River North spots offer flavors from the past

 Peanut CrackerWho doesn't love a box of Cracker Jacks? For adults of a certainage, the Cracker Jack has made a comeback of sorts at Blue WaterGrill in River North, where they're making their own, and featuringit in a sundae. "We pulled apart the flavors of the Cracker Jacks and made theminto ice cream. We have butter peanut and salted carmel," saidNathaniel Meads of Blue Water Grill. Meads begins by laying down a thin layer of caramel sauce into ahigh-sided bowl; then the homemade Cracker Jacks, and a healthydollop of fresh whipped cream. He then scoops out some homemadebutter peanut ice cream followed by a scoop of salted caramel icecream. To top it off, Meads adds some rich peanut butter sauce thathardens on the ice cream, forming a shell. The combination iswickedly addictive, and since Cracker Jacks are involved, Meadsadds a tongue-in-cheek 'prize' as well. "I love Cracker Jacks and I think any way I can give away aprize...it works out to my benefit," said Meads. Just a few blocks away, over on West Erie Street, Martini Parkattracts bar-goers over 30. Drinks are obviously part of theappeal, but so are the small snacks, such as the cotton candy. "Well cotton candy is kind of like...it takes you back to thosedays, went to the playground for adults kinda stuff. It goes backto the old fair," said Joshua Hauer of Martini Park. They're in-house cotton candy machine takes up a lot of space backin the kitchen; it's made the same way it is at the County Fair:pour in the sugar, then wait for it to heat up, slowly gathering itas it swirls around the inner ring. Plating couldn't be simpler:just shove it into a giant ice cream cone, and you've got nostalgiaon a plate for $6. "It's kind of one of those things that's an eye-grabber. Everyoneyou see has a good time with it. It goes with our fun drinks, funatmosphere. Stuff like that," said Hauer. Even the Brownstone Tavern in Lincoln Square is trying to get in onthe retro-upscale dessert wagon. The spot offers a deep-friedsnickers bar, garnished with whipped cream and sauce.