NANA in Bridgeport

Brand new restaurant Nana at 3267 S. Halsted in Bridgeport. Wife and I were the 2nd customers as they just opened this morning. Beautiful bright location in an old building. Brick interior walls and cooking in sight. First impression is very good. Very happy to have something other than the local greasy spoons for b'fast. Quite daring to be opening an organic restaurant in Bridgeport but this place might fly if highly successful Chinese eclectic Han 202 is any indicator. Still will likely be tough because there's not a lot of foot traffic on this part of Halsted and these guys aren't doing dinner for now. A heck of a lot healthier than another supposedly "Healthy" restaurant in the neighborhood. My mushroom crepes were light and fluffy. Wife's fresh tasting veggie omelet was not too big, light and accompanied by excellent hash browns. Lightly crunchy on the top and not mushy inside. Fresh squeezed OJ and rich coffee. We liked that they don't automatically give you a big pile of toast. Can't wait to try hemp pancakes and other treats soon. A bit overstaffed but to be expected when you have no idea on initial popularity. Obviously a family related labor of love.

3267 S. Halsted
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 929-2486
www.nanaorganic.com

This is right in my neighborhood and will have to try it out for lunch. Thanks for putting it on my radar.

I found myself at Nana yesterday for breaksfast, having given my dad a quick driving tour of the changes on the South Side. This place is a revelation! I'm getting over a cold that spoiled my weekend, the wind is whipping up to a bazillion miles per hour, but I walk into this gorgeous corner restaurant, French door windows facing south and capturing every photon of sunlight on this cold blustery day, and those photons illuminate every inch of this white tile and maple-butcher block and brick space and bounce directly into the calm/happy center of my brain. It was like walking inside a hug from the most angelic person you know.

And the food! Truth to tell, my dad and I had the same thing, so we didn't sample broadly. But we both had the chilaquiles, and boy were they good. Not heavy, soggy, or gloppy. No, a perfectly formed rectangle of airy, melt-in-your mouth casserole with a perfect green chile sauce. And two wonderful sunny-side up eggs to go with.

The service looks good and is good. All matching black with white accent outfits, right down to the shoes. All young, hispanic and low-key friendly. All smiling in a way that looks genuine and not forced by the desire for a big tip. The staff are happy and excited to be there.

I haven't been to Han 302 yet. But Nana takes Southside restaurants to a whole new level.

I had a good breakfast at Nana a few months ago. Things were a bit of a mess outside but inside it couldn't have been more pleasant.





This is the sort of place that makes me consider getting up early to go out to eat. Bright inviting room, efficient server who brought me very good coffee right away, some interesting breakfast choices.

After considering chilaquiles, corn-oat-date waffles and a few other choices I decided on the Nanadict. Can anyone think of a dish that gets tampered with and reinterpreted more than Eggs Benedict?





Nana's version subs pupusas for the muffins, chorizo for ham, and poblano salsa for Hollandaise. I liked this plate. Both the house-made chorizo and salsa were at the tame end of the flavor spectrum, not necessarily a bad thing in a breakfast dish. Potatoes, described as home fries on the menu, seemed to be deep-fried cubes.

For now, only breakfast and lunch are served. To my eye the breakfast choices seem more interesting. Once I have my last kugelis in Bridgeport I'll have to get back for a plate of organic chilaquiles.

Nana
3267 S Halsted St
Chicago
312-929-2486
http://www.nanaorganic.com/

Redd wrote:Can't wait to try hemp pancakes and other treats soon.

Do they have "hemp brownies", too?

"Good morning," the hostess said.

A second later, "Good morning," a waiter said.

I don't know how long it's been since I've gotten two good mornings at a breakfast place. The hostess should say "good morning," that's her job, but the other one was a completely unbidden freebie. It's almost as if they wanted my business! Were happy to be serving food and see customers!

Things were off to a good start at Nana, the newish breakfast place in Bridgeport (just down the street from the newly-closed Healthy Food). The place had an attractive combination of blond wood, white paint and sunlight. It was not crowded at 8:30. They were friendly. These are not small things, in the world of Sunday breakfast.

Nana is a modern Ameri-yuppie breakfast place with a Mexican slant to the menu— chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, etc. My wife had their take on eggs benedict (pictured above), eggs on housemade chorizo on top of a cheese pupusa, with a poblano cream. This would have been great if the pupusa weren't cooked hard enough to have to saw through it. I really liked the flavors of the bite I had, the earthiness of the masa crossed with the creaminess of eggs benedict; but the texture would benefit from a dialing up on the Fluffiometer. I had something named Benicio, a potato fritter with housemade pancetta on it. (So if in-house charcuterie is reaching breakfast places, does that mean it's over as a trend? Because I'd be just fine with it lasting another century or two as one.) This had a chipotle cream with a lot of heat, and it was fine, but not as interesting as the Nanadict. The kids had sweet stuff, and one of them had buttermilk pancakes with spiced apples on it, which was pretty simple and pretty great.

Nana is a long ways from me, and it's probably a long ways from you, but it's about 10 minutes on 90/94 from me on a Sunday morning, which is no more than a lot of other breakfast places. Anyway, I'll happily drive it for this warm welcome with no waiting.

Visited for a light breakfast there recently.

Here's the good: Atmosphere pleasant, well-lit, butcher-blocky, friendly, laid-back as mentioned above. But most of all, these people have a passion for fresh, quality ingredients, from the huckleberry jam to the Metropolitan coffee (well-made). It's late in the game, but the cherry tomatoes I had in my omelet special were the best I've had all year, tangy and as purple-ish as the heirlooms I grow myself. And if you like your potatoes crispy (these are not hash-browns), here is where you want to go.

and the not-so-good: Those great ingredients will cost you $15 minimum. Worth it, but still a little rich (at least for me) for that friendly, laid-back hangout I'd like to visit 2-3 x per week. Also, ever read those recipes where they tell you to fill your omelet then fold it like a crepe? Nana takes that advice seriously, and this was perhaps the crepeyist (no pun intended) omelet I've ever had. Not dry, still a little juice to it, but I prefer my omelets more free-flowing, where egg-butter flavors dominate rather than the fresh herbs. (In retrospect, I began to wonder, did they give me (or did I order) one of those all-whites omelets by mistake? I shouldn't be wondering that, should I?)

Anyway, certainly good and intriguing enough to convince me to return (on occasion) to sample other offerings, and NOTE: Nana's is now serving dinner, with a limited and interesting menu, where again considerable attention seems to be given to the quality of the ingredients:

http://www.nanaorganic.com/live/

I stopped into Nana for an early dinner last night. I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, dinner was disappointing. The small salad with which I started was the most successful dish of the evening, a dense heaping of arugula with halved cherry tomatoes dressed with a light vinaigrette. Very simple, very green. I also ordered the pan-fried lake perch, per the recommendation of the woman behind the bar. The fish was cut into narrow, smelt-shaped pieces and piled Jenga-style. For me, this deconstructed presentation--which seemed also to dry out the fish--clashed with the more wholesome, back-to-the-land (-lake?) vibe I was getting from Nana. The side of hazelnut wild rice made up for any moisture lacking in the fish; the grain was sopping wet. And lacked hazelnut. The one somewhat redemptive element of my entree was the ancho-honey butter laid under everything, slightly sweet with just a hint of heat. By dessert time, I was told that the chocolate pudding with blood orange-rosewater mousse I intended to order had been sent back to the kitchen by three tables that evening, and they were no longer serving it.

My meal was a reminder that the use of high-quality ingredients isn't necessarily enough to make really delicious food. The seeming gap between concept and execution at Nana is a shame because it's a friendly place and of the type Bridgeport seems to need given the full house last night. Maybe the Sunday family-style dinners are the way to go. Last night, it was fried chicken, with some sides and dessert for $22 per person. Or I could get over my brunch aversion and go back earlier in the day for eggs.

My post-dinner plan was a digestif at Bernice's Tavern--trying to diversify beyond my Maria's habit--but I had sloshed about in the rain all day and opted for home instead. Next time.

Sorry if this has been already posted, but Guy Fieri & "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" was filming at Nana in March. Have no idea when the airdate is. This makes me bummed, because I like the show. Yes, Guy is rather cheesey and his schtick is wearing on me, but the food on that show always looks good, and I give them props for not endorsing chains, but local joints.

Airdate for the "DDD" show on Food Network is 9/26/11, 9 PM.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/diners-drive ... index.html

We visited here for the first time this evening. I was pretty excited, since it seemed like a nice place to go, and so close - right around the corner! It had hangout potential.

Alas, it is not to be. My first impression was when I went in a few mornings ago to look at a menu and suss out the baby-friendliness of the place (very). In response to my "good morning, may I see a menu?" I received a glare and a brusquely proferred menu. Oh, okay. Screw you, then. But the wonderful-sounding family-style dinner of fried chicken, biscuits, mac n cheese, slaw, salad, and deviled eggs with candied bacon brought us there anyway.

Unfortunately, it was a little disappointing. First off, I asked on a whim if the deviled eggs contained raw egg, thinking surely not, but they did. Is it just me, or should that really be disclosed right off the bat, given the health risk of salmonella? So I didn't get to try the eggs. Everything else was fine to decent, the mac n cheese was outstanding, but it wasn't really $22 worth of amazing. Uncommon Ground prices without Uncommon Ground quality. Too bad.

Had brunch there at the beginning of the week and really, really liked it.

Posted a pic with an invite to a bunch of folks for a Sunday night dinner.

I'm looking forward to going back with the omnivores.

I went on Saturday around brunch time for the second time (the first being in either February or March of this year).

The first time, I ordered the special, which was a seafood sausage (shrimp and scallop I believe) omelet with avocado and lime cream. It was quite good. I wasn't a huge fan of the bloody mary, it tasted too much like fresh tomato and not enough like tomato juice. That is just a matter of preference I suppose.

On Saturday, the brunch items were not speaking to me, so I went with the shrimp and fried oyster po'boy. I guess it was featured on DDD, as they were playing the episode on the TV at the bar (which I thought was a bit tacky, but funny).

The sandwich was great. It was a mess though. The arugula could have been cut up a bit. The cajun mayo was excellent and it was on the proper bun, unlike many other po'boys in the city.

I had a fig and almond old fashioned. It was a perfect fall drink.

That being said, I think that Nana is a bit overpriced for what you get. I will surely be back though.

-Todd

pairs4life wrote:Had brunch there at the beginning of the week and really, really liked it.

Posted a pic with an invite to a bunch of folks for a Sunday night dinner.

I'm looking forward to going back with the omnivores.

Just in from the meal with the omnivores. Sorry, there are no pics. Chicken was well done--darkly fried, like someone's grandmum back home would do it-- and described as moist. My mum-in-law took 3 pieces, and if you know her, you already know she never goes back for seconds of anything!

Service was a bit off, but I will be gracious because we were a party of 15-16 and there was a party of 10 sitting just opposite of us, and a party of six a table or 2 down from us.

Folks also adored the Manhattan with the ghost pepper and the cheddar biscuits.

My tofu skewers with haricot verts, cress, tomatoes, peppers, and black-eyed pea hummus was large and really, really good. I wished they would have left the black-eyed peas whole, but whatever.

Still it was terrible for chatting with everyone in our party because it's a cool-kid's spot so it was exposed-brick walls and hard wood floors.

I have mixed feelings because so much of going out to eat is about being able to talk to your dining companions and in this way Nana falls way, way short.

Visited Nana late Sunday morning for one the the best breakfasts I have had in a long time, albeit one of the more expensive ones.

Our original plan was to try brunch at Amelia's Bar and Grille on Halsted. Allow me to rant on that disaster a moment:
Planned to try their brunch this past Sunday because we heard so much good about the breakfasts here. Checked the menu and website the night before, and also the morning before we left to be sure of the opening time of 10 A.M. and arrived with our party of six at 11:00A.M. The restaurant was dark and closed! No signs, no phone answering message, not even an update on the website.

Calling them later in the evening to ask why the website was not updated, or signs in the window, the manager's response was "We would lose business." Huh? WTF? He then told me: "you should have called the night before to ask if we were open", and "you should have called first to make a reservation". Wow...way to handle a legitimate problem pointed out by a customer who went out of his way to bring guests to YOUR restaurant instead of the thousands of others in the city.

So, Plan B was to head to Nana's. What an awesome detour it ended up to be! We waited about 10 minutes for our table, and were invited to sit at the bar. We were greeted by the owner, and he made a few suggestions as to what was getting raves from the customers. Everyone here is very warm and welcoming and we appreciated that.

We started with a couple of cappuccinos ($4 ea), probably one of the better, if not the best ones I've had in the city. My wife and I decided to share a side of the Mac N Cheese, and added bacon ($4 sm, +$2) . The thyme was just a bit too overpowering to taste the truffle oil I so wanted to taste within the cheese, but it was still great



For something savory, I ordered the "Chef's Mess" Home Style Skillet ($16), which was really good, with biscuit crust, smoked ham, bacon, egg, cayenne pepper, green onions, heirloom tomatoes, yellow cheddar, and topped with shoestring potato, and a side of tasso gravy - just wonderful and loaded with full flavor. Loved the chunks of biscuit crust inside the skillet as well.



My wife ordered the Cherry Stuffed French Toast ($12) that came with some type of berries, almonds, and chocolate whipped cream. Can't say enough on how much we enjoyed this sweet item as a finisher to the skillet we shared.


We left with a few leftovers, and I can't wait to return to try other items off their very innovative menu. Dinner looks like another good choice. Their drink concoctions looked like something we would really enjoy.

Total breakfast tab was $48.00

We visited Nana again last Friday, but this time for dinner, hoping to find a suitable Lenten dish or two. It had been about 7 hours since I came off anesthesia at a local hospital for a minor-ish procedure, and I was hungry for some real food to put on top of the graham crackers and juice they gave me. You can't get any better than to treat your body to Nana (too bad I could not order one of their excellent drinks!) I cannot comment on each ingredient, as I'm not remembering the menu detail very well, but I will attest to the food quality, presentation and flavor, as the staff and Nana seems to take each dish to the limit.

For a starter, the Spring Fish Soup was excellent, with a dollup of what I believe was a ramp pesto. It all was really delicious.



For the entree, I had to try the Oyster/Shrimp Po'Boy. The amount of steps and preparation that go into the construction is very impressive (as seen on TV!), and I think we all can appreciate that from them.




I neglected to take a photo of my wife's entree, but she ordered the Grilled Prawn Étouffée served on poblano-cheddar grit cake, with pickled green tomatoes, wild arugula - which is an entree size appetizer. It was a perfect pairing of that great cajun sauce and the maiz grit cake.

For dessert, we shared the seasonal dessert of the day. It was a coconut maccaroon served with cara cara orange Black Dog gelato - WOW - all so simple and amazing.


So, once again, Nana came through with some excellent offerings and got me on the road to recovery.

Nana
3267 S Halsted St
Chicago
312-929-2486

The wife and I hit NANA for breakfast after running in a nearby 5K this weekend. We both really enjoyed it.

I had the breakfast sandwich, which was served on a housemade English muffin and included housemade bacon. The wife had the special omelet which had smoked ham, asparagus and I think some other things. Both were served with some of the better home fries I've ever had. I think someone upthread mentioned that they thought things seemed pricey, but with the sandwich at $10 and the omelet at $12 I'd have a hard time complaining (especially given the quality of the ingredients being used). Service was also exceptionally friendly.

I don't really find myself in NANA's neighborhood too often, but I'd certainly go back if the opportunity presented itself.

I’m a little delinquent making this post; we visited about three weeks ago with four friends. We ordered a lot as a group so we could share tastes and, as a result, between small tastes of many things (not everything is pictured here) and time passing, my recollections are less-than-perfect of some of the things. Too much food! As a result, I’ll invite my friends to chime in on their own dishes as well as their take on the place as a whole.

First note: depending, of course, on your starting point (ours is Evanston), this is not a quick or easy trip. And on a Saturday early evening, the Kennedy can be deadly. Took us an hour just to get here and raised the question, why is this particular restaurant, given its emphasis, here? The answer, we were told, was simple: this is where the owners grew up and this is what they wanted to do. Hard to complain, though I have to admit it still seems like cognitive dissonance to me. But I won’t say it doesn’t fit for the simple reason that they seem to be doing a good business and have for a number of years now. Further evidence: all the people in the house. Other evidence: the length of time it took to get things (though maybe that’s evidence of a problem. Hmmm.) Worst of all, the length of time it took to get drinks.

Our server, whose name I have mercifully forgotten, was a throwback. Every one of us was “honey,” or “sweetheart.” Gum-cracking (no, not literally) and larger-than-life and not even remotely my cup of tea. It may not be an issue for you, but I find the older I get, the more the server’s personality can make a big difference in the allowances I’m willing to make. She was a little, uh, off-putting to me. But the key, ultimately, is the food and, despite several excellent dishes, I don’t see returning. Nothing exceptional, nothing extraordinary, and nothing compelling us to return.


Empanadas (ground beef, chimichurri sauce)
Very good. At this point, my memory has become a bit hazy, so I can’t go on about the filling or the pastry or even the chimichurri. Just an overall recollection that this was on the plus side of the ledger and I’d order them again.


Avocado Fries (cilantro, chipotle-lime aioli)
Just plain odd. The pieces of avocado were breaded and deep-fried; nothing else in the way of flavor was added that I could tell and so you’re getting pretty much plain, unadulterated avocado. I like avocado, but these could definitely have used something to set them off.


Crispy Chickpea Frites (date agrodolce, garlic aioli, harissa honey)
Not very crispy by the time they reached the table. The date agrodolce was quite good, but limp “frites” are generally not a taste treat.


Tostones (crispy plantains, pulled pork, cilantro-lime slaw, harissa honey)
Very enjoyable. As the picture shows, the portion was very generous for finger-food and everything hit the mark. Would order these again in a heartbeat.


Blue Scotch Kale Salad (massaged Michigan kale, avocado, cherry tomatoes, pickled red onions, cojita cheese, citrus vinaigrette)
A lot going on here. All of it good. We’d never heard of “massaged” kale until Paul Virant introduced us to it at a farm dinner out at Slagel Family Farms. Till then, kale had always been one of those greens that was good for me but that I didn’t particularly enjoy. This is now twice in a row that I’ve actually enjoyed it and would have it again.


Chickpea Crepes (mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, spring onions, micro greens, cashew cream sauce)
Surprisingly (to me) good. Reading the description, it seemed to be just another of the seemingly countless variations on a universal theme. Maybe it was the nut sauce, I don’t know. But very enjoyable.


Pan-Roasted Half Chicken (cilantro- lime quinoa, grilled asparagus, agave jus)
I have this nice pic of a nicely presented dish but I simply cannot recall tasting it. So I offer the picture until others can chime in.


Ancho-Chile Braised Short Rib (bacon & brie mashed potatoes, spring onions, sun-dried tomatoes, braising jus)
Although the mashed potatoes were good (hard not to like mashed potatoes with bacon and brie), they were a little too rich and given the very heavy, rich flavor of the short rib—which was excellent—maybe not the best choice of to accompany. But then, I’m not the chef. For a more nuanced appreciation, I defer to the others. I do recall thinking it was a very good rendition, though.


Roast pork with gnocchi
Good. The orderer professed himself quite happy with his choice. I guess the way I’d put it: I liked it, but not enough to order it on a repeat visit. (And, by the way, how much time would it have taken to actually melt the cheese?)


Lamb Tenderloin (spinach gnudi)
Really enjoyable. This was a special that night and I found it excellent. The lamb was done almost perfectly (perhaps a shade on the underdone side) but the meat was top-notch and the sauce (which, sadly, I do not recall) was excellent as well. The spinach gnudi were, as the picture shows, overdone and dry. I think had they been taken off the fire at the right moment, they would have been a superb side. But what a pity to ruin such a terrific special with poorly executed gnudi.


Pistachio rum cake
The consensus hit of the desserts. We had three and I don’t recall anyone at the table who didn’t like this one. Nothing fancy, nothing too complicated—just well-done, moist, and delicious.


Flourless chocolate cake
A good version if this is your preference.


Chocolate sformato
Yes, it’s there, hiding under the (over-)generous shpritz of whipped cream (the real thing). The sformato was rich, had terrific flavor, and was positively lovely.

All in all, we’re not likely to return. That’s partly a function of location and partly a function of the food. A number of good things, but nothing so impressive that it beats too many options that are all far closer. Combined with the service issues and, for me, the server herself, I just can’t see returning. If we were ten minutes away, we’d probably give it another shot for convenience, but otherwise….

Warmed Klug Farms cider, homemade English muffins and sausages, cream of tomato and split pea soup, kale salad, empanadas, Metropolis coffee, and Cuban meatbomb sandwich: all bites just fine at Nana this week, which remains a warm, welcoming, and well-organized room. I'd get here more but for Amelia's, Zaytune, Pleasant House, Ed's, Northern City, Homestyle Taste, Dusek's, Nightwood, Skylark, Han 202, and everything else good in this quadrant. With the rotation of visual art and some holiday touches, it's a really nice place to stop through this December.

Happened to be in the South Loop, so wasn't much of a drive for dinner last night. A very nice meal and a good option when in the area.

Avocado fries, the really good Blue Scotch kale salad (avocado, roasted red peppers, pickled red onions, cojita cheese, citrus vinaigrette, equally good cauliflower salad (mixed colored cauliflower, crispy brussel sprouts, parsley, chives, celery, black olive oil, preserved lemon vinaigrette), chickpea crepes (seasonal vegetables, chile- cashew cream sauce, radish salad) - good but the crepes with a bit too thick, more like a pancake, awesome ancho-chile braised short rib (bacon-brie mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach, tomato relish) and a delicious pistachio rum cake.

Very knowledgeable and friendly server. No longer BYO, but my wine was still allowed with a corkage.

Appreciate the organic and local farmer suppliers. Will be back with our vegetarian daughter when she is home from school, since it is a vegetarian friendly menu.