Chicago Foodies

The Apple Pancake, That's Not A Pancake At All

When I think of my childhood, the first thing that inevitably comes to mind is the countless number of afternoons I spent tooling with Legos. While other little girls were playing House or wielding a naked Barbie, my sister and I were on a mission to create the ideal-but-blocky Lego Town. Those were good times, simple times.

But beyond that, a memory that comes in a close second - and makes my tummy growl - is this delightfully sweet breakfast treat, Apple Pancake.

I've never been a morning person, but there is nothing that can get me to 'rise and shine' like a good, hot breakfast. As a kid (and as a bigger kid) there were many chilly Fall mornings where the only thing that could coax me from under the warm covers was this magical little pancake, that's actually not really a pancake at all.

It's hard to describe, so really, you should just make it and thank me later. But for the skeptics out there, it's kind of like a cup of custard and an apple pie had a baby. But, heck, pancake sounds a bit healthier and more breakfast-y, so let's go with it.

Treat Crew Resurrects Popular Brunch with Township Pop-Up

Humboldt Park residents were dealt a double whammy when Treat closed last year: They no longer had a source for Indian-inspired brunch dishes like savory pancakes and saag paneer, plus the space was taken over by an as-yet-unopened sushi joint. HP-UKVers can still console themselves with weekend breakfast from Bake or Rootstock, but until this now, Chicagoans have been resigned to life without Indian spiced French toast. Thankfully, Treat's former owners heard our mournful dirges and have resurrected some of Treat's most popular brunch items for a pop-up this weekend to launch their new Logan Square restaurant, Township.

Recipe - Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Caramelized Apples

Muffins, french toast, bagels...sometimes it can be challenging to find a satisfying breakfast that isn't too heavy. My personal go-to is pancakes. I tend to whip up breakfast before hitting the gym on the weekends, and these pancakes can really weigh me down. So, this time I opted for ricotta pancakes - mostly since I had some extra on hand. 

Since these pancakes use very little flour, they are almost like eating little pan fried ricotta cheesecakes. If you are gluten-free, these pancakes would probably be a great breakfast choice since there is minimal flour to substitute. They aren't incredibly sweet, so the sauteed apples really help balance out the flavors. 

Table 52 – Saturday Breakfast To-Go

A cost-effective way for your average foodie to get to try Art Smith's posh Gold Coast restaurant, Table 52 is in the morning. If you want a sampling of the restaurant's creations, pop in early on a Saturday to try out the housemade doughnuts, grab a cup of coffee or the ultimate breakfast - a hummingbird cupcake. These cupcakes are the piece de resistance, based off of Smith's famous hummingbird cake. 

The cake is a banana-pineapple combination with a light and airy cream cheese frosting to top it off. At $4 for a small cupcake, this isn't exactly cheap but it's definitely worth trying. The fruity cake will assure you that it's okay to eat dessert for breakfast... Isn't it always?

Snag a Seat for Something Sweet at Prasino

Lucky for us Midwesterners, temperatures are supposed to climb into the 70's this week and near the 80's this weekend, which can mean only one thing: outdoor brunch. It's the perfect meal to catch up on your Vitamin D and eat an incredible amount of food all at once. There are few better patios in the city than Wicker Park's new organic eatery Prasino, 1846 W. Division St.

Not only is the patio huge, but so is the brunch and lunch menu available on weekends. Well, it's not that the menu is that large. You're just going to want to eat everything on it. From scramblers using fresh veggies, to vegan tacos, to delectable pancakes and crepes you'll want to eat off the table next to you (guilty), they've got it all.

The most impressive fare has to be the inventive sweet offerings. The carrot cake pancakes are just as good as they sound. Topped with pecans and a sweet cream that perfectly mimics cream cheese frosting, they surprisingly aren't too rich. Plus, they offer that perfect carroty flavor that works well with a whole wheat batter. The banana bread french toast is next on my list to order.

Bongo Room

Bongo Room is one of those places that comes to mind when I need to wow visitors with an over-the-top brunch. This is not to say that you couldn't stop by for an average Tuesday breakfast, but your waistline may suffer as a result.

Their breakfast menu features a wide variety of items, but Bongo Room has garnered the most attention for their decadent pancakes and french toast. And as someone who owns a t-shirt labeled "I heart carbs," I have no problem with eating the nutritional equivalent of cake at 9 am, especially when presented with a slew of unique options. Blueberry pancakes? Pfft, save that for home. Here, you will spot everything from pineapple-rhubarb french toast to berry and banana cheesecake hotcakes.

Bittersweet. is all "dulce" no "agri"!

The Spanish word for Bittersweet is agridulce, but there is nothing agri at 1114 West Belmont in Chicago. It's full of dulce, but the not just for pastries! Bittersweet's soup, salad, and sandwich menu is tiny, but tight! I enjoyed the vegetable soup, half of a tuna melt, and a dark chocolate cake, too.

The veggie soup was not what I expected. It was better! Delicious, in fact. The thick veggie puree with a touch of creme fraiche felt healthy, under the guise of "veggie", but  I'm guessing it was more creme than veggie. That said, it was worth all possible calories.

Nightwood - Brunch

Nightwood is a relatively recent addition to the neighborhood of Pilsen, brought to you by the owners of Logan Square's Lula Cafe. With a market-driven contemporary American menu that changes daily, the restaurant has been hailed as a diverse bite in a sea of tacquerias. Their Sunday brunch service is an even newer phenomenon, having been around only since mid-August.

Located on an otherwise quiet stretch of Halsted, Nightwood attracts a trendy crowd of discerning locavores and fixie-riding hipsters. On this particular visit, I arrived bright and early at 10 am, out of fear that Nightwood would be swamped with Bongo Room-esque lines. Much to my happy surprise, we were able to get a table without a wait, but I expect the crowds to build in coming months as the secret gets out. In the meantime, there is ample street parking near the restaurant.

Hearty Boys Brunch in East Lakeview

I've written before that east Lakeview seems to have a dearth of really good brunch places.   The closest I have found, so far, is Nookies, which as a diner is not saying much.   There are some "popular" brunch places in the neighborhood, though I've not managed to really find out what gives these places broad appeal.

I think I've found my calling in Hearty Boys, though.  I'm a big fan of HB Home Bistro, though I unfortunately missed my chance to eat at the old Hearty Boys.   Currently most of their energy is spent on hosting team building exercises in the kitchen, as well as catering and even taking a course on hosting a cooking show.   Thankfully they have, since February, been hosting brunch.  Unfortunately I waited until now to discover it.

Pannenkoeken Cafe

I had resolved to some day venture out of my Lakeview neighborhood for brunch, and when I was promised "fat and thick Dutch pancakes", I jumped at the opportunity no matter which neighborhood it was! The name of the restaurant, Pannenkoeken Cafe (pronunciation pending), intrigued me and I was eager to learn more about these Dutch pancakes.

Big Jones

Big Jones on Clark St. in Andersonville has only been open for a couple of months but it has been getting write-ups and rave reviews everywhere you look.  My interest was definitely piqued so we decided to skip the crowded dinner rush and check out brunch instead. 

For a Saturday afternoon at 1PM the restaurant was not over-crowded and we were seated immediately.  This scored big points with me as one of my pet peeves of the weekend brunch is the hour-long wait.  The restaurant has a very pleasant, relaxing décor reminiscent of New Orleans but not overbearing.  The waiter brought us menus and right away we noticed the ample variety of southern style egg dishes with savory meats and gravies.  Hot beignets were brought to the table right after ordering and satisfied my sweet tooth, especially with coffee. 

Furama – Dim Sum on the Northside

Just across from Thai Pastry on Broadway in a part of town that's known for Vietnamese and Thai is a nice Chinese spot to get Dim Sum. Lots of the enormity and pomp you expect from Chinatown is right there. From the huge dining room to the linoleum and throwaway plastic tablecloths to the validated parking, it's an experience that I'd expect from Chinatown. Granted the decor, if you even call it that, would be subsistence-non-porous... cheap-o but the food was pretty good and in a pinch it's Dim Sum without the drive and it's legit.

The Dunkin Donuts Coupon Experience

I confess that I eat at the Drive-Thru. I've actually seen studies that show something like  90% of the people out there eat in their cars. Now I can hope that it's granola and bananas and thermoses of soup but somehow I know that it boils down to the drive-thru and if you talk to these people I would suspect that the holy grail of drive-thru is breakfast. McDonald's has been playing with the all-day breakfast option. Lunch-Time Breakfast Burrito! We'll be getting fatter as a nation.

West Egg

I had discovered West Egg over St. Patrick’s Day when downtown revealed too many bars and not enough restaurants.  It was packed with patrons spilling over in the “waiting room” at the adjacent building. We were seated quite efficiently and proceeded to eagerly pore over the menu.

Uptown Eats: Magnolia Cafe

People ask me, "How come you don't own a car?".  Sometime my answer is, "So I can afford to eat."  As an Uptown resident I live in an area that is borderline pedestrian-friendly, and if they cut bus service it will be even less so. (Thanks Rod!)

Sweet Maple Cafe: Best Omelette, Hands Down

In the mood for some good breakfast eats?  Sweet Maple Cafe will cure that hangover and then some.  This southern style breakfast/brunch nook located in the UIC neighborhood on Taylor Street will win you over once you sit down and sample the goods.  The small space is not conducive to those who wait--and most likely you will wait, but when you are among the chosen...to sit down and peruse the menu, all of those negative vibes you felt when you awkwardly stood pressed between the wall, door, or tables disappear!

Orange: Pancake Flights

Orange fits the immediate central Lakeview neighborhood, which consists of several shops leftover from the days when it was perhaps more hippy-dippy and seedy. During the weekends there typically is a long wait (25 minutes in this case), which gives you the opportunity to smell incense from the headshop next door. The interior of Orange is earthy-crunchy and has a laid back vibe to it.

Toast

I usually dislike the idea of going to out for brunch.  The thought of waking up on a Saturday or Sunday morning and standing in line for an hour, starving, while waiting to stuff myself because I’m over hungry doesn’t appeal to me.  I like to start the day out light, then go in for a big meal at late lunch or dinner.  I don’t like to blow all of my calories first thing in the morning.  But really, it’s the crowded room and long lines that turn me off first and foremost. 

Brunch at Tahoora

Tahoora, on Devon, is part restaurant and part bakery. While waiting for breakfast I scored a couple of sweets that were basically really sweet, wet donut holes they were either gulab jamun or very similar. Although I've never had it served without the bowl of sugary rosewater.

Halva Puri is a breakfast dish made from semolina, sugar, fruit and ghee. When you order it you get a styrofoam tray molded into 5 portions, T.V. dinner style. All in all you get spicy chickpeas, a potato dish, yogurt and tomato sauce, hot sauce and the halva puri.

Orange - Sunday Brunch

Last week we went to Platiyo after seeing a line in front of Orange (a block apart). This week we were up a bit earlier and arrived moments before the line started. In a review of La Taché I mentioned that it was nothing like the typical busy morning brunch spot. Orange is that busy morning brunch spot. If we arrived 5 minutes later we would have split. There is really no room for people to wait inside and it's cold outside.

But luck had it we were seated relatively quickly and amidst periodic blender whizzing we got to our food. They serve Frushi which they show you. I thought it was a cute breakfast amuse but no. It's a tease and they want $3 or $2.50 for it... Don't remember exactly. You get a piece of pineapple tied up with a floss thin strand of something that I couldn't taste and some rice and fruit maki piece that was very tasty and a pseudo sushi... watermellon not tuna that was also interesting. Worth the dough but would have rocked as a quick freebie. I tried the orange flavored coffee but did not like it. My fellow eater however did like it. It's nice that they give you a little pot of coffee. But when you have orange flavored stuff it tends to taint the regular too... in any case it was still strong and good.