Applebee's: Jell-O There

APPLEBEE'S
By MITCH LILLIE

A bartender at the Lloyd Center Applebee's (1439 NE Halsey St, 284-8040, applebees.com) has apparently gone rogue. A mysterious bartender—everyone involved denies knowledge—is crafting seemingly unauthorized Jell-O shots. On a recent weekend, the menu including candy apple, caramel apple and candy corn. For just $1, these jiggly bits of booze will leave you wondering just how much alcohol you're getting. Did I mention they are really tasty? The candy corn was the easiest to swallow, though it tasted more like a sex on the beach. Caramel-topped apple was liver-bleedingly sweet. The delicious candy apple defies description in a good way. The weekend bartender—his name tag says "Jules Verne" and he's from "where you want me to be from"—deflects any attempt at normal conversation. We ordered a tray of Jell-O shots, the rainbow of colors lit up with a battery-powered flasher. This also gets us complimentary chips and salsa. More seasonal shots are coming, Verne says dryly: "I dunno, maybe stuffing, maybe cranberry." This particular Applebee's is a strange but functional simulation of a neighborhood pub, which might just be some marketing guy's wet dream.

WWeek 2015

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