U Club offers restaurant, bar mix

A patient's examination chair that the IU School of Optometry donated sits in the lobby with a sign across it reading "The doctor is out." U Club, located at the corner of Walnut and Seventh streets, is now open for business, but customers might have to wait a while to try U Club's signature shot: the "Hoosier Optometrist."\n"It's an inverted shot of vodka, cranberry and Red Bull," bartender Jesse Laffen said. "You sit in the chair, and we just skip the glass." \nU Club also boasts a Bloody Mary made from a homemade mix and numerous upscale liquors.\nBut U Club isn't looking to get customers in the door with drink gimmicks. Owner Mark Gilgrist's menu has something for everyone. \n"We have classic American fare, great burgers and upscale salads," Gilgrist said. \nHe also described a few "comfort foods" that hold regional distinctions in Indiana. "Burgoo" is a stew with roots in the Indiana church community. Members of a congregation would mix their own ingredients into a large pot before divvying up the final product so everyone got a taste of everyone else's delicacies. \nGilgrist described it as "a really thick stew with vegetables and meat." \nGilgrist has a 25-year history in the restaurant industry. His experience includes 12 years as a tableside chef at an exclusive restaurant in Chicago called Café La Cave and ownership in another restaurant in Bloomingdale, Ill. \nSophomore Amanda Henry was among U Club's first customers when the restaurant opened Oct. 15. \n"My burger was good, and I really liked the atmosphere," she said. \nRich, dark woodwork and warm colors greet customers walking into U Club. Sports memorabilia line the walls and booths. There are also large couches in the waiting area that give it a living room-type feel. \n"I'm very pleased with how things are going so far," Gilgrist said. \nBusiness has been coming from students and adults alike, he said.\n"We're getting businessmen and women during the day and the students later," Gilgrist said. \nThe staff members of U Club said they are excited the restaurant is finally open.\n"There's a sense of unity with the staff," Laffen said. \nHe cited the hard work and training leading up to the opening as reasons for the sense of camaraderie. The staff went through a three-day training program that included menu work, flow of service and learning the computer system. \n"No one comes in above or below anyone here," Laffen said. "It's a sense of sink or swim together, but I think we'll swim here"