – they are listed on ebay so just follow this link:   Trader Todd’s Ticket Packages .  You can bid or choose the Buy it Now option.

Of course, like any other home stand we’ll be turning on the karaoke machine as soon as the games are over…so come on down and sing your heart out!  Be sure to fill out an email raffle slip while your here for a chance to win Cubs tickets to future games.   Who knows, you might just meet a famous MLB manager while you’re here!

Cheers, the Skipper

scott, todd and jim leyland

You should see the ring!

 

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01

Jun. ’12

What a Weekend!

Whew!  Last weekend was awesome.  I had a ball working hard for ya’ll at the Belmont Sheffield Music Festival.  Hope you had a chance to come down, hear some great bands, eat some good food and hang out with us on the porch.  I gotta give a shout out to the Trader Todd’s staff for workin’ their tails off this year.  This was our tenth year of participating in the festival and one of the hottest festivals yet…and I mean that both literally and figuratively!  Check out the Trader Todd’s facebook page for some cool pictures from the fest: www.facebook.com/tradertodds .

But as they say, there’s no rest for the weary, so we’re gearing up for another crazy weekend as Wrigley Field hosts two awesome concerts on June 8th and 9th.  Roger Waters takes the stage on Friday June 8 at 8:30pm and we’ve got a special deal for you if you’re looking for some preconcert nosh and booze.  Come in before the show and show your tickets to your server and you’ll get 25% off your bill.  Deal is valid from 11 am until show start.  And as always for events at Wrigley we’ll be offering free rides in our shuttle bus – the Tiki Transit II.    Then on Saturday Brad Paisley brings some country to the North side.  To celebrate we’ll making some Paisley Punch, a southern recipe me and my cousin make on special occasions.  It’s tea steeped with orange, cloves, and mint.  After it brews, we sweeten it with cane sugar and cranberry juice then serve it over ice with a healthy dose of bourbon!  Paisley Punch will be on special all day and night Saturday for $7.

Stay in touch. There’s lots more fun on the way but I’ll tell you about that in a few days.   Right now I gotta go press one of my aloha shirts – it’s Friday after all and I got a party to throw.  See ya’ll ‘round the hut!

~Skipper

 

 

 

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23

May. ’12

Hot Weekend with Music Fest, UFC and Half Price Memorial Day Monday!

This weekend’s gonna be HOT!  I don’t just mean the weather forecast!  Once again Trader Todd’s is proud to be part of summer’s start in the city and the beginning of our beloved street festival season at the Belmont Sheffield Music Festival. This is year 28, and if the 27 before it are any indication, this one’s gonna rock.   The festival has a great line up of bands…so check out this year’s line up – I’ll put it at the end of the post.
But first let me tell you about some of the fun we have in store for you at Trader Todd’s this Memorial day Weekend.   As you may already know we have moved the beloved “hut” – that’s what our KJs call our Karaoke stage – to the front of  the main room.  You’ll be able to sing from noon to close Saturday and Sunday this weekend.   So come on down and have your 15 seconds of fame serenading the crowd ~ inside and out!
On Saturday night we’ll be showing the UFC fights in the back room and beer garden.  If you wanna catch the actions (and have a seat) come in early to get a table.   Seating goes fast for the fights and is avaible this weekend first come first serve.  Sorry guys, no reservations during the fest!
Then on Monday for the holiday we will be open at 11am and as always everything will be half -price – all day and all night!  We’ll also be giving away Cubs tickets so if you want to go to Wrigley on us – enter our free raffle for tickets before the game on Monday
So stop by for a cold one this hot weekend and say hey to ole Skipper!
Happy Memorial Day!
Belmont Sheffield Music Festival Schedule
Saturday, May 26

12:30 p.m. 2nd Generation Pilots
2:00 p.m. Our Name Is Jonas
4:00 p.m. Stache
5:30 p.m. Dot Dot Dot
8:00 p.m. Wedding Banned

Sunday, May 27

Noon School of Rock
1:30 p.m. A Thousand Julys
3:30 p.m. Your Villain, My Hero
6:00 p.m. Infinity
8:30 p.m. Trippin’ Billies

The proceeds from the festival benefit the Central Lakeview Merchants Association which provides a variety of services to our neighborhood including street cleaning and beautification.  For more festival information  click here.

 

The summer starts here!

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01

May. ’12

Happenings at Trader Todd’s!

Hey Guys!

It’s been awhile since I’ve written and some new changes are coming your way!

Instead of having to buy Cubs Tickets, Trader Todd’s will be giving them away! That’s right! Trader Todd’s will be giving away a pair of tickets every night at 7:00pm (right before Karaoke) and another pair will be given away on the date of the game, a half hour before the game starts.

Whats the catch you ask? The only catch is that you have to be at Trader Todd’s the night you enter the raffle to see if you won!

This is something we’ll be doing for the next few weeks.

Hope to see you all there and good luck!

 

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04

Apr. ’12

Cubs Home Opening Day Deals @ Trader Todd’s

Whew,  it’s been a flurry of activity around here.  Dusting off the Tiki Transit, fruit steaming the ribs, receiving beer deliveries, and figuring out which lucky hat to wear on Opening day are just a few of the things on our checklist.  The palms trees we brought back from Florida this winter (that have been hiding in the office to keep from freezing) are outside now.   We’ve got some great new team members for the summer season and of course all your old friends like Sandy, Scott, Cliff, Brent, and Clark all at your service.  CAN YOU TELL WE’RE EXCITED?

But I’m guessing you wanna know what we have going on for opening day.  Well, to start we’ve got some great specials.  $5 Pineapple Margaritas are on special all day.  That’s a pint of pine-apply goodness with three shots of booze which normally sells for $9!   Before the game you can get a deluxe hot dog basket with two Chicago style dogs and a heap of our delicious fresh cut fries for just $5.  And because our resident vegan Virginia said so, we even have so Tofu Dogs if you are so inclined.   And back by popular demand, a special that’s been around as long as we have ~ free wings after the game with your ticket stub.   We’ll even let you have a small order of fries instead if you’d prefer.   The Tiki Transit, Todd’s preferred method of Transportation, running on biodiesel this year, will be back in action.   A few things are different, we’ll be starting karaoke even earlier this year so if you really want to sing before the game, we’ll have the microphone on for you.  Karaoke will be running from 10 am until game time and then immediately following the game.

You know we want the cubs to win, but we want you to win too!  We’ll be giving away lots of  stuff that day, bar swag,  parties and A PAIR of OPENING DAY tickets!  That’s right, an half hour before the game one lucky patron will win a pair of tickets to the game.  All you have to do to win is be here and join our email list; it’s just that easy.

For our die-hard Cubs fans, if you’re interested in some of the best ticket prices in Wrigley you’ll definitely want to check us out on opening day for our RIDICULOUSLY CHEAP Todd’s Cubs Packages!!! Available to our customers only on Opening Day. Must purchase in person, first come, first serve, select games only while supplies last!   Once again, Trader Todd’s has a special offer for customers on opening day for our fantastic Cubs Packages which include lunch for two before the game (any choice sandwich off our menu and a side of fries), a ROCKIN’ ride to and from the game in the Tiki Transit, two tickets to the game, and a free basket of hot wings or fries after the game when you show your stub.

You can buy the Cubs Packages listed here for the RIDICULOUSLY low price of $10:

4/9 – Cubs v. Brewers    4/10 – Cubs v. Brewers     4/11 – Cubs v. Brewers     4/12 – Cubs v. Brewers      8/15 – Cubs v. Astros

You can buy the Cubs Packages listed here for the RIDICULOUSLY low price of $20:

4/20 – Cubs v. Reds    4/22 – Cubs v. Reds    5/29 – Cubs v. Padres       5/30 – Cubs v. Padres

You can buy the Cubs Packages listed here for the RIDICULOUSLY low price of $50:

4/8 – Cubs v. Nationals    4/21 – Cubs v. Reds    4/23 – Cubs v. Cardinals    4/24 – Cubs v. Cardinals     4/25 – Cubs v. Cardinals     5/4 – Cubs v. Dodgers    5/6 – Cubs v. Dodgers      5/7 – Cubs v. Braves

You can buy the Cubs Packages listed here for the RIDICULOUSLY low price of $75:

4/7 – Cubs v. Nationals     5/5 – Cubs v. Dodgers     5/18 – Cubs v. White Sox    6/25 – Cubs v. Mets    6/26 – Cubs v Mets

I feel like I’m forgetting something???  Oh well, you’ll just have to come on down to party with Skipper to find out what I missed.  Happy Opening!  Go Cubs!

~ the Skipper

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01

Feb. ’12

Kick Off February Right!

We’ve got a bunch of fun lined up for the first weekend in February.  In addition to our nightly karaoke, we’ve got some great sporting events to watch too!  Everyone knows that Sunday, February 5th is Super Bowl Sunday and we’re totally stoked for the action.  Because it was so much fun last year, we’re gonna give away another 50” HDTV this year during half time.  All you have to do is be a registered email subscriber with us. It’s easy, just fill out a slip with your server or bartender…oh yeah, and you gotta be here to win!  Enjoy the game with our great specials, $3 Bud Light drafts, $5 bottomless basket of wings or $5 bottomless basket of chicken tenders.  And if Madonna parachutes on to the field at half time, I’m buying a round of shots!

On Saturday we’ll be showing the UFC fights in the backroom.  The lineup looks awesome. The fight card includes Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce and Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum.  Of course I can’t wait for the main event as Nick Diaz battles Carlos Condit for the Interim Welter Weight title and the opportunity to fight George St. Pierre.

It just so happens, that our GM, and UFC fan, Cliff Hagerman will be celebrating his birthday the night of the fights too. As many of our regulars know Cliff isn’t just an MMA fan, he’s been in a cage once or twice himself.  Nowadays, when he’s not on the floor at Trader Todd’s you can catch up with him at Fonseca Martial Arts where he teaches Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  Foncesca martial Arts, owned by John Foncesca, offers courses in many different martial arts, but among the most popular forms at the school is Gracie Barra Jui Jitsu brought to Foncesca by Adam and Eddie Redzovic.  Eddie was one of the first Gracie Barra representatives in the United States.  And as you can see in the UFC battles, Brazilian Jui Jitsu is one of, if not the most, effective martial arts.  Check them out at www.JuiJitsuforlife.com .

So come on in and watch the UFC with Cliff Saturday, or walk home with a plasma HDTV on Sunday.  Any way you slice it, the first weekend in February gonna be great!

Cheers,

The Skipper

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11

Jan. ’12

Tats and Rum

Ahoy there!  Skipper here from the wheel house here at Trader Todd’s.  I’ve got some fun stuff to tell you about that’s coming up this weekend.  It involves my all -time favorite spirit ~ Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum ~ so you know it’s gonna be fun!

Our friends at Sailor Jerry are celebrating the 101st birthday of their inspiration and namesake Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins.  Collins is revered as the father of American tattooing.   The quintessential old salt and former navy man opened a tattoo parlor in the 1930s in Honolulu.   Over the years he developed his own style, merging Asian colors and aesthetics with bold lines and American iconography.  His designs were wildly popular with sailors in the Pacific and many a WWII veteran sported a “Sailor Jerry” design after a rum soaked furlough in Honolulu.

Now you too can join the legions of fans inked with one of Collins’ designs.  Here’s the score according to the Sailor Jerry folks:

From 12pm to 12am on January 14th, at The Chicago Tattooing Company at 1017 W. Belmont in Chicago, Sailor Jerry is offering 101 complimentary tattoos of one of several original designs to the public.  Afterward, patrons are invited to join in on a nearby celebration at Trader Todd’s (3216 N. Sheffield Ave) where they can raise a glass to Norman Collins and sip on a Black Pearl or other signature Sailor Jerry cocktails.

How cool is that?!   Chicago Tattooing Company has been around since 1973.  Many of our customers as well as our own GM, Cliff ,  have gotten tattoos at their state of the art studio.

So if you’re in to tats and rum, this Saturday is for you.   Oh yeah, and we’ll also have plenty of Sailor Jerry swag to go with your new tattoo.

Cheers!

The Skipper

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