Photo: Carly Fisher

Chicago Brunch Blog is officially back from the Holy Land and ready for all sorts of brunch treif (that’s ‘ain’t kosher’ for you goys and girls out there). Fun fact: I ate the same breakfast every single day in Israel: hummus, pita, cukes and tomatoes, yogurt and instant coffee. And I was actually 100% okay with that. Also, I will never be able to give an unbiased review of falafel again. That said, the first thing I ate when I came home was bacon-wrapped dates, so if there was any question about my dietary practices, you have your answer.

Anyway, it’s a three-day weekend which means more brunch for you and less days off for those who work in the hospitality industry! Here’s where to brunch this weekend.

Jam
(937 N. Damen Ave. | 773.489.0302)
This is actually per the recommendation of Double A’s Daniel de Oliveira, who seemed appalled when I didn’t name Jam as one of my top three brunch restaurants while put on the spot at the NRA Show this year (that being the National Restaurant Association Show, not the National Rifle Association — though I do really want to shoot a gun…). Then, I proceeded to break a wine glass in front of the entire Mercadito staff, and he cleaned it up. So, this one’s for you! Apparently, Jam has fixed the ventilation issues that bugged me during their early start, but the past few times I was deterred by long lines (#2 Carly complaint in the book; #1 is screaming children and bad Bloody Marys). From my recollection, I dug the food and it seems like the menu has only gotten better with time. Plus, those blueberry pancakes with lemon crème fraîche from last summer are back. 2010 really is the year of second chances.

Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club
(3700 N. Halsted St. | 773.525.1111)
For entertainment with your eggs benedict, Kit Kat Lounge will be hosting a brunch bash this Sunday at 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. that pays tribute to that old broad, Marilyn Monroe, who would have celebrated her 84th birthday this weekend (those Sex and the City bitches ain’t got shit on M.M.). A live show featuring Monroe classics performed by Diva Madam X paired with a delightful brunch of house favorites like chicken and waffles with cayenne maple syrup and purple potato hash ($16) or the Kit Kat Klub (word of advice: you may need to re-evaluate this acronym) with butter-poached Maine lobster, Hass avocados, applewood-smoked bacon and tarragon mayo on a toasted baguette ($18). Naturally, Monroe-themed martinis will be available for $5, which means cheap drunks abound!

Wave
(644 N. Lakeshore Dr. | 312.255.4460)
As far as hotel restaurants go, you really have to hand it to the W Hotel for letting Kristine Subido be so liberal with their menu. Though she’s been at Wave for a few years now, Subido’s menu this past year is finally allowing her personal touches to shine, such as her new street food cocktail night on Wednesdays that stays in line with the food truck hooplah. So it shouldn’t be any surprise that Subido’s new brunch menu (unnecessarily dubbed ‘Nourish’), which launches this Saturday, features all sorts of eclectic dishes with a dash of local influence like fried chicken brined in Goose Island’s 312 beer or cheeses made in-house paired with bread from La Farine bakery. To kick off the weekend, Subido will be giving out free homemade Pop-Tarts filled with seasonal jam (all the nostalgia without the questionable preservatives!). Brunch starts this Saturday and will be featured every Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.