Sunday lunch vs. brunch

Hi all-

Hoping for a little help here. Years ago, while living in London, my husband and I fell in love with the British tradition of going out for a "proper Sunday lunch." Yes, a Sunday lunch often revolved around a roast with veg and pudding, but many of the less traditional restaurants served a variety of main dishes.

We're having difficulty finding a good place to have a long, leisurely Sunday lunch. In my mind, Sunday lunch doesn't mean the same thing as brunch - I'm not looking for pastry or egg dishes, but a lunch entree similar to what would be served during the week.
Yet when I look at the menus for most of the restaurants that I'm thinking of, the Sunday menus are full of mimosas, frittatas, etc. For example, last weekend we were at Perennial Virant. While they had a few savory dishes and a sandwich or two on the menu, it still felt more brunch-like than lunch-like. Does that make sense to anyone else?!?

I realize that I'm likely in the minority here in a brunch loving town! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

TSmitty

What about River Roast?

I can completely appreciate your problem -- my husband and I are also not big brunch fans, and struggle to find good lunch places for Sundays. We've been known to hang out in the Oyster Bar at Shaw's for a few hours as their menu isn't brunch-centric, or go very casual to either Big Star or Dove's Luncheonette. They probably won't really scratch the itch for a long leisurely lunch but do offer non-brunch menus. On the other end of the spectrum, North Pond's menu is called Brunch but the options are not really egg/pastry centric.

I'll be interested in any other suggestions -- would love to have options!

If you're looking for a British tradition, have you tried Jolly Posh? http://www.jollyposh.com/

For about a year, I think, the Carraigh Irish Pub at Chicago Gaelic Park (147th St. Oak Forest, Illinios 60452 | 708-687-9323) has been doing a "classic carvery" on Sunday afternoons. I get email notices about them. However, it looks like during the summer they're not doing the Sunday carvery and instead are doing "BBQ on the Patio" on Wednesday nights. The next time I get an email about a Sunday carvery there, I'll post a link here.

It looks like the Pleasant House Bakery does a Sunday carvery.

Chief O'Neill's also does a broad lunch-y brunch:

http://chiefoneillspub.com/menus/sunday-brunch/

Haven't tried it myself but River Roast (315 N. LaSalle (down by the river) 312-822-0100) offers roast beef & a popover (~=Yorkshire pud) on its brunch menu. Plus British veg like turnips and peas.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I just took a look at the River Roast menu. While they do offer a lot of the usual brunch fare - waffles, french toast, bloodies, etc. it looks as though they also do chicken, fish and of course roasts during this time, so it's definitely a place we will look into.

While I never minded having a roast during a Sunday lunch, it's not specifically British food that I'm searching for - more just the option of the same type of lunch menu that I might find during the week rather than the onslaught of egg dishes and beermosas!

Thanks again - if there are any additional suggestions, keep them coming!

Osteria Langhe on Armitage has an interesting brunch menu. Last Sunday we had pork shoulder and shrimp with polenta. Both had an egg on top but that didn't detract.

While Publican Quality Meats has some weekend brunch specials with eggs, etc., they also still have their awesome sandwiches, salads, and charcuterie.

TSmitty wrote:Thanks for all the suggestions. I just took a look at the River Roast menu. While they do offer a lot of the usual brunch fare - waffles, french toast, bloodies, etc. it looks as though they also do chicken, fish and of course roasts during this time, so it's definitely a place we will look into.

While I never minded having a roast during a Sunday lunch, it's not specifically British food that I'm searching for - more just the option of the same type of lunch menu that I might find during the week rather than the onslaught of egg dishes and beermosas!

Thanks again - if there are any additional suggestions, keep them coming!

If you just want a restaurant that serves a lunch menu, then your basic premise is flawed. There are more restaurants serving lunch than brunch on Sundays. For instance, the vast majority of ethnic restaurants (Greek, Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern) don't change up the menu at all on Sundays. And there are countless restaurants with standard lunch menus on Sundays. Where are you looking that you can't find a regular lunch menu?

spinynorman99 wrote:If you just want a restaurant that serves a lunch menu, then your basic premise is flawed. There are more restaurants serving lunch than brunch on Sundays. For instance, the vast majority of ethnic restaurants (Greek, Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern) don't change up the menu at all on Sundays. And there are countless restaurants with standard lunch menus on Sundays.

True.

There's an easy way to identify restaurants serving lunch (vs brunch) on Sundays. Go to Opentable.com and look for availability at 11:00 a.m. Most of the restaurants showing availability starting only at 11:00, 11:30 or 12:00 are probably serving from a lunch menu, probably the same lunch menu they serve during the week. Most of the restaurants showing availability for a time earlier than 11:00 are probably serving from a brunch menu, with plenty of egg dishes etc. You can verify for any particular restaurant by checking their website and/or calling them, but this is a good guideline for easily finding which ones do which meal.

North Pond would be a great choice for an upscale leisurely Sunday lunch. While they call it a "brunch" it is essentially the same fare they serve at dinner, but at a much less expensive price. Three courses (appetizer, entree and dessert) for $34 per/person (there are typically four choices per course). Beautiful location literally inside Lincoln Park with stunning views of the pond and skyline. I recommend requesting a table with a view of the pond when making the reservation.

http://www.northpondrestaurant.com/menu ... day-Brunch

Nico Osteria, The Publican, and Lula serve more than eggs, bloodys, & mimosas. Or you could just go to lunch at Spacca Napoli, Kuma's, Au Cheval, Little Goat, Old Jerusalem,or Chengdu Impressions ( I think they are open for lunch) . I assumed you did not want buffet Sunday at The Peninsula which has plenty of non-brunch offerings in a lovely setting.

Spinynorman - yes, as you mentioned, many of the ethnic restaurants don't change their menus, but it's just not quite the atmosphere I'm seeking for a long, leisurely lunch. I'm sorry that I'm being unclear or vague - I can't quite put my finger on what the difference in feeling is and that's perhaps why I had to come here for suggestions!

Gonzo - we've been to North Pond for dinner, but I just took a look at the brunch menu and that's exactly the type of thing I'm looking for! Thank you for the suggestion.

Pairs4life - Thanks too for your suggestions. We've done brunch at the Publican a few times. The Publican is one of my favorite restaurants in the city and while the weekend still feels pretty brunch-y to me, I've enjoyed that we were able to get some less brunch-like options. I will definitely check into Nico and Lula as well!

It's not just the ethnic restaurants, name a neighborhood and I can probably find a couple of dozen places that serve lunch on Sundays. Brunch is not the standard.

spinynorman99 wrote:It's not just the ethnic restaurants, name a neighborhood and I can probably find a couple of dozen places that serve lunch on Sundays. Brunch is not the standard.

Agreed. But I think Tsmitty is looking for brunch spot energy but just not a brunch spot. Although I wouldn't worry about the breakfast offerings if I wanted lunch and most of the places mentioned accommodate both.

TSmitty wrote:Gonzo - we've been to North Pond for dinner, but I just took a look at the brunch menu and that's exactly the type of thing I'm looking for! Thank you for the suggestion.

bfolds suggested it above also (and first) and deserves partial credit on the thanks...

nsxtasy wrote:

TSmitty wrote:Gonzo - we've been to North Pond for dinner, but I just took a look at the brunch menu and that's exactly the type of thing I'm looking for! Thank you for the suggestion.

bfolds suggested it above also (and first) and deserves partial credit on the thanks...

Ooooh - you're right - sorry!

North Pond is great for brunch! I think it's a bit pricey for dinner but it's become our 'go to' place for an anniversary brunch every year.

...

Katie wrote:For about a year, I think, the Carraigh Irish Pub at Chicago Gaelic Park (147th St. Oak Forest, Illinios 60452 | 708-687-9323) has been doing a "classic carvery" on Sunday afternoons. I get email notices about them. However, it looks like during the summer they're not doing the Sunday carvery and instead are doing "BBQ on the Patio" on Wednesday nights. The next time I get an email about a Sunday carvery there, I'll post a link here.

With fall weather comes the return of the Sunday carvery at the Carraigh Irish Pub at Chicago Gaelic Park in Oak Forest. I got this notice in the mail a few days ago:

Sunday Classic Carvery Tomorrow:
If you are not familiar with the term "Carvery," read on.
A Carvery is the closest thing that you will get in Ireland to a Sunday Roast, which is still a tradition in many households there.
A carvery describes a meal where cooked meat is freshly sliced to order for customers. Carveries are often found in pubs and hotels in Ireland and the United Kingdom and offer unlimited servings for a fixed price. Carveries feature Sunday roasts, accompanied by a choice of potatoes and other vegetables with gravy and sauces that are considered a traditional accompaniment to the various meats.

Here at Gaelic Park, our delicious carvery features 2 soups, an extensive salad bar, 2 meats, a carving station, a potato bar, a selection of vegetables, and dessert. Also included is a child-friendly option such as mac and cheese or ravioli.

The menu for this Sunday's Carvery includes a roast beef carving station, Chicken a la Rhine, potato bar with oven browned potatoes, mashed potatoes and choice of toppings, beef barley soup & cream of chicken soup, salad bar, green beans almondine and ice cream. There will also be mac and cheese for the children.

This Sunday's entertainment will be provided by Ray Gavin from 4pm to 8pm. Ray's repertoire includes something for everyone. He keeps the children entertained while you relax and enjoy your meal and your company.

The Sunday Classic Carvery is the perfect venue for family gatherings when you don't want to cook. We can accommodate groups of all sizes. Many families come to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, communions and christenings. There is plenty of room for children to move around and they always have lots of fun on the dance floor!

Admission includes dinner and entertainment. Cash Bar.

Reservations required. Doors open at 3pm.
Adults - $18.00 Children 4 to 12 - $10.00