MANNY SOFIOS
33, Andersonville
Behind the bar: Tuesdays-Thursdays and Saturdays at RPM Steak in River North and Fridays at Slippery Slope in Logan Square
Bartending bio: Manny grew up in the north suburbs and got his first glimpse of the fast-paced action of bars and restaurants going on meat deliveries with his dad as a kid. From age 17 on, he waited tables and managed at a handful of bars and restaurants, but it wasn’t until years later serving at Gilt Bar that he became interested in bartending. “It seemed like the whole way that people were drinking was changing,” he said. “I liked seeing people stepping away from … vodka sodas and trying drinks that were more intricate and thought-out.” He spent time helping out behind the bar to learn the ropes and then ended up bartending there full-time before moving on to country-themed bar Bub City.
Signature drink: International Anthem, a gin- and amari-based cocktail with a hint of orange ($13 at RPM Steak)
Bartending style: You could call him a purist. “When I drink cocktails, I don’t like them to have tons of ingredients. I like there to be under four, max,” he said. “Not to knock what anyone else is doing, but …personally I like the classics, that’s just my thing. I’m not one for infusions or anything like that.”
Opposites attract: “You couldn’t find two places that could really be more opposite,” Manny said of working at high-end bar and steakhouse RPM Steak and neighborhood hang Slippery Slope. “We have glasses of wine [at RPM] that go up to $50 per glass. The most expensive thing we have at Slippery Slope is $8. [It’s] $2 [for] Hamm’s on draft. And we sell a lot of them.”
How to earn regulars: “You build a rapport with people and they remember you. … There’s a lot of bartenders out there that they’re just built for speed and they don’t like the interaction. Personally, I like both,” he said. “I do like the speed part and I think I’m pretty good at it, but I love … talking to people and seeing the same faces over and over, because it means you’re doing something right.”
When he’s not bartending: You might find him watching movies, reading non-fiction (biographies especially), traveling (“When I get the chance”), working on home improvement projects or cooking at home.
Drink of choice: Beer or whiskey—especially American whiskey—served neat.
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