364403 Fri Jan 26 06:49:22 -0800 2007 30 7 Chicago Area 0 2228934 Will be in Chicago for 3 days and want to know what's new on the cocktail scene. Is there anywhere doing drinks to the level of Audrey Saunders at the Pegu in NYC? Also, need a new brunch recommendation. I have been to the Bongo Room several times and find it to be ok and am looking for somewhere else. I own a wine shop in Boston and am curoius how Juicy wine bar is? Fri Jan 26 06:49:22 -0800 2007 20754 gastronomicalme 1 2229217 There are tons of places all over Chicago to do brunch. Asking where to do brunch, without specifying a location or any other qualifier, is like asking where you can find a nice dinner. There are literally hundreds of places where you can find a nice brunch, in the city and suburbs. Places in the city that are known specifically for their brunch (like the Bongo Room is in Wicker Park and the South Loop) include: Kitsch'n in Roscoe Village and in River North; Orange in Lakeview and the South Loop; Wishbone in the West Loop and on N Lincoln; Flo in Wicker Park; and M. Henry in Andersonville. Most of them are busy for brunch, with long wait times. Fine dining restaurants in the city that serve brunch on Saturday and/or Sunday include NoMi, Seasons, Frontera Grill, and North Pond. The Ritz-Carlton recently stopped serving in the Dining Room, but they are continuing their highly-regarded Sunday brunch in their Cafe. I haven't been to the Sunday brunch at the Signature Room at the 95th, at the top of the John Hancock Building; their food is not generally all that highly regarded, but on a clear day, you can't beat the view. In the northern suburbs, Walker Brothers is known for their stained glass and their huge baked apple pancake. And these answers just scratch the surface. Metromix is the entertainment website of the Chicago Tribune. Their guide to articles on brunch places is at http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/dining/guides/brunch Links to related websites: Bongo Room - www.bongoroom.com Kitsch'n - www.kitschn.com Orange (no website AFAIK) Wishbone - www.wishbonechicago.com Flo - www.eatatflo.com M. Henry (no website AFAIK) NoMi - www.nomirestaurant.com Seasons - www.fourseasons.com/chicagofs/dining.html Frontera Grill - www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/grill.html North Pond - www.northpondrestaurant.com Ritz-Carlton - www.fourseasons.com/chicagorc/dining.html Signature Room at the 95th - www.signatureroom.com Walker Brothers - www.walkerbrosoph.com Fri Jan 26 08:06:49 -0800 2007 2228934 55363 nsxtasy 2 2230113 thanks for through response-very helpful. Fri Jan 26 11:16:33 -0800 2007 2229217 20754 gastronomicalme 2 2286714 The M Henry page is hiding on about page 6 of a Google search. Here is the link http://www.mhenry.net/ Mon Feb 12 19:38:26 -0800 2007 2229217 24047 DanielVest 2 2999564 I ate brunch at Bongo Room yesterday, and was delighted as usual. I always enjoy eating breakfast/brunch at *all* these places, especially ones I haven't been to in a while. What I like about the breakfast menu is that I can get sweeter items (pancakes, French toast) when I'm in the mood for that, and savory items (eggs/omelets, bacon) when I'm in the mood for that. One thing I love about Bongo Room is that they can do a split order for you - IOW, even though their pancakes and French toast normally consist of three pieces, you can order a smaller portion size of one or two pieces at a reduced charge. That way you can try more than one menu item. Yesterday I was in a mood for sweeter items, so I had a blueberry cheesecake pancake topped with almond panna cotta cream - that was HEAVENLY - and the strawberry-mango brioche French toast, which was very good, too. And during the week, there are no concerns about long lines. Incidentally, for whatever reason, Bongo Room's website is down right now, but you can see their menu at http://chicago.menupages.com Wed Oct 03 07:35:58 -0700 2007 2229217 55363 nsxtasy 1 2230401 for brunch, I have two recommendations. For a Sat brunch, go and try Frontera Grill; all of his best lunch items are on there, plus some huevos rancheros, etc. for a Sunday burnch, travel to Sweets & Savories on Fullerton. It is nicer than others and reaosnable. three courses for $16, includes: coffee/tea and homemade pastries, appetizer two to choose by the week, entree (have to try the duck hash and the bacon breakfast egg risotto) and get a side of bacon. It also includes one cocktail and they make a mean mimosa and even better, sometimes, if you're lucky, a bellini with fresh pureed mango or some other exotic fruit. Fri Jan 26 12:20:14 -0800 2007 2228934 28235 ljero 1 2230439 I enjoyed brunch @ Salpicon, one of the better Mexican restaurants in the city. great food great choices of tequila Salpicon 1252 N. Wells Chicago, IL. www.salpicon.com enjoy your visit to Chicago. Fri Jan 26 12:28:54 -0800 2007 2228934 26725 swsidejim 1 2231845 Hey everyone, new to the board. My new favorite Brunch is at Sola, Byron & Lincoln in NorthCenter/Lincoln Square. Reasonably priced, fun menu, absolutely delicious. Look forward to posting much more! Fri Jan 26 18:42:03 -0800 2007 2228934 68652 Beatnik 2 2258741 I had brunch at Sola this morning, and I thought it was very good in all respects - food, atmosphere, and service. The Sunday brunch menu was very similar to the one on their website. Additional note number 1 - no long waits. Granted, this was a frigid morning. However, it is a good-sized place and I doubt that they ever get long waits. Furthermore, Sola takes brunch reservations, and you can make reservations there on opentable.com which lets you see what time(s) they have available. All easy as pie. Additional note number 2 - The street address of the restaurant is 3868 N. Lincoln, but don't look for it on Lincoln or you'll drive right past it. The restaurant entrance (as well as all of its visibility) is on Byron, the side street. sola restaurant 3868 N. Lincoln Ave. @ Byron Chicago. IL 60613 (773) 327-3868 www.sola-restaurant.com I disagree with Tony's remarks about the previously-mentioned places for brunch, the ones in the second paragraph of my post. Based on my experience, they all continue to serve excellent food. However, as I already indicated, these are places (just like the Bongo Room mentioned by the OP) well-known PRIMARILY for their brunch, and as a result, their waiting times can be as much as an hour or more at peak times. There are plenty of other places that are not as well known and/or which take reservations, so there's no need to wait a long time unless you absolutely *must* go to a particular place. In fact, Metromix did an entire article about where to go nearby when you find that one of those popular places has a long waiting time: http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/dining/guides/brunch/mmx-041108-diningbrunch,0,6775850.story And as I also mentioned in that post, the listing there just scratches the surface (even accompanied by the posts since added by others). Metromix lists 375 places serving brunch, and over 100 of the ~300 places that take reservations in opentable.com had openings for brunch this morning. Sun Feb 04 11:19:46 -0800 2007 2231845 55363 nsxtasy 1 2236707 I have not found any place in Chicago that does cocktails at the level Pegu in NYC. If anyone knows of a place like that in Chicago PLEASE say so. Sun Jan 28 19:40:35 -0800 2007 2228934 17695 ems 1 2242132 Juicy Wine bar was a blast We had a butter plate coupled with Red Hen's whole wheat honey loaf and drank some fun/cheap/unrespected moscato (i was w/ a buncha eono nooobs so...). Linda, our tender, was clearly a foodie and didn't flinch when i pulled out my Canon to take a pix of the "butter flight". The whole downstairs space smelled of rochefort cheese. I also saw a unique bubbly sake on the shelf which i have yet to see at Mitsuwa/H-mart. In fact, thanks for reminding me, i'm off to pick up that bottle right now for tonite's kaiseki. The wine list isn't thorough as some other new-on-the-scene winebars, but it also doubles as a retail store so any wine you can order off the list can be purchased for home consumption. As far as brunch locales, nix half of the nsxtacy's (btw, are you an Acura driver?) profferings. Bongo / Wishbone / Twisted Spoke / Flo / Kitsch are all completely played out. Long lines, blah blah food (or in Flo's case, overly creative food, with a chef that has zilch palate). Want quaint high quality brunch? Try an alternative like Yoshi's on Halsted. Biggest freakin' crab cake benedict you'll ever see in the Midwest. Want haute brunch? Hit up the unrushed Custom House on Sunday and ask if you can see the pastry/cheese/dessert plate for dinner. They'll most likely obliged and you'll end up with a glorious (the entire restaurant is flooded with sunlight) 2 hour, 3-course brunch. It doesn't hurt the place is helmed by a James Beard award winner. IMO, it's also the "better" of all of Shawn M's restaurants. Want hip S. American inflected brunches, try Bravo on Division, Cuatro on State (? I think it's on state). Nothing like starting off a morning with a pitcher of sangria. I'd also second (and third, and fourth) the Sweets and Savories rec. By far the best "proper" brunch value in the city, dollar for dollar, ounce for ounce. Just stop spreading it around. It's hard enough to get a table as is. We just had our engagement brunch there last weekend, everyone had a blast. the food, from the hand made scones to the loved-by-ladies palmier, was impeccable. W/o the old efficient service staff, we were entertaining ourselves in between entrees, but it mattered not. Tue Jan 30 11:32:26 -0800 2007 2228934 12458 TonyC 2 4068634 Custom House no longer serves Sunday brunch. Sun Sep 28 19:09:28 -0700 2008 2242132 55363 nsxtasy 1 2440015 I should add Lou Mitchell's to the above list. Lou Mitchell's has been around since 1923, and is much more of a traditional breakfast place - think of a busy lunch counter where they're slinging hash and eggs and hurried businessmen (and businesswomen) stop there every day for a coffee and this is the place you're thinking of. They're just west of the Loop, near the commuter train stations (no coincidence), and they're open seven days. Lou Mitchell's Restaurant 565 W Jackson Blvd Chicago, 60661 (312) 939-3111 www.loumitchellsrestaurant.com Sun Apr 01 07:53:26 -0700 2007 2228934 55363 nsxtasy 1 2517300 Today's Chicago Tribune has several articles on weekend brunches. It includes the following articles (subscription may be required for Internet access): "The ultimate brunch guide" (with reports grouped by brunches with music, with views, with a family vibe, with fabulous French toast, with a laid-back pace, and elegant and tranquil): www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/premium/printedition/Thursday/atplay/chi-0704240284apr26,1,3380757.story "Phil's Five under $25": www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/premium/printedition/Thursday/atplay/chi-0704240280apr26,1,1807889.story "How to ruin a brunch": www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/premium/printedition/Thursday/atplay/chi-0704240281apr26,1,2201106.story Thu Apr 26 09:37:06 -0700 2007 2228934 55363 nsxtasy 1 2518029 Curious, what is the level of cocktail at Pegu? I used to live in the Village until 2000 and was never terribly impressed with any of the $10+ cocktails I bought in NYC. Granted, mixology was not popular until recently. There are quite a few interesting places here in Chicago. My favorite is Nacional 27--the bartender, Adam Seger is great and goes so far as to even make his own bitters. There will always be something new he's succesfully mixing, but homemade bitters in the classic old-fashioned is a great way to start any evening. The restaurant is also great, nueavo-latino, and begins to morph to a SoBe-type latin lounge around 10 on weekends. IT's owned by a huge restaurant corp, but don't let that stop you--the chefs for each LEYE restaurant are also owners (like the Chodorow empire). http://www.nacional27.net/ Brunch is something at which Chicago chefs excel. If you don't mind a wait, I suggest Flo's. It will be the most imaginative mexican-influenced breakfast you've ever had. Flo alse serves wonderful Inteligentsia coffee free while you wait. Its a little bit off the beaten path, but West Town (just over the river from River North on Chicago Ave) is a great 'hood. Thu Apr 26 12:27:24 -0700 2007 2228934 92421 jbontario 1 2838260 We went out for brunch today around noon. We decided to drive past M. Henry to see if they had the usual crowds waiting outside - they did - and we then went to Magnolia Cafe in Uptown. We were seated inside immediately (even though their lovely outdoor sidewalk dining area was rendered undesirable by the current spell of heat and humidity). We had the "Smoked trout hash with caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, applewood smoked bacon and hollandaise sauce. Served with two eggs any style" (we chose poached) and the "Crab Cakes and poached eggs over English muffins, roasted red peppers and old bay hollandaise. Served with house Potatoes" (mashed). Both dishes were excellent, with a bit of spice to them. Our accompanying bloody mary and fresh-squeezed orange juice were fine too. This was an all-around great place for a laid-back neighborhood type brunch. Highly recommended. www.magnoliacafeuptown.com Sun Aug 12 12:36:43 -0700 2007 2228934 55363 nsxtasy 1 3429960 Today we went for the first time to Between in Wicker Park for Sunday brunch, and it was superb; we loved it. Walk in, and you immediately notice that the atmosphere is comfortable/cozy; I can see why their website refers to it as a "boutique cafe and lounge". There's a long bar along one side of the room, with thickly-upholstered bar stool type seats with backs. There are three kinds of tables: high two-tops with the same seats at them as at the bar; conventional-height four-tops with conventional chairs with matching thick upholstery; and huge overstuffed couches with low tables (like wide coffee tables) in front of them, some of which are behind a thin curtain-like arrangement. Comfy and nice, wherever you are. We chose Between because the brunch menu on their website (at www.betweenchicago.com/Menus/Brunch.htm ) sounded unique and different from even the usual breakfast specialty places. That's essentially the menu they had there today. We observed the frittata and bacon-croissant bread pudding delivered to the next table, and they looked so good we wondered whether we should have ordered those instead, but as it turns out, we loved everything we got, too. We got their eggs benedict, which may be a misnomer because it's not like any eggs benedict we've had before (and all the changes were for the better!). Instead of an English muffin, they use a yummy buttermilk biscuit; instead of conventional poached eggs, the eggs had whites and yolks mixed, like very light scrambled eggs; the hollandaise was smooth and mellow; and the sliced beef tenderloin was a wonderful addition. The house bacon-potatoes were like excellent (and non-greasy) home fries with bacon chunks added. It was just an excellent dish all-around. So was the duck confit club sandwich. The menu refers to it as "pulled duck confit" but the consistency was more chopped, almost minced. The rest of the sandwich was as described on the menu, with avocado, bacon, arugula, and herb mayonnaise, on wonderful brioche bread; there were also capers, unmentioned in the description. This, too, was excellent, as was the accompanying salad. Both portion sizes were ample, but we decided we had barely enough room to split one of the sweet entrees for dessert. We got the tiramisu waffles napoleon, and they complied with our request to omit the espresso syrup (so they had no coffee flavor). This was another excellent dish, with two layers of waffles, with the mascarpone between the waffles and topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. We arrived shortly after they opened, but even when we left around 11:15, there were plenty of empty tables, so you should have no concerns about long waits like at some of the other Sunday brunch spots. We were thoroughly delighted with our brunch at Between and look forward to returning in the near future. Highly recommended. Between - Boutique Cafe and Lounge 1324 n. milwaukee ave. Chicago, IL. 60622 phone 773.292.0585 www.betweenchicago.com Sunday brunch 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sun Feb 24 12:00:41 -0800 2008 2228934 55363 nsxtasy 2 3430347 I think Orange and Flo are pretty overhyped and not too special in my opinion. I do second the recs on Bongo Room (even though still very hyped), M. Henry (very hyped), Sweets and Savories, and Magnolia Cafe. I would also add Lula Cafe, which is in the west part on Kedzie. They change their brunch menu every weekend and are known for their creative brunch menu, using local and seasonal ingredients. I've always really really enjoyed brunch there, and have yet to be let down. It's also very reasonable, and I love the crowd and atmosphere. Whatever you do, report and let us know how it went! Sun Feb 24 14:35:59 -0800 2008 3429960 106935 ShikaSfrn 3 3430470 I went to Lula, in Logan Square, for brunch last year; I just hadn't posted about it. I enjoyed it. They have a nice-sized al fresco seating area on their front sidewalk, which made it very pleasant. (Of course, that enjoyability is weather-dependent, not suitable for February; similarly, Magnolia Cafe has a few tables on their front sidewalk, but the day I ate brunch there in August was too hot to do so comfortably.) At Lula, I had one of their pancake specialties with mascarpone and fresh fruit and it was very good. Their menu tends to lean a bit towards the country/hearty and a bit more of a seasonal/organic and vegetarian emphasis, in case that appeals to you. I went around the time they opened, and was seated immediately, but if I recall correctly, a few people were waiting to be seated by the time I left. Lula serves a conventional breakfast menu during the week; on weekends, they offer more creative brunch specialties. Thus they are one of the few restaurants (along with Sola in North Center, and Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook) where you can go for a nice brunch menu on a Saturday as well as a Sunday. (Frontera Grill has brunch on Saturday but not Sunday.) www.lulacafe.com Oh, and who cares about whether someone thinks a place is hyped or not? I care about how good the food is, and how enjoyable the experience is. Remember, a restaurant is new to anyone who is visiting it for the first time. And if you're going there for the first time, it really doesn't matter how much (or how little) anyone else has been talking about it! :) Sun Feb 24 15:19:19 -0800 2008 3430347 55363 nsxtasy 1 3431172 In addition to all of the great recommendations, I also really enjoyed Tweet for brunch (http://www.bigchicks.com/tweetpage/tweetpage.html). Big portions, very tasty food, and seemed to be pretty kid-friendly as there were several families there. Free coffee while you wait! Sun Feb 24 20:16:48 -0800 2008 2228934 105854 gundy1814 1 3434160 For cocktails, try The Violet Hour. Many of the initial reviews have mentioned Pegu. The guys from Avec/Blackbird came up with the appetizer/finger food. The drinks have fresh ingredients, house-made simple syrups, seven different house-made bitters, double filtered ice in eight different shapes and sizes.... The guy worked at "Milk and Honey" in NYC. Just off the Damen stop on the Blue Line. Caveat--- it's small, gets a long line, no reservations and drinks take a while to arrive. Mon Feb 25 16:33:58 -0800 2008 2228934 32885 delk 2 3437339 I would definitely recommend The Violet Hour for both classic and inventive cocktails, in line with Pegu. The decor is beautiful, the lighting dim, and the cocktails delicious. It can get crowded and they often won't let a larger party sit at tables without purchasing carafes of cocktails. Tue Feb 26 13:39:02 -0800 2008 3434160 169704 msilverman 3 4292136 I also think the Violet Hour is great...a little tough to find. It looked boarded up and only had a yellow light above the door and the Home Depot adhesive style address #s (1520). We had to ask in another shop to find it and another customer explained where it was and even caught us later on the street to correct his directions to us! (Chicagoans are so helpful!) Anyway, the drinks were fun (I had a sidecar which is what I like to make at home) and it was very good. We had the deep fried pearl onions and they were interesting...not fabulous, but good. We've already been recommending this place to friends. We went on a Tuesday at about 6, so we walked right in, but it started filling up right after that. I'm a CH newbie, so thanks for turning me on to this place! Sat Jan 03 07:51:20 -0800 2009 3437339 252135 sleeper65 1 3543326 I went to brunch at the Wicker Park location of Toast for Sunday brunch this afternoon, and it was quite good. They have a variety of breakfast and lunch items on their menu. I had the stuffed French toast - two pieces stuffed with mascarpone cream and one with chocolate pastry cream (they have each on the menu, and were happy to prepare the combination when I asked) - surrounded by a nice-sized portion of fresh strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and grapes. Also fresh OJ. All very good. I arrived at 1 p.m. and was done around 1:30. As a solo, I was able to be seated at one of the half dozen seats at the counter immediately. Throughout that time, there were 8-10 people waiting at the entrance. It's not huge, but big enough that the wait wouldn't have been all that long for those waiting for tables. Toast 2046 N Damen Ave (773) 772-5600 http://chicago.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?restaurantid=21503 746 W Webster Ave (773) 935-5600 http://chicago.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?restaurantid=21293 Sun Mar 30 12:53:01 -0700 2008 2228934 55363 nsxtasy 1 4130495 Today I ate the "American dim sum brunch" at David Burke's Primehouse in the James Hotel. Bottom line, I thought it was excellent. There were also some noteworthy differences from what I was expecting (and, in general, they were for the better). When I was seated, I was presented with the American dim sum menu. I had noticed that an a la carte breakfast menu was posted alongside the dim sum menu at the entrance, and asked whether both were available, and was told that they were, and was asked whether I would like to see the a la carte menu; I declined. The menu was similar, but not identical, to the one on the BRGuest website ( www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/primehouse/menu.php ), and about the same length. The menu showed prices (including $35 for the dim sum, $10 for the all-you-can-drink champagne, mimosas, or bloody marys, $5 for various juices, and $5-11 for various hot tea selections; I ordered iced tea and was not charged for it). I was presented with, or offered, all the food items shown on the menu, with the exception of two of the desserts: the baby sundaes and the fortune doughnuts, which may not have been present on the dessert cart due to their need to be served cold and hot, respectively. However, I was not asked about either (but by that point I was quite full anyway). One thing I was not expecting was how the meal was structured and served, which was a pleasant surprise. I had assumed there would be a succession of carts rolling around the dining room, and it was up to me to "snag" cart servers, almost at random. Instead, the meal was served as a series of seven courses, in the order presented on the menu. Only two of them involved selections from a cart; the other five courses were served plated, including all the items listed on the menu for each course. The two cart selections were the cold appetizers, shown on the menu as "Chilled Asian and Brunchie Nibbles" (labeled on the website as "Asian Goodies"), and the other was the dessert cart. I was expecting everything to be well prepared, and indeed it was. In fact, everything was delicious. I am somewhat picky about what items I prefer, and don't always like everything in a meal. No worries here; I liked everything, and there wasn't a single thing I didn't care for. And I tried everything on the menu, with the exception of some of the items on the Asian Nibbles cart - approximately 23 in all. That's a remarkably good record, in my experience. (Oh, I should also mention that most of the portion sizes were small - which is to be expected when you're being served up to 25-30 items! I was quite full at the end of the meal, without having repeated anything. Of course, if you want more of anything, you can have it; see below.) Oh, and one other thing that I wasn't expecting, is that several of the dishes were unexpectedly spicy, including the eggs benedict and the sauce on the "omelet strudel". This is a *good thing*, in my opinion; I like the occasional spicy item, and don't want restaurants to make their food bland as a "lowest common denominator". Oh, and the spicy items weren't "blow your head off" spicy, just a mild kick to be sure. But those who don't like spicy food should mention this to their server. There were so many great foods, it's tough for me to single out one or two as exceptional. But if I had to name just a few as "don't miss" items, they would include the omelet strudel, the oatmeal creme brulee ("best in show"), and the "bamboo basket". The service provided was mostly excellent. The only glitch - and it was not a serious one - is the one mentioned above; the initial seating process. I think the servers can be more helpful if, when a party is initially seated, they ask if the diners have had their brunch previously, and if not, they should (a) mention both menus; (b) describe how the brunch is served, as a series of plated items combined with cart selections, and (c) note that the dim sum brunch includes all you can eat of anything, so if you would like a repeat of any course or any item, you just need to let them know. (I was not told this last item, but I assumed it to be the case. Since I wasn't really interested in repeats, I waited until the end of the meal to ask about it, just out of curiosity, and was told that indeed they are happy to repeat courses/dishes as desired, and it's all included.) One thing I watch for when dining solo is the level of attention and the pacing of the meal. I don't necessarily expect more attention or "chumminess" but I don't want to be ignored either. Regarding pacing, I'm flexible; I don't mind when the pace of courses is slightly faster than typical with a larger group, but I also don't mind if it's a bit drawn out, as it would be with a larger group. At this brunch, the only quibble was, again, when I was initially seated; my beverage order was taken and served immediately, but there was a bit of a delay (I'm guessing 10-15 minutes) before the first food course was served. Since I hadn't been "briefed" on how it all worked, I was left wondering during that period. But once the food service began, it was smooth and properly paced. Other posts above mention pacing that was too quick; this was absolutely not true in my visit. I ate at a leisurely pace, and the empty dishes were cleaned up at the end of each course and it was at least a couple of minutes (sometimes more) before the following course was brought. I did not feel rushed at all. I ate the meal as eight courses; the meal is normally served as seven (with the "Brunch Goodies" served as two courses, first the omelet strudel and second the benedict and pancake), and I asked for the desserts to be served as two separate courses, which they were happy to accommodate. To sum up - the food was excellent, the service was mostly excellent, and I'd be happy to go back again. This is one of the best, and most unusual, brunches in Chicago. David Burke's Primehouse 616 North Rush at Ontario Chicago, IL 60611 Phone: 312.660.6000 www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/primehouse American dim sum brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays Reservations available through opentable.com Sun Oct 26 17:20:18 -0700 2008 2228934 55363 nsxtasy 2 4159818 When I went to Burke's, I also happened to be walking through the Peninsula Hotel nearby. I checked out the buffet brunch being served at the Lobby restaurant. It looked very nice indeed. I just called them to ask how much it costs, and they said $62 per person. Just so you know that is not a typo - $62 (sixty-two dollars) per person. I think that's probably the highest price of any brunch in Chicago, aside from maybe a specially-priced special occasion holiday brunch. I know NoMI (in the Park Hyatt) is $55, and my recollection of the last time I went to Seasons (in the Four Seasons) a couple of years ago is that it was $50, although it could have gone up since then. The Signature Room is $42, and I don't know if the food is comparable, but that includes the best view in the city. By comparison, David Burke's Primehouse is a bargain at $35 (and even more so for the unlimited alcohol for $10). Sun Nov 09 10:12:55 -0800 2008 4130495 55363 nsxtasy 3 4437511 Yeah, the Peninsula folks still think they're in Hong Kong before the handover. Nobody here spends that much on brunch unless it's on an expense account or they don't know where else to eat. I don't doubt it's tasty at the Peninsula, but for that price you could walk a few blocks north and get as good a brunch for less at Seasons at the Four Seasons in the Bloomie's building. That said, Walker Brothers and Lou Mitchell's are the local standards for best brunch at the best price -- but Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe on 95th in Burbank comes very close in price and is their equal in quality; besides, Chuck's brunch is New Orleans style, complete with coffee and chicory, Eggs Benedict and variations, and Bananas Foster French toast. Yummy!! Fri Feb 20 17:01:48 -0800 2009 4159818 268515 lindygal 1 4150501 Does anyone know if M Henry does the breakfast bread pudding during the week, or if that is a weekend-brunch specific? Wed Nov 05 02:35:45 -0800 2008 2228934 160718 uhockey 2 4150504 On their website ( www.mhenry.net ), they only show it on their weekend menu, not their weekday breakfast menu. The menu there sometimes varies (for example, the fruit served on the blisscakes) but generally adheres to what's on the website. Wed Nov 05 02:48:40 -0800 2008 4150501 55363 nsxtasy 1 4227405 Here are reports on Sunday brunch at Big Jones in Andersonville, and Hot Chocolate in Wicker Park. Today we went to Big Jones, which is on Clark Street across the street from Swedish Bakery (unfortunately, the bakery is closed on Sundays). They bill their food as "Coastal Southern Cuisine", which is a good description, since it includes cajun and creole items you might find in Louisiana, as well as more typical southern items like grits and sweet tea (3 kinds!) that you might find across the south. One of the nice things about Big Jones is that they accept reservations (including through Opentable) so you don't have to worry about the possibility of a long wait to be seated (although during the 12:00-1:30 time we were there, no one was waiting). When we were seated (at one of the two window tables - yay!), we were brought some excellent complimentary beignets. In addition to sweet tea, we had cafe au lait, which was served in an enormous coffee cup. We started with the fried green tomatos, which were superb, the best I've ever had. They were very hot out of the fryer, the breading (which I think contained some corn meal) was superb, and they were topped with chunks of shrimp and an excellent remoulade sauce. Yum! We then had two savory dishes and a sweet one: (a) "Eggs New Orleans - Lump crab cakes on fresh popovers with poached eggs, béarnaise sauce, and potatoes O'Brien"; (b) Eggs Romero - Poached eggs, pulled pork in a tangy barbecue sauce, served over a bed of grits (I know it says potatos on the website menu, but the actual menu said grits, which is how they were served); and (c) Whole Wheat Banana Almond Pancakes. All three items were very good. Of particular note was the gigantic size of the three pancakes. Service was good and friendly, and the decor is understated contemporary in a typical narrow but somewhat deep storefront. All in all, an excellent choice for brunch! Especially worth considering as an alternative to long waiting times at M. Henry, which is half a mile north of Big Jones on Clark Street. Big Jones 5347 N Clark St. Chicago IL 60640 773-275-5725 www.bigjoneschicago.com A couple of months ago I went to Hot Chocolate in Wicker Park for Sunday brunch. All in all, I was rather disappointed. It's a cute little bistro-ey type place. Hot Chocolate now bills itself as a "restaurant and dessert bar", but when I was there for brunch, they didn't have a whole lot of cakes or desserts (just a few plain-looking ones on an assortment plate), and that was my biggest disappointment, especially knowing Mindy Segal's reputation for desserts and history as a pastry chef. I had the brioche French toast with fruit and a side of sausage, which was okay, not spectacular (the French toast was a bit on the dry side). I also tried one of their several offerings of their namesake beverage - again, okay, but not particularly memorable. All in all, it was just okay; I guess it's worth trying if you happen to live in Wicker Park. I don't, and next time I go to Wicker Park for brunch, I'm much more likely to choose the superb Between instead. Hot Chocolate 1747 N. Damen Ave. Chicago IL 60647 773-489-1747 www.hotchocolatechicago.com Sun Dec 07 12:58:57 -0800 2008 2228934 55363 nsxtasy 1 4238279 Was just in Chicago on business in November - went to event at Drawing Room at Le Passage, 937 N. Rush Street - - Dinner was Lemon risotto with mascarpone, meyer lemon and lavender gremolata or Skate with sauteed skate wing, baby arugala, roasted sunchoke, sultanas and caper emulsion or Verjus braised pork belly, shaved spicy pecans, smoked eggplant puree and apricot. They also have high end drinks with award winning master mixologists. Thu Dec 11 06:58:48 -0800 2008 2228934 247608 bonnie_ vivant