Sugar & Brown's, River North

I had the most amazing chicken sandwich last night. The "Tuscan Chicken Sandwich" from Sugar & Brown's.

The chicken breast was warm and succulent, and remarkably flavorsome. The roasted tomatoes, basil and bullafo mozzerela complemented perfectly. And the side salad was just as good. I chose the lime-champagne vinegarette (I think that's what it was . . . ), which seemed to have a touch of miso in it too. Very tasty.

The price was not cheap (~$9), but the portions were generous, and the quality top-notch.

The place was empty though, and clearly overstaffed. Or at least the staff were not being kept busy enough -- actually they got in the way, and made things over-complicated. However, I'm sure these are problems that will be fixed in time, and as the place gets busier.

The decor was very chic, and they have a few gourmet deli items in a mini-market type set-up.

Sadly, I can see this place being over-run by "the beautiful people" and being very popular for the local yuppies at lunchtime, but until then its mine, all mine!!!

Can't wait to go back and sample more . . .



Sugar & Brown's
http://www.sugarandbrowns.com
158 W. Ontario St.
Chicago, IL 60610
312 787 8427

Visited Sugar & Brown’s for breakfast the other morning. What a strange place. Since our office moved to the corner of LaSalle and Ohio, I’ve been looking for a good quick takeout breakfast.

This is a modern-looking, vaguely feng shui room. The menu looks okay-to-promising.

I got what was basically an Egg McMuffin, complete with the odd egg-disc, though much thinner (and a little less gross, perhaps) than that served at the big McD’s across the street. Not good at all.

A co-worker says the lunch menu is pretty hit or miss. I’d love to know the hits (or the misses, I guess).

Oh, one really annoying thing about this place, you get one of those big light-up, noisemaking buzzers that they hand out at T.G.I. Cheesefactorbee’s to notify you when your order was ready. There were maybe 3 of us waiting for our order.

I also noticed that the tables are equipped with “press button for service” that reminded me of an airplane seat or a hospital bed. The place isn’t that big. Some tables had three of these things (maybe three small tables pushed together).

I don’t expect this place to last very long, but I also don’t know much about that sort of thing. Had I seen this post before, I probably would have gone back for lunch.

Not on the level of S&B at all, but folks in my office sometimes get quick carry-out breakfast from Brett's Kitchen, at Superior & Franklin. They have good sweet breads (not sweetbreads) like banana bread, etc, and a grill that can crank out bacon and eggs and the like.

I think you can also get carry out from the Ohio House (is that your new office? )

Brett's Kitchen
233 W Superior St, Chicago, IL
(312) 664-6354

Ohio House Coffee Shop
600 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL
(312) 751-2038

I was excited about this place because they serve a lobster roll but when I called in last week they didnt yet have any lobster to speak of, so I'll check back again to see if they have it in this week. It's tough to find anywhere in chicago that does a decent lobster roll!

germuska wrote:Not on the level of S&B at all, but folks in my office sometimes get quick carry-out breakfast from Brett's Kitchen, at Superior & Franklin. They have good sweet breads (not sweetbreads) like banana bread, etc, and a grill that can crank out bacon and eggs and the like.

I think you can also get carry out from the Ohio House (is that your new office? )

Thanks, germuska. Not the Ohio House itself. We bought the building across the street with the furniture store on floor one.

I'm only there maybe once a month, but this is good information. I've stepped inside the Ohio House diner, and I look forward to a meal there. Take-out sounds somehow less appetizing.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sugar and Brown's, the gourmet food store and restaurant on Ontario in River North has closed.

germuska wrote:Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sugar and Brown's, the gourmet food store and restaurant on Ontario in River North has closed.

Wow! That was fast.

=R=