Chi Does Brunch's 2016 Top Five Summer Brunch Spots
Brunch lovers in the city probably agree that Summer brunch in Chicago is the best meal of the seasons; You get to lounge in terraces, rooftops and outdoor seating while you cool down with mimosas and frozen bellinis. An Eggs Benny just tastes better when you're under the sun.
The Chi Does Brunch surveyed lots of restaurants around the West Loop, River North and Lincoln Park to select the top five places to brunch this summer before it's over. Each one won a Chi Does Brunch Award for their individual best they bring to the brunch table.
BEST ATMOSPHERE
Summer House Santa Monica
Summer House Santa Monica takes the Chi Does Brunch Award for the best atmosphere. Its laid-back vibe transports you to the coasts of California with its open-ceiling terrace, outdoor seating and beachy wooden decorations that can make anyone forget they're in the city.
When it comes to the selecting what to eat, we recommend a dish from their sweet options. Their savory ones we tried failed to excite our palates.
Chi Does Brunch loved their Blueberry Pancakes you can see above. They tasted undercooked just in the right way; the moist outside kept the inner dough fluffy enough to taste like the raw batter, sweet but not too sweet. They also had the perfect blueberry count so we were able to taste them in every bite as they broke the buttery flavor with some natural fruit sweetness.
BEST AVOCADO TOAST
The Dawson
The quintessential brunch dish is made by many, but none have accomplished what The Dawson has done for the avocado dish. What makes it stand out from the rest is the addition of complimentary flavors this new and improved avocado toast gets from it's unique recipe. Only putting some fresh avocado on even the best bread ever can come across as bland. At this restaurant though, they've turned the two-ingredient recipe around by adding some unexpected yet detectable ingredients.
The thick loaf of bread sat at the bottom without being toasted to a crunch. The avocado mix was brought to a refreshing new life with chunky pieces of roasted tomatoes which added some moisture to every bite. It was the pesto sauce that really made this dish shine to stardom. The sauce gave the fresh sensations that only its mix of basil, olive oil, parmesan and garlic can bring to highlight the avocado. The poached egg on top of the avocado made this dish whole. Although it could have used more eggs the one we got was cooked perfectly to melt its liquid yolk over the toast and avocado the second we sliced into it. Frisee lettuce on top of everything surprisingly completed the dish with it's bitter taste and crunchy quality.
BEST WEEK-DAY BRUNCH
Little Goat Diner
If you can't for the weekend to eat breakfast foods past noon, you should hit the Little Goat Diner in the West Loop and yes, it's also by the same creator of the renown Girl and the Goat restaurant.
The diner won a Chi Does Brunch Award for offering brunch options during weekdays even though they don't have a proprietary Brunch menu, which most restaurants don't usually offer until the weekend. Here you can order from any of the Little Goat Diner's three menus (breakfast, lunch, dinner) at any time.
We loved the Bbq Pork "sammich" on their lunch menu. The thin sliced pulled pork brought the fat elements with its falling-apart-in-your-mouth quality. The meat was complimented by the generous amounts of smokey hickory sweetness in the bbq sauce. We got a crunchy tang from its slaw that worked to contrast the buttery texture of the spicy mayo. Griddled white bread encased the mixture with some needed carbs to mesh it all together. More importantly, it absorbed the salty pork broth served on the side for dipping.
BEST "UNCH" OF BRUNCH
Bar Sienna
Let's be honest, sometimes we just crave the lunch part of Brunch. If you're that one person in your Brunch squad, you should visit out pick for the best "unch" spot; Bar Sienna. You can enjoy lunch dishes while your friends dig into the breakfast ones. The best part? You can all enjoy sipping on fabulous cocktails.
Chi Does Brunch's go-to dishes there are their varied and unique pizzas options. We loved the Burrata and Grilled Eggplant pizza. It's dough was toasted to a crunch and on it sat the light tomato sauce that tasted natural and fresh but not too strong, it served as a base to allow for the top ingredients, tomato, basil, burrata mozzarella and grilled eggplant, to star the dish. The vine ripened tomatoes - sliced very thinly - were were not necessary, you already got the tomato taste in the sauce and it just made the texture soggier than it needed to be. The basil leaves, chopped in large pieces rose to the top of my pallet, tickling it with an almost minty flavor that highlighted the pepper spices sprinkled all over the pizza. The slices of eggplant showed an charred outer skin that had its starchy and earthy taste absorb and mix harmoniously with the burrata more than anything.
BEST MUSIC
Hampton Social
Those in need of good live music while they brunch are in for a treat at the Hampton Social. The restaurant features live performances by local singers who play tunes that pair great with their coastal design and the act of day-drinking brunchers love. The neon pink motto sign on their leafy-green wall's says it all;
Our favorite dish? The chicken and waffles. The chicken nuggets were not your usual fried chicken bits, these were both sweet and spicy, sort of like buffalo wings, making them a strong force to be reckoned with when eating this dish. We were glad that the spicy element was not overpowering the smokey barbeque sauce that worked as a sort of syrup to the somewhat bland waffles. In all honesty, these shouldn't have to work so hard with all the flavor the chicken brought.
