Posts Tagged ‘breakfast’
Waffles in the South Loop, Chicago
By Summar Ghias
The concept is simple. In a world where brunch still reigns supreme, why not open a place that focuses solely on waffles?
That place is literally called Waffles. We’ll knock off a few points for originality, but perhaps the intention was to be perfectly clear. The South Loop joint, which was voted best new breakfast by Time Out Chicago this year, pays homage to the doughy goodness by serving everything from zen green tea waffles to the more hearty and Southern inspired chicken-and-waffle combo with a spicy maple syrup.
My Mexican chocolate waffles with orange anglaise and shaved dark chocolate. I don't usually mix citrus and chocolate, but this proved I should go out of my standard food box more often.
The Bluebell Cafe in Gramercy
On an early Sunday afternoon the wait for brunch at The Bluebell Cafe in Gramercy is literally spilling onto the sidewalk. Of course a busy restaurant is always a good sign, but on a weekend with afternoon plans already in place, the Best Friend and I decided to reschedule. Since Bluebell serves breakfast (the meal with our most favorite food choices!) until 11 a.m. during the week, we returned to enjoy the French cuisine fused with traditional American home-style cooking the following day, Monday morning.
The Bluebell Cafe
Bluebell can be best described as a place that’s reminiscent of a relative’s house where you might go for Thanksgiving. It’s warm and cozy and has the feel of being a favorite local small town drop-in. For breakfast we ordered to share: over-easy eggs, buttermilk biscuits, wheat toast, buttermilk pancakes and blueberry pancakes served with maple syrup and dusted with powdered sugar, and Brioche French toast served with berry compote and lemon curd.
Breakfast
I can be a bit indecisive at times so I almost always ask to mix up the offerings on restaurant menus because I want a little bit of everything. At Bluebell, this started as soon as I saw the pancake menu. Like that pack of butterfly-and-hearts covered cotton undies that your mom left on your bed after a Kmart run back in the ’90s, the pancakes at Bluebell come in a set of three. Problem was, I had to choose between buttermilk and the day’s special: blueberry.
Pancakes
Brunch at Peels in the East Village
Apparently Hamid carries around hard boiled eggs with him in the morning
SO after multiple failed attempts, Hamid and I finally made it to Peels, one of his favorite spots for brunch. Every time we’ve tried to go there before on the weekend, it ends up being kind of a wait and we give up. But this was a Friday morning and after our workout, we went straight over and were seated right away. The place itself is so cute and I found out later that its owned by the same people who run Freemans, another slightly hidden alley restaurant in the LES (I personally think their dinner trumps their brunch their though!!).
A peek inside
Cute condiments
This would sort of explain the restaurant’s country-style home aesthetic, though this place is a little more roomy with two levels of seating areas. They pretty much serve traditional American and comfort foods, but I tried to be “good” so I ordered their spa eggs (egg white omelette, sautéed spinach, onions, goat cheese). Hamid could afford to eat a little richer since he’s practically always at the gym as a trainer so he got the fried chicken sandwich (not fair, but I was strong).
Spa eggs, $11
Fried chicken sandwich, $12
Blue Dog Cafe in Midtown
Last weekend, I was trying — trying — to get some writing done bright and early in the morning right when I woke up at 11 AM. But on an empty stomach, I could barely get myself to write out a sentence. And it was one of those occasions in my kitchen where I had like five boxes of cereal but no milk, butter but no bread, pancake mix and no energy, etc. I wanted something quick too since I had a whole day planned that required me to be out and about, not sitting in front of my computer.
Blue Dog Cafe
I asked my cousin/roomie, Safia, where we can grab a quick breakfast and her eyes lit up as if she’s been waiting for me to ask her this all morning:
“Oh Shy! There’s this place I pass by everyday to work called Blue Dog Café and I’ve been meaning to check it out! Let’s go!” {direct quote}
Punk Rock brekkie: Bleeding Heart Bakery & Cafe in Chicago
By Summar Ghias
Brunch may just be my favorite pastime. But brunch well past standard brunch timings at a 24-hour café essentially morphs me into a kid in a candy store. You can only imagine my excitement at hearing about the new Bleeding Heart Bakery & Café, a welcome bright spot in Chicago’s otherwise dismal late-night dining scene. The restaurant has an edgy diner vibe with vivid tattoo inspired art on the walls and what the owners dub a “local sustainable punk rock brunch” all day, every day.
After road-tripping to Indiana for a concert (yeah, Lupe!), some friends and I were in need of grub. Not just any kind of grub though. Once we’d confirmed that the food was delicious (because really, the host would have told us if it wasn’t), we set out to order from the brunch menu and eye the well-endowed glass counter from afar in all its munchkin and mini-cake mound glory. After oscillating between sweet and savory, I settled on a wild mushroom polenta eggs benedict with roasted red peppers and what seemed like an exotic twist on the standard condiment: persimmon hollandaise. My friends got the farmer’s veggie skillet, the seasonal fruit pancakes and, wait for it, the fried vanilla bean yeast doughnut breakfast sandwich with eggs and cheese.
My disappointing but tasty looking Wild Mushroom Polenta Benedict.
Buena Vista Bistro in the Design District – Miami
Faraz's Orangina-slash-contribution to my Buena Vista post
My trip to Miami a few weeks ago was a whirlwind, but I still managed to squeeze in brunch at Buena Vista Bistro before I left with my friends Shahla and Faraz. I think Paris was still on their minds (they came back from there just the evening before!), because Buena is a pocket-sized French bistro on a street that doesn’t have much else in the immediate vicinity.
Buena Vista Bistro - Miami
Buena Vista inside
The inside has a very 50s aesthetic — black tables and chairs, mirrors making up half the wall and the entire menu written on a chalkboard behind the counter. But on that warm day, we decided to take it outside under the shade of bright yellow umbrellas.
Eggs Benedict
