On Friday, my friend Mallory and I went to Hub51 for dinner, downtown on W. Hubbard. To my own knowledge, the Hub has quite a reputation for being one of the most happening spots in downtown Chicago. Through word of mouth I’ve learned that the food is praiseworthy so I was pretty eager to check it out.

The dining room of Hub51 is cozy. White tea candles in tiny glass votives sit atop wooden tables, while an exposed ceiling and concrete floors offer a chic, industrial appeal to the room. Though it’s crowded, you can still hear the bass from Drake and Madonna songs flowing throughout the restaurant.

Our server is friendly and ready to help us with any questions we have. To start off, Mallory orders a glass of the notorious Hub Punch and I order a Five Alive, which essentially tastes like a lighter, more feminine version of a margarita, with the help of sweet agave nectar and pink grapefruit vodka. But let me tell you about that Hub Punch, because–hot damn. Tequila, lemon flavored vodka, and Licor 43, which is a tangy Spanish liquor blended with vanilla and a variety of spices, are splashed with pomegranate juice to produce a rosy-colored cocktail adorned with an orange wedge. The drink is citrusy but filled with buttery, warm notes I can only compare to those found in white chocolate. I quickly switch over from the Five Alive to the Hub Punch.

Mallory and I order the guacamole and shrimp ceviche for our starters, which are both served in rustic stone mortars. The ingredients in both the ceviche and guac were fresh and flavorful, something I’d especially enjoy eating in the spring. However, both were really lacking in salt and acidity. To be honest I’ve had better appetizers in the smaller Mexican and Caribbean joints throughout the city, and it didn’t cost $12. But take everything I say with a grain of salt, so to speak. Luckily the guacamole was served with a spicy tomato salsa, dark with charred bits of roasted tomato skins and filled with smoky flavor.

As an entree I ordered the filet mignon tacos and Mal got the open-faced BLT. My filet mignon was seared to rare-perfection (let’s face it, rare is the right way to eat red meat), and the fresh corn tortillas were served piping hot. I thought the accoutrements on the plate were a little bland (the rice, beans, and guacamole could have used some salt), but that piece of meat really made up for all of it.

And now, on to that BLT, which truly was the crowning glory of the night. Imagine a piece of juicy thick-slab bacon so smoky that when you bite into it, memories of Christmas morning chimney smoke come to mind. The tomatoes are not those creepy, mealy, orangey ones you so often find in a carelessly made sandwich, but rather, they are real tomatoes, juicy and red. Crispy frisee lettuce is tossed in an herb-y vinaigrette and a blue cheese which I can only describe as ri-Goddamn-diculously creamy. All this laid on top of the fluffiest piece of French bread I’ve ever encountered, and served alongside fries which I assume were tossed in chili powder and brown sugar due to their whole sweet-salty-spicy thang goin’ on. Seriously, bless that BLT’s little heart.

All in all, the night was good. The crowd at Hub51 seems to not be under 21 or over 29, giving the whole place a “hip” atmosphere. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing cocktail, a mellow selection of hip-hop beats, and a damn good BLT.