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Brunch is a bitch, people.
Whether it's finding a spot that serves a decent array of both breakfast and lunch options or finding a place without an hour-long wait on a Sunday, brunch is one of those meals that has the potential for as many headaches as the Sapphire & Tonics you mainlined the night before.
But maybe Chicagoist is just jaded.
No matter. On a recent Saturday on the so-chic-it-sort-of-make-us-want-to-throw-up-we're-serious stretch of Southport Avenue between Addison and Belmont, Chicagoist and some friends had the occassion to grab breakfast/brunch/whatever at Southport Grocery & Cafe.
Our friend has been rallying for a couple of years now about this place and we'll be honest: we are a little leery of brunch locations that don't include waitresses with ten-pounds of pancake makeup and a Greek working the door. With some notable exceptions -- Orange, Ina's and the super-cheap O'Donovan's brunch just to name some -- we are not in favor of "cute" or "trendy" brunch spots.
Despite it being so gosh-darn cute -- it doubles, obviously, as a small, gourmet grocery spot -- Chicagoist was pleased. Fresh ingredients, a simple, yet imaginative menu and friendly service marked our visit and caused us to reconsider our generally harsh stance on every urban hipster's favorite meal.
Here is what we liked: the omelets ($8). We had the fresh spinach, tomatoes & sage white cheddar omelet and peppers, red onion, queso fresco & tomato tortilla sauce with portabella salsa omelet. Chicagoist cannot quite adequately explain how much we appreciated being served an omelet that didn't taste like rubber and wasn't the size of our head. Each had a perfect balance of filling-to-egg.
Here is what we loved: the bread pudding pancakes ($7). These things? They are like crack. Actually, Chicagoist wonders if in fact they lace them with crack because the entire table went nuts over these things. These delightfully fluffy, yet simple, pancakes are dusted with powdered sugar and served with a side of vanilla custard sauce.
Plus? When we told the staff we had to be somewhere at 11 a.m., the actually went to the trouble to make sure our food got to us on time and that we were out the door with minutes to spare.
Here is what irritated us: Call us crazy, but does it strike anyone else as odd that at 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning they'd already be out of POTATOES? The omelets are supposed to come with roasted red potatoes and we were told that they were "almost out" of them as we ordered. They were lucky we prefer fruit in the morning. Just the same, it's a poor showing when one of your core items is absent during your busiest time.
Southport Grocery & Cafe, 3552 N. Southport, 665-0100, Mon-Fri 8 a.m. till 7 p.m.; Sat 8 a.m. till 5 p.m.; Sun 8 a.m. till 3 p.m.
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having just escaped that neighborhood (for a reason, i might add), i must correct you in saying that the truly awful stretch of southport does not begin until about roscoe and ends farther north of addison, up around grace, maybe.
and the question remains - what was the price (range)?
and is there really a grocery? or is it mostly a cafe?
It's a little of both, Jen. Really. It's not overwhelmingly one or another. Cafe, however, usually implies small, which it is. There were about six tables inside? Maybe 8? There was seating outside, too.
Oh man, bread pudding pancakes. I've got to try those!
While living in the Wrigleyville/Southport 24 hour drunkfest has its pros and cons, The Southport Cafe is perhaps one of the three reasons that keeps me sane. The bread pudding pancakes are truly to die for. My sister in Los Angeles sometimes asks me to FedEx her some of these. Oh god just thinking about them makes me have withdrawal symptoms. Just about everything else on the menu is really excellent as well, like the sandwiches and soups. Whenever I get an anxiety spell from shopping at Jewel, I just walk next door to this place and revel in its awesomeness. I only wish they carried produce. A place like this should have organic fruits and veggies, but all the speciality chocolates makes up for it. Thanks you bitches for letting out my secret affair with the Southport Cafe.
Tweet on Sheridan has a really nice brunch. Variety, service, and reasonable price.
I've lived near Southport and Grace for the past six years and I'm kinda looking forward to my next move near Sheffield/Belmont for the ultra-chic effect that has taken place. The avenue has changed a lot in a short time, but not necessarily for the worst.
Southport is the new Armitage, which just isn't my style. But I still shop at Whole Foods, so whatever...
I'll miss the new DQ, though.
I ate there on saturday too and had an excellent ham & turkey sandwich. I had to listen to a couple REALLY OBNOXIOUS southportian 30+ single women yapping about their friends, though... oy vey.
Yeah....you might all want to reconsider eating at this place...A FORMER FUNERAL HOME!!! Watch out for those embalming fluids in your eggs!
The comments about the "stench" are hilarious... especially because, despite what some of you think, there are actually middle class, average-joe people who live in that neighborhood, but don't go near places like this restaurant or shop in the boutiques. I've actually found that most of the ultra-chic and hipster wannabe people are imports from other areas, so you might wanna lift your arm and check where that stench is coming from next time you're eating there...