Darren72 wrote:We had an incredibly good breakfast/brunch at Lula this morning.
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Prices are great also.

A couple of notes. Lula has an expanded brunch menu on weekends, compared with its regular breakfast menu the rest of the week. It's a good choice, especially if Logan Square is convenient for you. I've eaten there for Sunday brunch outside in warmer weather, and it's very pleasant (and you can stroll through the farmers market around the corner afterwards). While their prices are comparable to other higher-end places, bargain-seekers may be disappointed. You can check out their menus, including prices, on their website.

OK, i've been tasked with finding a brunch place for 6 people on a sunday morning, the occasion is my grandma's 80th birthday. we're flying in from boston for the weekend (and are planning our 3 days around getting to the violet hour, hopleaf, hot dougs, etc), but need somewhere reasonably fancy for the brunch. grandma does not have gourmet tastes (big boy is her favorite local restaurant), but will like to have a fuss made over her.

i went to brunch at the signature room like 8 years ago and remember it being OK, plus she likes "the water," so that could be good. on the other hand, their drinks are so crap that i'm scared of what their $42 buffet would taste like.

are the other hotel buffets even more expensive? are they worth it? most of the websites list things included in the buffet, but no idea of price, so any guidelines would help. i know most of the places listed on this thread sound great for me, but are probably a little too crowded and weird for grandma-- plus we must be able to make reservations, which i know places like southport grocery don't do.

thanks in advance!

i'd recommend erwins for brunch. sunday morning street parking on halsted is easy, the place is intimate, attractive. the food is excellent, but not too fussy for someone who loves Big Boy. below is a link to their brunch menu. i'm sure, with advance notice, they'd do something special for your grandma, dessert-wise. i'm not a fan of buffet brunches, particularly hotel brunches. justjoan

http://www.erwincafe.com/frame.asp?P=B

OK, i've been tasked with finding a brunch place for 6 people on a sunday morning, the occasion is my grandma's 80th birthday. we're flying in from boston for the weekend (and are planning our 3 days around getting to the violet hour, hopleaf, hot dougs, etc), but need somewhere reasonably fancy for the brunch. grandma does not have gourmet tastes (big boy is her favorite local restaurant), but will like to have a fuss made over her.

I'm making the assumption that you're staying downtown - perhaps someplace like Eleven City Diner or Yolk would be something worth looking at. Very accessible by cab from any downtown hotel, especially on weekend mornings, and I'm sure they take reservations.

Eleven City Diner
1112 S. Wabash
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 212-1112
http://www.elevencitydiner.com

Yolk (South Loop Location)
1120 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 789-9655
http://www.yolk-online.com

I ate at the "American dim sum brunch" at David Burke's Primehouse in the James Hotel today. I thought it was just excellent - the food, the service, and the overall experience. I've described it in detail in the topic about that restaurant; click here to read my post. You'll find other comments about their brunch from others earlier in that same topic.

lettezilla wrote:OK, i've been tasked with finding a brunch place for 6 people on a sunday morning, the occasion is my grandma's 80th birthday. we're flying in from boston for the weekend (and are planning our 3 days around getting to the violet hour, hopleaf, hot dougs, etc), but need somewhere reasonably fancy for the brunch. grandma does not have gourmet tastes (big boy is her favorite local restaurant), but will like to have a fuss made over her.

i went to brunch at the signature room like 8 years ago and remember it being OK, plus she likes "the water," so that could be good. on the other hand, their drinks are so crap that i'm scared of what their $42 buffet would taste like.

are the other hotel buffets even more expensive? are they worth it? most of the websites list things included in the buffet, but no idea of price, so any guidelines would help. i know most of the places listed on this thread sound great for me, but are probably a little too crowded and weird for grandma-- plus we must be able to make reservations, which i know places like southport grocery don't do.

First, I recommend going to a place that accepts reservations, so grandma doesn't have to stand around waiting in line (and neither do the rest of you). That rules out breakfast joints like Yolk, Bongo Room, etc.

I think the luxury hotel brunches, in general, do a great job at what they do. However, if I were planning for grandma's 80th birthday, I would probably avoid one of the luxury buffets (such as Seasons, in the Four Seasons hotel). I don't know about your grandma, but mine wouldn't be too happy having to get up and go to the buffet table round after round after round (and that's almost mandatory at Seasons, since there are separate buffet setups in separate rooms there). OTOH a place like David Burke's, where you're seated and they come serve you at your table, would be ideal. It's $35 and I would say yes, it's worth it. I think that's a bit less than Seasons, which I've been to (I think Burke's is a better value) and a lot less than NoMI ($55), whose brunch I have not been to.

Here are several other places that do a seated a la carte brunch and accept reservations: Atwood Cafe in the Burnham in the Loop; Sweets and Savories in Lincoln Park (the neighborhood); and North Pond in Lincoln Park (the park itself). The setting of North Pond in the park facing the pond is exquisite and it's one of our most special restaurants, truly unique for that reason (and the food is excellent); however, note that it's about a block walk from the nearest drop-off point, so if grandma has trouble walking, that may be a consideration. Otherwise, North Pond would be a great choice.

nsxtasy wrote:I go to M. Henry for the same reasons so nicely articulated by earthlydesire. (Particularly the blisscakes!) Even though, unlike him/her, I'm not right in the neighborhood.

I love the bread pudding, blisscakes, but most of all the Killer Fried Egg Sandwich:




fannie's killer fried egg sandwich
toasted sour boule layered w/ two over-medium eggs, applewood bacon, sliced plum tomatoes, gorgonzola, & fresh thyme and served with house potatoes.

we try to go every other weekend or so.

I adore both M Henry( the bread pudding should be available during the week) and Lula, however, there is no way I would do either with six people, one being a grandma, on a weekend, unless we were prepared to be there when the doors open!

The surfaces are hard and those places are packed. So conversation would be difficult plus you would probably be disinclined to linger. My husband and I had a similar issue this past Sunday. My mum-in-law will be 83 in 8 days. We were also meeting three other people (six in our party).

My husband despises the wait for breakfast food that exists at M Henry, Lula, Toast, Sweet Maple, and many other yummy breakfast places. I was not the least bit inclined to be out of my warm bed on a Sunday morning around the time the sun rose. After much discussion, we settled on a 10 am meeting at Fox and Obel, they even have free parking.

He dropped us off and went to park a few moments before ten. We rushed in and I headed over to the atrium side expecting it to be empty and quiet. I was shocked to discover it was packed and there was not space for six. I then hurried back over to the cafe-side and it is just now ten am, and there are not sufficient tables for six. I hover and manage to see a guy leaving at the back of the room, voila six was now available. My mum-in-law and I cover coats and scarves over the area and then head back to the front to check out the menu.

It is standard breakfast fare, you order and pay at the counter and then they bring the food out. We managed, although they brought my mum-in-law french toast, instead of the waffle she had ordered. They fixed it. Still it was loud and packed!

My suggestion, if you are not a fan of the buffets at the hotels-- they do generally let you linger for their over-priced offerings (The Lobby, at the Peninsula, is not bad and it is pleasant for conversation--albeit pricey), is either Green Zebra, they do not open until eleven am, but if you are there at that time you should not have a problem being seated.

My next choice, albeit a bit pricey, would be North Pond. I took my mum-in-law there for Easter Brunch(they do not do that in England) and she really enjoyed it. She is generally quite simple in her food choices, but she went on about that place, both the food and the setting, for weeks. She is, however quite agile, and if anyone has a problem walking(someone mentioned this earlier in this thread) then I would phone North Pond first, I think there is a closer accessible entrance with a car drop-off.

Enjoy and let us know where you land and how things went.

thanks for the suggestions.

We live at Clark & Balmoral so M. Henry is just a short walk for us. we're both 27 so it's not a dealbreaker to stand for 45 minutes waiting (usually much less for just a 2-top). We go into it knowing we're going to stand for awhile and just accept it. I wish they would expand but I don't know where to. Maybe the jewelry place, but not En-Thai-ce because we like that place.

pairs4life wrote:My husband despises the wait for breakfast food that exists at M Henry, Lula, Toast, Sweet Maple, and many other yummy breakfast places. I was not the least bit inclined to be out of my warm bed on a Sunday morning around the time the sun rose.

There are literally dozens (maybe even hundreds) of places around Chicago that serve brunch on Sundays and accept reservations. Most start serving brunch anywhere from 10 to 11, and continue through early afternoon. If you want to avoid waiting and avoid early hours, stick to those. Just to give you some ideas (and I'll limit it to places in the city; there are many in the suburbs too): David Burke's (see above), Between (a personal favorite of mine), North Pond, Bistro Campagne, Bistro Margot, Bistro 110, Big Jones, Cafe des Architectes, NoMI, Seasons, the Ritz-Carlton, the Lobby, Deleece, Fiddlehead Cafe, Tallulah, Salpicon, Shaw's Crab House, Sola, the Signature Room, and Sweets and Savories.

Oh, and you may want to call before heading downtown to one of the brunches in the luxury hotels. When I ate at Burke's a couple of weeks ago, I happened to walk through the Lobby at the Peninsula Hotel, and their buffet brunch looked quite nice. I almost went there this past Sunday, but I thought I'd call first to ask how much they charge. Good thing I did. It was $62 (and no, that's not a typo) - more than NoMI ($55) or the last time I went to Seasons, a couple of years ago ($50). Yikes! Which makes Burke's quite the bargain at $35. Most brunches aren't anywhere near that expensive, and many places show brunch menus with prices on their websites.

i guess it's just me but I forget that people have cars, lol. I live life in Chicago without one and I walk to my restaurants. People mentioning Big Jones and M. Henry in the same breath as the Signature Room downtown, for breakfast, just puzzles me. Those are so far apart! But again, I don't drive.

Pauline's is a nice diner on Balmoral a bit west of Andersonville. CASH ONLY!

Chitown B wrote:i guess it's just me but I forget that people have cars, lol. I live life in Chicago without one and I walk to my restaurants. People mentioning Big Jones and M. Henry in the same breath as the Signature Room downtown, for breakfast, just puzzles me. Those are so far apart! But again, I don't drive.

I mentioned all the places I did to illustrate possible suggestions for everyone, not just those living in Andersonville.

That being said, one big advantage to going out for Sunday brunch is that, if you have a car, early Sunday is the one time of the week when you can usually drive just about anywhere without encountering traffic delays, and on-street parking is usually easy (and free) as well. For example, getting from Andersonville to Between in Wicker Park might take up to an hour during Friday drive time, but it's only 15 minutes or so by car (or cab) for Sunday brunch.

oh I understand, I just don't think in terms of anywhere that is not walkable by me so I forget there are a lot of great places far far away

Went to Erwin for brunch on a Sunday recently. Not terribly impressed. The selection is limited (no pancakes, only banana french toast, etc). The food was not hot, and they forgot several things we ordered (and brought them too late to be useful). The potatoes were tasty, but completely mushy with no crispy on them at all. They were pretty empty at 11 am. They do take reservations.

Chitown B wrote:oh I understand, I just don't think in terms of anywhere that is not walkable by me so I forget there are a lot of great places far far away

My husband is the same way. Me, I will travel to the ends of the earth for food I enjoy. We do have a car, but frequently I go to brunch when My husband is fishing in WI (car is with him). We live in the Near North area and I have taken public transportation to Andersonville, Tri-Taylor, Logan Square, Ukranian Village, and the Mag Mile area without a 2nd thought ( all for the love of a good brunch, or any good food). So far I have not taken public transportation to my beloved Brown Sack ( but I am sure I could be persuaded) .

Does anyone know if Between is open for brunch yes this year? I was on their website and it said brunch would resume January 2009? I could call yes, I will tomorrow, just thought maybe I could get a quick answer on here.

Lula Cafe!

It doesn't get any better! Brunch or not, this is one of the best restaurants in the city, along with Avec and Schwa.

They have a full brunch menu Sat & Sun, with a few brunch items daily. Closed Tuesdays.

www.lulacafe.com

Does anyone know if Between is open for brunch yes this year?

The answer is no.

Just tried Jerry's for brunch a few weeks ago. I've generally become a big fan of theirs because I like the beer selection and that you can typically find seating as opposed to standing all the time. Brunch was a pleasant surprise though. Had one of their rotating specials: an fried green tomato sandwich with egg, country bacon, Louisiana hot sauce and mayo. It was killer. The house mac and cheese is also pretty great in my opinion. I've had a few of their sides and they've all been great.

Another thing I like about Jerry's is the interior. I went there the day after I had my birthday party, so I was definitely fuzzy that morning and was really glad to avoid a place bustling with strollers and too much brightness. The colors there are sort of subdued and even though they have floor to ceiling windows, the mesh blinds allow sunlight to come in without being blinding. The place isn't anti-family by any means — they have high chairs available and I think there are some sandwiches kids might like. It just seemed to be filled with more well-behaved kids? Maybe I was lucky. Either way, it definitely wasn't the first place I'd think of going to brunch at, but I was really glad I did.

Jerry's Wicker Park
1938 W. Division Street
Chicago IL 60622
773.235.1006
http://www.jerryssandwiches.com

Great thread...

Has anyone been to the Hearty Boys studio for brunch on Sundays? I am planning on going this Sunday (it's only opened on Sundays) and wanted to know the skinny. The Handheld Cardomom Waffles look pretty great, but I'm a sucker for all things cardomom.

http://www.heartyboys.com/documents2/restaurant/brunchhome.html

Went to Hearty Boys for brunch a few weeks ago. Dan and Steve are exceptionally nice and are pretty good about working with the limited space they have in their new restaurant.

Pros
- homemade biscuits with rose butter are amazing. I could eat a whole tub of that rose butter
- Dan and Steve are awesome. I mentioned to Dan off hand how I wanted to try the ovaltini but I thought it might be too rich with my pulled pork hash, so he brought me a complimentary taster of it and it was amazing! It's nice cardamom flavor balanced out the sweetness, and the alcohol amount wasn't over the top, but enough to generate a worthwhile buzz.
- Wait time wasn't outrageous
- Service was top notch
- Caribbean crab cake benny was really tasty

Cons
- The space. It's just too crowded for my tastes. When I wanted to head to the restroom, I felt like I was knocking into tables that were a little too close for comfort.
- The pulled pork hash and eggs. I thought this was pretty bland and disappointing. I think this would do better if it had a barbecue flavor to it, or some kind of spice. The potatoes were tasty and crisp and the eggs were done right, but the pulled pork was too mushy and bland. Even with a ton of salt and pepper, this just didn't hit the mark. Again, the biscuits disappeared quickly
- Tang cube mimosa. A novel idea and noble effort to make their own tang cubes, but the sugary sweetness of the cubes just didn't mesh well with the champagne. If I were to do it again, I'd probably go with the Ovaltini instead.

Overall, I'd definitely go back. I think the pulled pork hash could use some work, but it's not like I wouldn't give a different entree a try. The menu has a lot of interesting options and not every one is going to be a winner. Staff is friendly and table turn over is pretty quick (possibly because it's just north of the major Boystown strip and still pretty new?). It's pretty cozy, but not so much that I would nix it.

Hearty Boys
3819 N. Broadway
773.BIG.YUMM
http://www.heartyboys.com

I had brunch at the Hearty Boys last weekend and liked it. My party of 2 was seated without a wait at about 11:30 am. I had the andouille biscuits and gravy which was sliced-lengthwise andouille and biscuits and gravy. The biscuits were the crumbly kind and were tasty and fresh, the gravy good but could have had more pepper and the andouille was ok but I've had better andouille. I just thought it had a slightly off flavor and could have been more smoky.

I tasted the breakfast shepherd's pie and liked it. It featured chive-scrambled eggs, crumbled sausage, crumbled sage, crispy shredded hash browns and the same gravy mentioned above. The flavors worked well together and there was a nice combination of textures.

I also tasted the cardamom waffles, meant to imitate the Belgian zucker waffles (a la Baladoche). The waffles are topped with sesame seeds and served with a burnt caramel creme. The waffles themselves had a wonderful texture - crispy outside, tender and warm inside. The cardamom flavor was noticeable yet subtle. But the creme was not very good - sour and hardly sweet. Had the creme been sweet, this would have been an excellent dish, but the waffle itself is not sweet enough to rescue the poor creme.

Service was excellent - friendly and timed well. Service was so good and food interesting enough that I'm sure I'll try it again.

I tried brunch at the Hearty Boys catering space this Sunday and really enjoyed it. I had the spiced pumpkin pancakes. The pancakes had a lot of pumpkin flavor, and the spices weren't overly aggressive--very well balanced. They were served with a lingonberry compote which complemented them well. My friend had mascarpone stuffed french toast--I had a bite; delicious. The menu was different from what is posted on line, so it seems like they'll be rotating items. I didn't get a chance to try any of the drinks, but they looked good too.

What stood out for me was that the portions were normal sized. I love brunch, but sometimes at places like M Henry or Tweet, I feel like I lose the day to sluggishness from overeating. (I know, I could just stop, but it's unlikely.) Here, there was plenty of food, but not so much to induce a coma. The service was friendly and, while there was a short wait, it wasn't more than 10-15 minutes. Overall, I had a very good experience and would recommend it as a place to meet friends in the future.

I had lunch during "brunch" hours at Ina's last Saturday and as I sat there eating my wonderful smoked pulled pork hash topped with poached eggs and sipping an enjoyable chardonnay . . . and looked around . . . I remembered how so very comfortable the restaurant is and how good the food can be. If someone's in the River North, Fulton Market, West Loop or Randolph St. Market District neighborhods on the weekend, Ina's should probably be on the list of possibilities.

Here's a link to my recent report about the meal at Ina's:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=14994

Tried Hearty Boys again for brunch Sunday. One thing that's nice about this place is that it flies a bit under the radar. We first drove by Over Easy and noticed about 30 people waiting outside (rough when the place only seats about 30). So we arrived at Hearty Boys just before noon and did not have to wait for a table. Note that most (but not all) of the tables seem like over-sized stainless steel kitchen trays, on wheels to boot, and have less than comfortable high chairs. Once you get by that (assuming you can), service is very friendly and the decor is attractive and welcoming.

This time, I tried the southern fried chicken sandwich which was served open faced on focaccia and topped with an over easy egg and marinated tomatoes and served with what they said was a smoky ranch dressing and truffle french fries. The sandwich was decent but flawed. The bread was a disaster -- stale, too oily, and crumbling apart. The chicken was very moist, but the breading was a bit too thick and also burnt in a few spots. It was somewhat tasty, but missed that buttermilk zing. The marinated tomatoes and perfectly cooked egg were excellent however, and really helped. I would serve this sandwich on an over-sized biscuit or biscuit halves, which fixes the bread issue, and then this would probably be a really nice sandwich. If I order this again, I'll ask to substitute a biscuit for the bread since I really liked the biscuit on my first visit.

The truffle fries were really good though. Although the white truffle flavoring might have been a tad subtle for me, the flavor was still nice and the texture of these skin on fries was excellent. They were crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, likely the result of a double fry.

Disclaimer - I am friends with both the chef and sous chef at Jam.

My soon to be bride and I went to try out Jam on Sunday morning, their 3rd day I believe, and had a great meal.

Scone - More like a really buttery biscuit with a flakey texture but delicious with room temp butter
French Toast with Lime Cream - Best dish of the day, buttery, almost as savory as sweet but with lots of maple syrup to add
Pork Belly Benidict - Really solid pork belly, homemade englist muffin, best hollandaise sauce I've had in a while, eggs were over poached
Monte Cristo - Salty ham, acidic mustard jam and bitter rapini in between french toast put on the panini press? Make your own conclusions about this one!
Rice Grits - I am from the south and diden't get it until he explained but seasoned well and very tasty.

Overall a great meal for the two of us with lunch to take home. I would be suprised if there is not quite a wait however on the weekends as it was 10:30 when we left on Sunday and there were already 8-10ppl in line out the front.

Enjoy,

Bourbon

Bourbon,

Sounds like a good meal. What/ where is Jam?

Kenny

Sorry,

I read more post than I add!

Jam is a brunch/lunch spot that the owners of Chickpea on Chicago have opened.


Address is

Jam, 937 North Damen Avenue, at Walton Street (773-489-0302).

Excited to hear more opinions.

http://www.dailycandy.com/chicago/artic ... This+Jelly

Bourbon wrote:Jam is a brunch/lunch spot that the owners of Chickpea on Chicago have opened.

Excellent. I'm in that hood a lot, and this sounds like a good spot. I like Chickpea, and the idea of homemade English muffins very much.

I went to the Riverside Deli two weekends ago for Sunday brunch. I'll echo what many have said about the experience: it wasn't the best brunch I've ever had, but the eclectic (bizarre?) array of food choices, wonderful atmosphere and $12.95 price tag have certainly vaulted this restaurant into the upper echelons of my "Best Brunch" list.

In terms of setting, the Riverside Deli is essentially 1/3 grocery store, 2/3 restaurant. The knick-knack filled dining area (which was about 1/2 full at noon) is kitschy without being overbearing, and there is an outdoor patio as well. As for the food, over the course of my brunch (during which I purposefully avoided more prosaic offerings such as French toast, scrambled eggs and bagels) I managed to sample:

Plantain Chips
Polenta Muffins
Sauteed Eggplant and Squash
Vegetarian Soft Tacos
Mini-Reubens and BLTs
Beef Empanadas
Cuban Rice with Chorizo
3-4 Different Types of Pasta Salad
Eggs Florentine
Fresh Grapefruit and Pineapple
Various store-bought cookies, a slice of chocolate cake, and a Ho-Ho (c'mon, who could resist the novelty of seeing an unwrapped Ho-Ho on a white serving plate?)

Was any of it extraordinary? No, but for $12.95 the buffet spread absolutely exceeded my expectations.

One thing that often goes unmentioned is the Riverside Deli's BYOB policy. Bring a bottle of champagne to brunch, and they will be happy to supply you with fresh orange juice for mimosas (there was no corkage fee, and the price of the OJ was negligible).

Again, I would highly recommend this spot for an untraditional and affordable brunch buffet.