corned beef hash and eggs at mather's

I had a breakfast meeting at Mather's this morning. It sits on 83rd and Wabash, just east of the Damn Ryan. I had never been so I figured I was just heading to some little neighborhood spot, ready to talk over eggs or whatever. It's super easy to find with a new-ish sign and I parked in what felt more like a bank or a clinic parking lot and then came around the corner. There taped in the window was a sign that read "Free Kidney testing today!" Hmmm, I thought, so this must be a clinic on one side and Mather's on the other. Kind of like how Jimmy's on 55th is on one end and the dyalisis place is on the other. I came around the corner, found only one front door and the sign said "Mather's - More Than a Cafe."

Turns out they're not kidding, in the best possible way. Mather's is a homey restaurant but it's also a senior resource center. So you can get yourself a Denver omelette and if you're over 55, go take a computer class, or get a health screening or work out in the small but lively exercise room. (But when you're in the cafe, you don't see any of these other rooms!) I am not over 55 and I felt totally welcome as the three hostesses greeted me warmly. the cafe is a simple set-up, you go to the "line" and order your food, they give you a number and then one of the volunteer waitstaff brings you your plate. I want to add the the decor was very cozy and bright and although there were quite a few older folks, right across from me was a woman my age seemingly catching up on paperwork over breakfast and then a mom came in with her two daughters. It did not feel like eating in a sterile or sad senior center.

I ordered 2 eggs over easy with toast and hash browns and then waffled over the meat choice. It was either bacon, sausage or corned beef hash. I asked the young woman taking my order what she recommended and she said, "Oh definitely go with the corned beef hash." So I did.

I did have to wait a bit for my food but I truly didn't mind as I caught up on my calendar and enjoyed the sunny room. And then a tiny woman, whom I later learned is Ms Christmas and 93 years-old, brought my plate out with pluck. "Oh here you are dear, very good for you!" (One of the things that is funny about Mather's is even though it's in a senior center with the goal of helping seniors make healthy choices, they have not shied away from the butter, the frying pan or the meat choices! This is the kind of senior center I'm going to be coming to!)

My eggs were absolutely perfectly cooked. (I ordered them over easy) and they sat on top of a pile of heavenly corned beef hash which had nice hunks of crispy, smoky but not too greasy meat. I probably didn't need the hash browns, which were the chunky not the shredded variety. My toast came "buttered" ( or margerined) which again, made me grin. One thing I really appreciated was that the portion size was right on. (And maybe here is where they're being "healthy.") The was not a mountain of hash browns or 2 pounds of corned beef hash. I couldn't even finish what I had but it was refreshing to get a portion that wasn't bonkers.

The breakfast was $3.19 but the corned beef hash was an extra $1.59. While I was enjoying my hash I saw a plate of biscuits and gravy go by, even though I didn't see it on the menu.

I will definitely go back if I find myself in the neighborhood (or stuck on the Dan Ryan). They serve breakfast and lunch and I was told on Fridays they do a fish fry and bake.

If anyone else has been, let me know what you think. Oh and for you Dat Doughnut fans, it's just a straight shot east down 83rd to Buttermilk and Blueberry old fashioneds and yes, I did stop and grab some on the way home.

bjt

Mather's
33 E. 83rd St.
773-488-2756
closed Sundays, breakfast and lunch only

Interesting report. There are two other Mather’s Cafes in Chicago (3235 N Central and 7134 W Higgins) and another in Des Plaines. I’m not sure if they are all the same general setup but I think so (I know someone who worked at one).

Yes, they're all the same deal. The concept is to give seniors a hangout in their neighborhood without isolating them from younger neighbors, friends and family, which is why the cafes are open to anyone. You can also order meals for carryout, so quite a few seniors pick up dinners to eat at home after the cafes close in the afternoon.

Menus offer breakfast all day, salads, sandwiches and daily hot-lunch specials, such as lasagna, garlic shrimp, baked half chicken and an all-you-can-eat fish fry on Fridays. The food is prepared fresh daily and, while it's been some time, I enjoyed the lunch I had there.

Thanks for the reminder, bjt. I'll have to stop in again sometime.

Mather's -- More Than a Cafe
7134 W. Higgins Road, Chicago 773/774-4804
3235 N. Central Ave., Chicago 773/205-3300
33 E. 83rd St., Chicago 773/488-2756
52 E. Northwest Highway, Des Plaines 847/291-2386
www.matherlifeways.com

I wandered into the Mather's on Higgins one spring a few years ago. A sign enticed me in advertising the "Friday Fish Fry" and another that said "Open To Everyone". The fish was good, but I have to say that, as a few decades short of their target demographic, I was made to feel anything but welcome. Haven't been back since.

On the other hand, as I was picking up my cannoli at Alegretti's today, I noticed a menu card touting Mather's as a breakfast destination. No mention was made on the card of Mather's having the support of an older population as part of their mission; it was all about the eggs & oatmeal. So, maybe they're refocusing themselves these days.

Giovanna