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The Wicked Wahine gives a juicy, peppery kick to a meal at sola.

Tuesday Nov 18, 2008.     By Dana Kavan

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Drink of the week: Wicked Wahine

Where you can find it: sola

The damage: $10.

Why here? With an ever-growing list of must-try eateries, I keep telling myself that if I'm going to go out to eat, it has to be at a restaurant I've never tried. But all too often, laziness prevails. I've been yammering on about wanting to try sola since it opened in 2006, but have never bothered to make the trek. After moving to North Center, the neighborhood Carol Wallack's eatery calls home, I no longer had an excuse to not make a reservation, so I landed a table for two to celebrate my buddy Jamie's birthday.

How it went down: Though I would definitely consider sola a special-occasion spot, with entrees hovering around the $30 mark, there's something so accessible about it. The service is formal but friendly, and its cheery, tangerine-hued interior feels warm while being stylish. Jamie and I settled into a two-top with a green-, orange- and yellow-striped booth on one side. The birthday girl opted for a Malbec but I went straight for the cocktail menu, having heard that sola's bar churned out some innovative libations. A single ingredient in the Wicked Wahine (translation: Wicked Woman) had me sold: passion fruit juice.

When I studied abroad in Venezuela during college, my house mother would serve fresh passion fruit juice everyday at lunch. Its sharp citrus flavor and frothiness would leave me salivating, and I only hoped that the Wicked Wahine's other elements wouldn't overpower that sweet nectar. And they didn't. A mix of candied ginger vodka, star anise and pineapple and passion fruit juices with a dash of black pepper on top, the Wicked is indeed heavy on the fruity flavor, with a bite of pepper at the end of each sip. The ginger from the vodka is subtle and adds a nice hint of earthiness to the drink, and the whole bits of fresh pepper add an interesting texture without being obnoxious.

Would I want to become a regular? Knowing we were going out for the long haul and not wanting to lug around leftovers, Jamie and I declined on getting a first course, nibbling instead on a pretzel roll pre-entree. In hindsight, I regret not ordering the raved about potstickers or seasonal soup because the whole meal felt rushed. Our entrees—poached fish with squash and a slightly sweet sauce for me, panko-crusted tuna for Jamie—while good, didn't blow us away and before we knew it, we had spent $100 and were walking out the door in just over 60 minutes. That's a pricey hour, and one I waited for for a long time. I would like to give sola a second shot, especially for brunch, but of course I'll have to wait until I cross a few other new (to me) eateries off my list.

Dana Kavan scours the city for drink deals so good you'll offer to buy a round and creative libations that outshine your average on-the-rocks concoctions. Want to give Dana tips on where to rack up a bar tab? Share your finds before her next night out.