Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
133
1748 N. Wells St., in Old Town (
&
312/337-2454
); and 3334 N. Halst ed St., in
Lakeview (
&
773/248-9888
).
Go to
Orange,
3231 N. Clark St., at Belmont (
&
773/549-4400
), for a fun
twist on breakfast foods. Try the Green Eggs and Ham— eggs scrambled with
pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella, and panc etta. There's a k ids' menu, too, making
this a popular choic e for families. But a warning t o all those with hung ry kids
(and par ents): C ome early or lat e; the line f or a table winds outside during
prime weekend brunch hours.
Linc oln Park's
Toast,
746 W. Webster St., at Halst ed Str eet (
&
773/935-
5600
), is homey yet slightly funky, and kids are encouraged to scribble away on
the butcher block table coverings. Breakfast includes a twist on the usual diner
fare. Pancakes come in all sorts of tempting varieties, from lemon/poppy seed
drizzled with honey to the “pancake orgy” of a strawberry, mango, and banana-
pecan pancake topped with granola, yogurt, and honey. Come early on week-
ends, though; by 10:30am or so, there's guaranteed to be a lengthy wait.
WICKER PARK/BUCKTOWN
The brightly c olored
Bongo Room,
1470 N. M ilwaukee Ave. (btw. Evergreen
Ave. and Honore St.;
&
773/489-0690
), is a neighborhood gathering place for
the hipsters of Wicker Park/Bucktown, but the restaurant's tasty, creative break-
fasts have drawn partisans from all over the city who feel right at home stretch-
ing out the morning with a late breakfast. (
A caveat:
Don't bother trekking over
here for weekend brunch, when you'll have to wait an hour or more for a table;
it's much more pleasant eating her e during the w eek.) The same owners also
run
Room 12,
1152 S. Wabash Ave. (btw. 11th St. and Roosev elt Rd.;
&
312/
291-0100
), in the S outh Loop; the f ood is just as good as at the Wicker Park
restaurant, and it tends to be less crowded.
5
Maggiano's
ITALIAN A gr eat pick for large gr oups, M aggiano's is a shrine to
family-style Italian dining. Like many of its fello w Lettuce E ntertain You r estaurants,
Maggiano's feels a bit contriv ed, with traditional I talian red-checkered tablecloths and
old family portraits (which family, we'll never know), designed to create the feel of Little
Italy throughout the nine separate dining r ooms. Still, heaping plates of pasta meant to
be shared make M aggiano's a good choice for a large and budget-conscious family . In
fact, everything on the menu is supersiz e. Steaks are all mor e than a pound, and most
pasta dishes weigh in over 25 ounces. You're expected to share dishes, pass things around,
and try a little bit of everything. The menu is vast and features Italian pasta classics such
as chicken and spinach manicotti, eggplant Parmesan, and meat or marinara lasagna, plus
chicken, veal, steaks (tr y the P rime New York Steak al Forno Gorgonzola, a strip steak
served with carameliz ed onions and melted G orgonzola cheese), chops, and seafood.
There's no kids' menu, but the kitchen will accommodate with smaller por tions. Down-
stairs, a banquet room accommodates parties of 20 to 200. On holidays, Maggiano's has
live music.
