Upscale birthday brunch on north side?

Full disclosure: I am generally not into brunch. I'm not a sweet breakfast person, and I find I can make my own eggs and coffee without having to wait in line. In other words, I don't know anything about the brunch scene.

That said, I'm looking for a somewhat upscale spot for a birthday brunch this weekend, in particular one with options that will appeal to non-red meat eaters. We're on the north side, and headed to Garfield Park Conservatory after brunch. Any suggestions in between Ravenswood and Garfield Park for a nice brunch? Hopefully this question isn't repetitive or too broad.

Thanks.

My standing recommendation for brunch is Big Jones. See http://bigjoneschicago.com/brunch.html

There are lots of other threads on the site about brunch. You might find this one useful:
Sunday brunch in or near the Lincoln Square area...

Big Jones
5347 N. Clark
Chicago, IL
(773) 275-5725

I always think Lula can't be beat for brunch, and you'd be a straight shot down Kedzie to get to the conservatory.

I think Lula may still be closed as they're renovating the kitchen--nothing on the website that I saw about a reopening date.

Other options might be Analogue and Fat Rice in Logan Squate, Bistro Campagne and Fork in Lincoln Square, Bristol and Trencherman in Bucktown/WP, or Publican in the West Loop.

I have always found Sola in North Center to be a beautiful (and somewhat upscale) place for a celebratory brunch. The menu has some great non-meat options. It's mentioned only briefly on the Lincoln Square brunch thread linked above but in this case meets all of your criteria.

Sola
3868 N. Lincoln
(773) 327-3868

Mexique is overlooked for brunch and as a result is very easy to get a table. Really good vegetarian options too. Unfortunately the menu on the website doesn't have an updated menu but expect about 10-12 dollars a plate.

Thanks everyone! Any and all other recs also appreciated. Sorry I missed the above thread.

I haven't been in years, but I remember enjoying the Flying Saucer for brunch.

Flying Saucer
1123 North California Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
http://flyingsaucerchicago.com/

boudreaulicious wrote:I think Lula may still be closed as they're renovating the kitchen--nothing on the website that I saw about a reopening date.

Per Facebook, they opened today.

Darren72 wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:I think Lula may still be closed as they're renovating the kitchen--nothing on the website that I saw about a reopening date.

Per Facebook, they opened today.

But unless something has changed, they don't take reservations for weekend brunch.

How big is your group, and would you prefer a place that accepts reservations? (I believe all of those mentioned thus far do, with the mentioned exception of Lula.)

The above recommendations are really very good ones.

I'll mention one more; it's my favorite brunch in Chicago, but it may or may not fit what you're looking for. Shaw's Crab House in River North does an amazing, albeit expensive ($55), all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch. There's so much food that you can easily make it your big meal of the day. Breakfast dishes include thick-cut caramelized bacon (still my favorite bacon, all-time, ever, anywhere), benedicts, and made-to-order omelets. Lunch/dinner type dishes include crab cakes (best in the city), Alaskan king crab legs (hot and cold), shrimp cocktail, and a carving station with prime rib. Desserts include crème brulee (also best in the city) and chocolate pot de crème. It's a splurge, so it's perfect for a birthday.

We're four, and reservations aren't completely necessary. I think we'll try Lula, arriving before 11 to hopefully avoid the biggest rush. We're headed to Parachute for dinner that night as well, so will respond back to LTH on both counts.

Thanks again

I'd maybe have a backup plan for Lula sunce the first weekend back and a decent weather forecast will likely have them packed by 11. Personally, I hate waiting, especially during the winter where there's really nowhere to go.

As a former Logan Square resident, I support the Lula recommendations. However, I did want to throw out one place that, while it might not be appropriate for this situation, I have enjoyed for brunch before the Garfield Park Conservatory. Inspiration Kitchens has a pretty solid brunch and is located on Lake Street about a block or two from the Conservatory. They also serve as a training program for folks struggling with poverty and homelessness. The times I have been there, the food has been very good with a little bit of a southern twist. I too am not a huge brunch person, and the menu skews towards more savory things with a decent number of lunch options on the menu (sandwiches and such). It's also BYOB (again, not that fancy) if that is something you are interested in.

It might not fit the bill here (as it is not particularly upscale or on the north side), but in general, it is a good option for conservatory goers.

Inspiration Kitchens
3504 W Lake Street
www.inspirationkitchens.org

boudreaulicious wrote:I'd maybe have a backup plan for Lula sunce the first weekend back and a decent weather forecast will likely have them packed by 11. Personally, I hate waiting, especially during the winter where there's really nowhere to go.

I agree. I've been to brunch at Lula. There wasn't all that much of a wait before 10, but by 11, there was quite a long wait. At most of the popular brunch places that don't accept reservations, the big crunch on Sundays is roughly between 9:30 and 1:00.

If I were willing to go to a place that doesn't take any reservations, I'd go to Jam. It's my favorite place for brunch in the city, when I'm not in the mood for a big blowout at Shaw's. Imagine what it would be like if a guy with background at Charlie Trotter's and North Pond went out and opened a casual, inexpensive breakfast/brunch-focused place, and that's what Jeff Mauro has done at Jam. It's awesome, particularly for the creativity of his cuisine.

Jam is also only a block from Lula, so you could always go to Jam and if the waits are terribly long, walk over to Lula to see if they're any better there. But both places are pretty darn popular for weekend brunch.

nsxtasy wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:If I were willing to go to a place that doesn't take any reservations, I'd go to Jam. It's my favorite place for brunch in the city, when I'm not in the mood for a big blowout at Shaw's. Imagine what it would be like if a guy with background at Charlie Trotter's and North Pond went out and opened a casual, inexpensive breakfast/brunch-focused place, and that's what Jeff Mauro has done at Jam. It's awesome, particularly for the creativity of his cuisine.

Jam is also only a block from Lula, so you could always go to Jam and if the waits are terribly long, walk over to Lula to see if they're any better there. But both places are pretty darn popular for weekend brunch.

Interesting. Can anyone confirm that Jam is or isn't BYOB?

rtb178 wrote:Interesting. Can anyone confirm that Jam is or isn't BYOB?

I'm pretty sure it IS.

EDIT: I am mistaken. My bad. Thanks for the correction, GP!

Darren72 wrote:My standing recommendation for brunch is Big Jones. See http://bigjoneschicago.com/brunch.html

There are lots of other threads on the site about brunch. You might find this one useful:
Sunday brunch in or near the Lincoln Square area...

Big Jones
5347 N. Clark
Chicago, IL
(773) 275-5725

I opened this thread just to recommend this place.

I feel I must object to any post about Sunday brunch at Big Jones that doesn't mention their yummy beignets.

nsxtasy wrote:

rtb178 wrote:Interesting. Can anyone confirm that Jam is or isn't BYOB?

I'm pretty sure it IS.

Jam is NOT BYOB. I called and asked.

Jam Resturant
3057 WEST LOGAN BLVD
CHICAGO, IL 60647
(773) 292-6011
http://jamrestaurant.com/

Gather in Lincoln Square might be an option as well. I've never been there for brunch, but the two times i have dined there for dinner have been impressive.


Gather
4539 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 506-9300
http://www.gatherchicago.com/

If you are willing to travel a bit south GNR Nightwood, does a great Sunday brunch. It is owned by folks who own Lula. And, it's a secret, they do take reservations for brunch.

pairs4life wrote:If you are willing to travel a bit south GNR Nightwood, does a great Sunday brunch. It is owned by folks who own Lula. And, it's a secret, they do take reservations for brunch.

Given your route, it's less out of the way than Lula, too.

Don't miss the made-to-order donuts!

If Lula gets too crowded, check out Longman & Eagle also on Logan Sq, as a backup. They can get pretty crowded, too (I don't believe they take reservations either), but they offer a pretty good "pub" brunch (try the duck egg hash):

http://www.longmanandeagle.com/eat/brunch/

Reporting back. We ended up at Jam, which had only a fifteen minute wait. The food was absolutely outstanding. Highlights included the omelette with Spanish chorizo and white anchovies, and the waffle special: potato hash waffle with thick sliced corned beef, poached egg, and juniper gastrique.

We'd happily recommend Jam, and look forward to trying the other recommendations on this thread. Thanks again, everyone.

Great! Glad it worked out. And thanks for letting us know where you ended up.

My guess is that non-reservation brunches generally have shorter waits on Saturdays than on Sundays (all else being equal), but I haven't done enough brunches on Saturdays to make an actual comparison.

TOC did an analysis of Sunday brunch wait times a few years ago; click here.

nsxtasy wrote:Great! Glad it worked out. And thanks for letting us know where you ended up.

My guess is that non-reservation brunches generally have shorter waits on Saturdays than on Sundays (all else being equal), but I haven't done enough brunches on Saturdays to make an actual comparison.

TOC did an analysis of Sunday brunch wait times a few years ago; click here.

Interesting. One thing to add re: time is that Jam quoted us 30 minutes, and we went down a few doors to grab a pre-brunch coffee (normal, right?). By the time we got our drinks at the coffee shop, they were ready for us.