I love breakfast. I surely do. I would rather have a fantastic breakfast than an amazing dinner, i think. I've remembered far more breakfasts in my life than dinner. Perhaps it doesn't make sense, but I just know what I like.
For the past 2 1/2 months or so I've been touring Chicago to find the best brunch in town. I go out every Sunday, sometimes with friends, sometimes alone, always open to the next great start to my day. I take my time, do the research, come hungry, try as much as my wallet and stomach will allow. I almost always order something with eggs. I do love scrambled eggs so very much.
As I evaluate each location, a number of factors come into play: Atmosphere, Service, Energy, Eggs, Potatoes, Pancake/Waffle, Price Point, Wait Time, Craveability(the likelihood that I'll wake up dreaming about it...crucial for any good brunch).
I haven't documented my research until now. I'll try to be succinct. I don't do well scoring things numerically, i can only give you my "gut" reaction...
In no particular order:
ORANGE (Roscoe Village): For how much it was talked up to me, I was quite excited to attend. The menu looked good, it was hard to choose something. The Frushi was good. My fresh squeezed juice was good. So why am I less than impressed? The asparagus in the omelet was woody, the eggs were dry, the potatoes had little to offer beyond their presentation and texture(especially comparatively...were I not comparing things, they'd be fine...but since then, i've had better.) Not to mention, the service was a little brusque, and the atmosphere was half-hearted, with random posters on the bar and some oranges strewn about the dining room. Brunch should be a complete experience...and this was not..........HOWEVER, i am willing to give it another try. It has such high rankings form everyone i've spoken to, i feel i need to give it another chance. and it wasn't AWFUL...just not remarkable.
BIG JONES(Andersonville): I had such high hopes for Big Jones. The menu looks good, the atmosphere is great, right down to the fancy salt shakers. but while the food looks good, dammit if it wasn't kinda bad. the first time i went, the eggs were clearly forgotten on the griddle, left to dry out completely, looking more like a chopped up omelet than proper scrambled eggs. The service was good the first time, bad the second (we were also seated in a dark corner next to a bathroom the second time). The pumpkin pancake was half-cooked...*sigh*...and everything else on this "southern" menu was just plain bland (the grits, the fritters, the rest). (Which i'm realizing is somewhat of a Chicago epidemic...Southern food is well-seasoned, not just fatty). I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. While its not terrible, its just not worth it.
TWEET(near Foster and Sheridan): Now, this is a place i WOULD recommend. Its somewhat of a standard type of brunch place. The atmostphere is eclectic and fun, with a wonderful bar to wait in and play board games. The service is friendly and attentive, and the price point is right on. I had better luck, foodwise, the second time around. I ordered the Egg Foo Young bowl thingy with hoisin and eggs...and veggies, and i just kept eating, couldn't stop. However, the first thing i ever had was the Biscuits and Gravy with the veggie sausage. oh man, alive...another culprit in the flavorless take on Southern food. The gravy was just warm and white, no flavor...The sausage was pretty great, though, and the only reason I finished eating. I also sampled the hashbrowns, the granola and yogurt with fresh fruit. damn good. so, I recommend this one with a about 85-90% of my thumbs up...just don't order anything with biscuits and gravy.
YOLK(Loop): So many people online loved this place, i had to make the trek downtown to see what the fuss was about. The atmosphere is cute and clean and modern, the hubbub felt good, not stressed. Our server worked her ass off and we got our food almost instantly after ordering it. The pumpkin pancakes here left Big Jones in the dust. I had a standard breakfast with a veggie omelet and some potatoes and toast. All excellent. I would recommend this for a fun brunch out with friends...its not going to change the face of brunch for all time, but you'll have a postitive experience that won't take away from the pleasant socializing of a sunday brunch.
DELEECE(Irving Park): I'm so underwhelmed with Deleece compared to other places. I feel it isn't really fair to throw it into the same category as places like YOLK and TWEET. I had a fine time, but it just seemed half-hearted. The atmosphere, the service, the energy and menu were nice, but they all seemed mismatched to the general brunch experience. I bet Deleece would be a better place for dinner. That's more the vibe i got...not what you'd want for brunch though. It may sound picky, but they just didn't get it.
VICTORY'S BANNER(Roscoe Village): Fantastic. That's all there is to it. The service was pleasant, the atmosphere peaceful. I didn't try the coffee but i did try to homemade chai and it was right on. The potatoes actually had their own spice thing going on, which I loved. I think its so important and telling to a brunch restaurant as to how they treat the potato. You can't just throw together some hashbrowns and expect it to be magical. Hashbrowns on their own are good, you can't take credit for that. So thank you, VB, for at least trying something new, and thank you doubly for it being tasty. The french toast was 2 inches thick, well worth the hype. I ate until i could eat no more. I will definitely be returning.
WILDE'S(Lincoln Park): Oh how I love the atmosphere. So dark and wooden and rich. Our service was decent, nothing outstanding, our food was pleasant. They go for an authentic Irish thing here, which is good, but not my ideal menu. That said, my scrambled eggs and toast were just right, the potatoes also right on. I felt like I had full experience here. I'd go back and bring company.
Here's to next week!
