If you’re like most visitors to Lily’s, you’ve eaten a bit more homemade chips and salsa than you had planned. Luckily, the walk back to Macklind Avenue is a good way to put to rest any thoughts or concerns you have about the number of calories in a margarita or a serving of guacamole. From Lily’s walk south on Kingshighway two short blocks to Nottingham Avenue. Turn right on Nottingham and walk another two blocks back to Macklind. While on Nottingham, make a note to come back to the second block on Halloween night. Local residents close off the street to anything but foot traffic to make room for the hundreds of kids that descend on the block for trick-or-treating. The whole street takes on a carnival-like atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the metropolitan area.
When you reach Macklind Avenue cross over for one last stop at the Macklind Avenue Deli. No worries if you’re still stuffed from Lily’s, this deli actually thrives more on its huge selection of beers and wines. Owner Dick Krekeler opened the deli in 2006 with the intent of making it a specialty shop for beer and wine enthusiasts. The shop claims to have more than 250 types of beer available for sale, including a wide selection of microbrews, Belgian and German imports and of course, most of Anheuser Busch’s offerings.
To really get a handle on the deli’s beer offerings, come back for one of its monthly beer tasting events. Each event features a different brewery and a full meal’s worth of deli preparations selected to go with each beer sample. The cost is usually $20 dollars, and guests are usually sent home with freebies such as complementary tasting glasses. Often, representatives or employees of the breweries lead the evening, giving firsthand details about each beer, their brewing processes and some of the stories behind their brands.
