Seeking out new hot spots, or returning to the tried and true, to me, brunch is the most underrated and oft-forgotten meal of the week. It's the one meal that encourages you to prolong the Wonderfulness of The Weekend by indulging in a leisurely Sunday morning with friends.
Chicagoans seem to have a love affair with brunch, and I happily joined in on this local tradition since moving here. Nearly three years later and countless memories created at each and every one, my top 5 picks are:
Milk & Honey
Time and time again, I'll always return here (and with visiting guests in tow to have an authentic Chicago brunch experience). What I love about Milk & Honey is that there's nothing trendy about the menu, which offers the same comfortable basics, freshly prepared and house-made with a gourmet twist. For me, there's no debate about what to order – Pancakes du Jour or the Crab Cake Sandwiches, and a bag of their famous house-made granola to go!
My sister visiting Chicago, and having a bowl of Milk & Honey'syogurt with house-made granola and fresh berries.
Birchwood Kitchen
A new favorite in my very own neighborhood, it was love at first Pickled Beets-Goat Cheese-Apple Vinaigrette-Arugula Salad! I discovered this small place when The Fella and I went to a really neat "tasting concept" introducing new area
restaurants. Leslee and I later planned the beginnings of Annie's baby shower over a hot plate of Roasted Butternut Hash, Baby Spinach, Bacon, Maple Syrup and Sunny Eggs straight from the open kitchen. And yes, we topped it off with a heavenly slice of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bread.Anne Sather
This is that place with the "artery-clogging, butt-fattening rolls" as my friend likes to refer to Anne Sather's popular Cinnamon Rolls. Opened in 1945, this is Chicago's true Swedish diner (who knew that we had the second largest Swedish population of any city in the world, next only to the capital of Sweden??). I had asked the waiter about the traditional Gravlax, but he said: "Don't order it, smells and tastes like smelly, moldy gym shoes." WTF? I have to admit I'm still curious about this authentic Scandinavian classic, so I will NOT be talked out of it next time. What could be so bad about raw salmon cured in sugar, salt and dill? Bakin' & Eggs
The girls and I first had New Year's Day brunch here. (It was pretty much the only place in town that wasn't requiring pajamas attire the day after NYE.) I love its robin's egg blue throughout, exposed patches of brick walls, and really, when is the last time I can say I dined in church pew seating? Bakin' & Eggs has kinda a down-home Southern feel without serving up a gimmicky Southern menu – although I did enjoy the most delicious Hoppin' Johns special for New Year's Day brunch! And then there was that other time when The Fella and I went here for brunch, but left with an Oriental rug... whoever said brunch can't encourage spontaneity?
NoMi
The first time I had the opportunity to experience Sunday Park Brunch at this contemporary French restaurant, perched high above Magnificent Mile, was with Martha and family when they visited in 2008. (The second time was a brunch date with The Devil a.k.a. CEO of my former company in Miami, but that's a whole other story for another time.) Graced with Chihuly glass appointments, understated beige motif, NoMi is elegance at its finest. Martha and I gabbed and giggled like no time or distance had passed between us, best friends from our "U" glory days. And the signature NoMi Benedict wasn't bad either...
Poached Egg with Sauteed Spinach, Lobster Medallion and Hollandaise SauceAnd so continues my quest to find another spectacular brunch spot in my city worthy of blogging...
Mado, Sweet & Savories, Feast, and Cooking Fools, anyone?
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