The chicagobrunchblog.com domain will not be down for 48 hours, because there is something weird going on inside of wordpress.com itself. I have contacted customer support for Carly and I hope she doesn’t ask me what is wrong because I’m tired of giving her nerdsplanations.
Speaking of something weird going on inside of things, what is the deal with syrup infused bread? I went to Denny’s to cure an after-wedding hangover and ordered the new “Grand Slamwich.”
So, the chicagobrunchblog.com domain will be down for the next 48 hours, BUT you can still have full access to the site via http://chicagobrunchblog.wordpress.com for all of your Chicago breakfast and lunch information needs.
Much thanks to my extremely talented, handsome and completely wonderful friend/CSS guru, Mark Hauge for taking care of this technical bullshit, for which I am forever indebted to his services.
COPWATCH, an organization that works to prevent police brutality and educate the community on citizen rights, is holding a breakfast benefit to recover the costs of $750 worth of stolen equipment used to monitor the police that was being stored at the Catholic Worker House in Uptown. The benefit will feature banana pecan pancakes, tomato basil eggs, Metropolis coffee and the reward of being a good samaritan.
Brunch will be served 10:00 a.m-1:00 p.m. at the Catholic Worker House at 4652 N. Kenmore on Sunday, August 23 with a $5 suggested donation. For more information, contact program coordinator Katie Bezrouch at 708.921.6948.
Real talk: currently nursing the world’s most debilitating hangover and kind of want to throw up, but when you have a tangled life of extreme poverty and opulence, there’s a natural tendency to go a little O.D. at the open bar. Oh man, and I totally reek from all the Marc Jacobs I tested in the bougie ladies room at Macy’s last night. Kill me.
Never again, she cried again (Photo: Carly Fisher)
I digress: brunch. There’s a lot of it this weekend. Openings, closings, fundraisers and, of course, the never-ending list of brunch spots in the Restaurant Directory, where you can conveniently make a reservation.
If you haven’t experienced the most fabulous brunch variety show in town, there are two weekends left before the final curtain call for waffles and wigs hosted by house cabaret veterans, Scooty and Jojo. The Spot’s notorious Diva Brunch has had a great run this past season, but is making way for new programming. The final Diva Brunch is scheduled for Sunday, August 30, with seatings at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. A full brunch package, including campy brunch items like “Strip those eggs,” and unlimited bellinis and mimosas is only $35. Show-only tickets are $15.
Real life divas (Photo: Scott Bradley)
Those who manage to make it to this upcoming Sunday’s brunch can expect to see among the scheduled performers Lauren Wolf and Mari Stratton’s Thelma & Louisin’ Diva showcase, which should be as empowering as it is delicious.
The Spot is located at 4437 N. Broadway Ave. in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. For more information, call 773.728.8934.
Bridgeport is really the underdog of Chicago neighborhoods. Not too surprising considering that the area is repped by the White Sox, a team that forever stays in the shadow of its obnoxiously drunk sibling, the Cubs. As is the problem with overlooked ‘hoods, Bridgeport has been in dire need of some major brunch help for awhile now. Luckily, the arrival of organic eatery, Nana, which is set to open this Monday, August 24, is offering a ray of hope, serving eco-friendly brunch bites with a twist.
Inside Nana; soon to be populated with patrons (Photo: Tamara Bell)
An eclectic menu of dishes inspired from both sides of the border, stand out dishes include sweets like banana-hemp cakes and corn-oat waffles made with a raw oat, cornmeal and vanilla soymilk batter sweetened with Medjool dates, as well as savory skillets and benedicts, such as the house Nanadict: a pupusa (a thick cheese-stuffed corn flatbread) topped with crumbled chorizo, poached eggs and poblano sauce. Late risers leaning towards the lunch end of brunch have a full lunch menu of burgers, sandwiches and salads to choose from. Indecision is inevitable, so let hunger be your guiding voice. See the menu here.
Nana will open its doors bright ‘n’ early at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, August 24. Brunch is served Mon.-Fri. 6:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Nana is located at 3267 S. Halsted St. in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago. For more information, call 312.929.2486.
Torn apart by geographical boundaries and an inefficient public transportation system, can two friends find the courage to have brunch at 11:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning?
Favorite home girl eating house taters (Photo: Carly Fisher)
North Tweet 5020 N. Sheridan Rd., 773.728.5576
The house Bloody Mary alone makes the inevitable hour wait a delightful experience.
West Vella Cafe 1912 N. Western Ave., 773.489.7777
With only a few days left, Vella is choice for last minute amaranth pancakes and smashers. See the menu here.
South Little Branch Cafe
1251 S. Prairie Ave., 312.360.0101
Have a good relationship with your dentist? You’ll be on a first-name basis after sweets like mascarpone-stuffed brioche French toast.
Life in my ‘hood isn’t much different from that of the pastoral charm within the opening scenes of Beauty and the Beast: soft morning light, the sounds of birds chirping and neighbors across the street greeting each other with, “I WILL FUCK YOU UP!”
If Sunday mornings leave you feeling particularly beast-like, Mojo Spa is running a Beauty and Brunch program, featuring complimentary homemade brunch with any silver, gold or platinum combo spa package. Previous brunch specials have included: sticky toffee French toast with caramelized walnuts, berry tea poached apples with homemade granola on French toast, roasted garlic spinach Parmesan bread pudding and ginger bread pancakes with molasses maple syrup.
NOTE: Limited to 4 people per reservation. This event is not open to private parties or group events. Cancelation fee applies.
Beauty and Brunch is available most Sundays at 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Mojo Spa is located at 1468 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wicker Park. For more information, call 773.235.MOJO (6656).
Misty eyed at the impending closure of Bucktown brunch staple, Vella Cafe? Where one door closes, another must open. In this case, that door belongs to Pannekoeken Cafe, the popular Lincoln Square Dutch pancake house, which is currently expanding with a second location in the former Su-Ra Korean Restaurant space at 2257 W. North Ave. in Wicker Park. As a lazy west sider, I, for one, am thrilled at the brunch expansion that’s taken hold in this neck of the woods. The only downside is the inevitable frowning upon raccoon eyes and the encouragement of strollers.
