Pull up a stool and lift your drink to Moehringer, Uncle Charlie, and the other regulars at The Dickens. This menu celebrates the kind of classic American bar food you’d expect to find there or at any neighborhood spot where the stories are good, and the plates are hearty.
Drinks
Chill your favorite beer or a few and let the camaraderie of The Dickens wash over you and your guests. Bottoms up to good company and barstool wisdom. The first American bar is believed to have opened in 1795 in New York City, just a train ride from where Moehringer grew up. Bars have always been more than a place to drink. They’re where stories are shared, advice gets handed out, and everyone seems to know your name. Or at least pretends to after a couple rounds.
Appetizer
Get ready to savor the nostalgia with some classic bar snacks. Start with a generous bowl of Chex mix and nuts, a timeless combo that’s fueled more than a few barroom conversations. Try The Kitchn’s recipe, which combines crunchy Chex cereal, bagel chips, pretzels, and nuts in a simple homemade sauce. Serve it alongside sweet, salty, and spicy party nuts from All Recipes. This combo always draws a crowd.
Salad
Add a refreshing touch to your meal with a green salad topped with homemade Thousand Island dressing, which is said to have originated in New York. They probably didn’t make it from scratch at The Dickens, but it’s easy to throw together at home. Or just pick up a bottle at the store. For the homemade version, check out the recipe at I Love NY.
Main
Channel your inner Gordon Ramsay and try your hand at the burger he created to celebrate hitting 10 million YouTube followers. These flavor-packed burgers feature a juicy ground beef patty topped with Swiss cheese, an egg cooked inside a portobello mushroom, and crispy bacon, all stacked inside a fluffy brioche bun. It’s a tall one, so you might want to grab some bamboo skewers to keep it from toppling over, like mine did. There are a lot of moving parts. I needed an extra set of hands to assemble them. Since the recipe only serves two, you’ll want to prep more if you’re feeding a crowd.
Dessert
Pay tribute to Uncle Charlie and his love for Entenmann’s coffee cake. You can grab a box of this nostalgic classic from the store or try making it at home with Erren’s Kitchen’s recipe. Either way, you’ll get a moist, tender cake with a buttery cinnamon crumb topping that’s hard to resist. Serve it with a hot cup of black coffee, because Uncle Charlie would have liked it that way.
As you take your last sips and bites, remember that life’s journey, much like Moehringer’s in The Tender Bar, is full of unexpected turns. Just like Uncle Charlie and the regulars at The Dickens helped shape him, we can find guidance and meaning in the people around us. Here’s to life’s tender moments. Make them count.
