Business Breakfast spots in West Loop/Loop

Early in Sept, I have a business breakfast meeting to organize. The parties I am meeting will be arriving into Northwestern Station in the mid-morning (9:00am or so).

On option is the Corner Bakery right there in Northwestern Station, however I am hoping for a better option - ideally one with decent food but more critically with tables and a layout conducive to a business meeting - i.e. not a lot of traffic and ideally WIFI.

Lou Mitchells is off the table as at least one of the parties does not like it.

Any other suggestions in the near-West Loop area or just across the river in the Loop? We will be on foot and do not want to travel too far (i.e. don't want to take cabs etc) as we both have later meetings in the same area.

Most of the spots I am personally familiar with in the area are, like the Corner Bakery, not sit down places and more informal. This is not a very formal meeting, but I would like an environment suited for productive conversations.

thanks,

Shannon

Blackie's has been doing breakfasts for a while, and while I haven't tried it, I've heard more than one positive comment about it. I don't think there's WIFI (though I dont' know), but certainly a lot of business folks do lunch there, so I assume the layout is equally conducive to breakfast.

Given that their burgers and potatos and salads are better than adequate, I would assume they can also handle eggs, bacon and sausage.

I did see one of their breakfasts in takeout guise and the hashbrowns were gorgeiously crisped - nearly blackened (on request). The scrambled eggs looked just right - moist, glestening.

Where is the Blackies that you are referring to? I seem to recall seeing them in multiple locations - but have never been to any of them myself, definitely sounds promising however!

Thanks!

Shannon

How much of a breakfast are you guys likely to want? If just something light, maybe the cafe at Artopolis would work.

They open at 9 serving "coffee, desserts, breads, and artopitas"; the full menu isn't available till 11. (See their website for explanation of artopitas.)

Don't know about WiFi but the space there is nice and I bet would be uncrowded enough to talk.

Artopolis Bakery, Cafe and Agora
306 S. Halsted
Tel: 312.559.9000

There are certainly several to choose. The one I know best is at the south east corner of Canal and Monroe. Across from the Regimental Grill (another option, but, I suspect, mediocre at best) and a Starbucks.

Of course there's always the plethora of hotels. Not so much west loop, but certainly loop-ish. They obviously know how to handle business folks meeting over a meal. But they sure do rip you off. Is it an expensed occasion? (But I assume you already thought of that and opted against. Hence your query.)

mrbarolo wrote:Of course there's always the plethora of hotels. Not so much west loop, but certainly loop-ish. They obviously know how to handle business folks meeting over a meal. But they sure do rip you off. Is it an expensed occasion? (But I assume you already thought of that and opted against. Hence your query.)

I don't think it is a fully expensable meal for either of us - we both somewhat work for ourselves, the meeting is of the free ranging variety of catching up/networking etc to see whether either of us have an opportunity the other can work on - useful but not directly expensable to a client most of the time.

The hotels that I am most familiar with are all more on the east side of the Loop - so farther away than we probably want to go. Blackies at Canal and Monroe is exactly the area (and it sounds food) I was thinking of.

Artopolis is a great place, though at times a tad smokey, but also may be a bit too far away for us - we'll both have full bags w/laptops etc so while the walk is not all that far, it is a bit weather/time contingent.

thanks!

Shannon

Shannon,

I've been out of town and just got back so I'm just now responding. I would look into Emil's on Wacker drive just north of Washington, It's a pretty nice business orientated place (white tablecloth service). I'm not sure about WiFi, but it fits all your other criteria.

Emil's
101 N. Wacker Dr.
Chicago, IL 60606
312-332-4333

There is a West Egg located in the 525 W. Monroe building (a block south of the NW train station). While I have enjoyed breakfast at the West Egg on Fairbanks, I've only lunch at this one.

John R wrote:There is a West Egg located in the 525 W. Monroe building (a block south of the NW train station). While I have enjoyed breakfast at the West Egg on Fairbanks, I've only lunch at this one.

They are no longer a West Egg. The name for the past couple of years has been the "Atrium Cafe." However, it's still pretty similar to West Egg. Not bad food, but probably not physically set up to provide what you want for your meeting. The tables up front are a bit cramped and the booths in the back room are probably too much like a Greek diner. (By the way, that is the building where I have worked for the past 11 years. A lot of changes in the mediocre food in that building; thank goodness the horrible (and horribly overpriced) Briazz shut its doors a while back. Can't wait to see what replaces it; maybe they'll reincarnate the horrendous "Napoleon Cafe" ...)

Shannon Clark wrote:Where is the Blackies that you are referring to? I seem to recall seeing them in multiple locations

There's only one Blackie's.

There are several locations of Boston Blackie's.

I believe both serve breakfast. I don't know which mrbarolo refers to.

I'm sure Mr. Barolo didn't mean [non-Boston] Blackies: the Printers' Row location would be a fair hike from the train station, and their breakfasts -- though quite good for basic breakfasts -- are available only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Thanks Amata. My bad. I edited Boston B.'s name completely unconsciously.

Is it Northwestern or Union?

At Union Station (not that far away) across the street in the 311 Wacker Building the have WIFI and Pazzo's.

In the 300 South Wacker building is Crepe Cliche which has WIFI.

How are the plans for the Rib-off coming, I haven't seen activity on that thread for a while.

pd

Peter,

It is Northwestern Station - at the moment I think Boston Blackies sounds like a good option for us.

In terms of the rib off - I can't do it this weekend (out of town) and while I have had some expressions of interest, so far at least don't have enough people indicating interest who have the cars to pick up ribs from various parts of the city (I'm thinking one or two cars from the south side (Lems & Barbara Anns), one from the west side (Honey 1 ) and a car or someone taking the bus from Smoke Daddy. (With Gary of course being welcome to bring ribs from his grill along as well...)

After I get back from NYC over Labor Day weekend I'll post again on the Rib Off.

Shannon

I thought the riboff was next Saturday? I am still willing to do the south-side run (Lem's and BA's).