By: Shannon McMannis

Posted: 10/22/07

give you a few more minutes,” Lucas, a waiter at SubZero Vodka Bar, said, then walked promptly away.

That is the reaction patrons get when they call their waiter useless. I found out the hard way while at SubZero located in the Central West End. Then, Lucas flat out refused to bring me water. Literally, I said, “Can I get a water?” And his response was, “No.”

I realized a few minutes later he was just being facetious, when he bought my entire table a round of infused vodka shots and toasted us from the bar.

Just to clarify, he was far from useless. He was just allergic to shellfish and could, therefore, not make an inclusive recommendation from the menu.

This sassy waiter named Lucas also happens to be a proud proprietor of the bar, and proud he should be. SubZero serves fresh sushi until midnight every day of the week and offers over 200 different kinds of vodka.

Let us begin with the sushi. Too many people say they do not like sushi. If you have had good sushi and still feel this way, so be it.

If you have only had the stuff at the supermarket, then you really must try SubZero’s fresh hand-rolled sushi before you pass judgment on this particular genre of food again. With 29 different Makimono rolls and 11 Nigiri pieces, almost anyone can find something on this menu.

The Spider Roll is an artistic concoction featuring soft shell crab. This is something that makes a lot of people uneasy, but soft shell crab has just that, a soft shell. The Spider Roll is just as pleasing on your palate as it is to your eye. The crispy crab is surrounded by Japanese mayonnaise and roe rolled up in a classic rice and seaweed.

The Crazy Roll is anything but crazy. This roll features three different kinds of sushi: salmon, tuna and shrimp. If you want something light, this roll is extremely fresh tasting.


If it is comfort food you need, do not worry, because SubZero has you covered there, too.

The Tempura Philly Roll is a salmon and cream cheese roll that has been dipped in tempura batter and fried up crispy. The salmon comes out cooked and is definitely the comfort food of sushi.

If you do not like fish, a vegetable roll is available, as well as chicken fried rice, which is to die for, not to mention soup, edamame, white rice and a few salads.

The 200 different vodkas manifest themselves in a wide variety of cocktails. The Original Grape Lemonade tastes true to its name. Comprised of Three Olives Grape Vodka, lemonade and freshly squeezed lemon juice with a sugar rim, it takes you back to the days of drinking lemonade or grape Kool-Aid (you will not be able to decide which) on the stoop as a child. Except there is booze in it.

A drink for the non-vodka drinkers is the Blood Orange Cosmopolitan. Made with Charbay Blood Orange Vodka, Triple Sec and cranberry juice, the person at the table who hates vodka was actually singing its praises.

For those who can handle the good stuff, try the Perfect Pair. Grey Goose La Poire Vodka and Mathilde Pear Liqueur. That is it, no mixers allowed, but you will not regret it.

SubZero is currently offering 12 different infused vodkas. This means the nice folks there fill giant containers with vodka and dump things like fruit, coffee or olives in the vats to let them sit and infuse over a certain period of time.

The blueberry-cranberry infusion did not make my list of favorites, but the pineapple orange definitely did. This was the infusion that Lucas sent over as a peace offering, and it absolutely will wet your appetite for more.

My unquestionable favorite, however, is the green olive infused vodka. For dirty martini fans, this is your Mecca. For those that may have renal problems, it is not for you because it is more or less a little glass of salty heaven.

SubZero Vodka Bar is located at 308 N. Euclid Ave. in the Central West End. Coming soon is an addition, next door, which will serve upscale American food such as gourmet hamburgers.

Look forward to that as you sip your way into contentedness while watching the Japanese chef roll your sushi.

You can also check out Bored of Education, the band that rocks the joint every Thursday around 8:30 p.m.

SubZero is open Monday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. and Sunday from 4 p.m. to midnight. Call (314) 367-1200 for more information or go to http://www.subzerovodkabar.com.

source: here