First Look: Kingsbury Street Cafe

By Molly Durham in Food on Nov 9, 2011 8:30PM

"Why didn't I know about that?!" This is a likely reaction to the new brunch spot Kingsbury Street Cafe. Tucked away by the overwhelming food mecca of Whole Foods Lincoln Park, this place had what seemed to be the softest of openings.

A few weeks in, though, and the place was bumpin' on a late Sunday morning. This breakfast, brunch and lunch spot opened in the new space of catering and baking company Work of Art. High ceilings create a noisy din and busy feeling. It's far enough away from DePaul to avoid the hungover college kids but still in the heart of the neighborhood overrun with families, babies and dogs.

They've got a pastry counter in the front filled with muffins, cookies and cupcakes that entice visitors upon entering, but after one look at the brunch menu, I doubt this would be anyone's focus here. Their offerings include create-your-own omelet (with a few exciting options like jalapenos and goat cheese), dark chocolate-stuffed french toast(!!), whole wheat carrot pancakes and salmon hash with poached eggs.

The Kingsbury Eggs Benedict with poached eggs, pulled chicken, spinach, Hollandaise, and herb potatoes was done, in a word, right. It wasn't exactly pulled chicken, rather larger chunks. The spinach was a-plenty. Top that off with a runny egg and spice on the chicken that may have been paprika, and it made for a balance of breakfast satisfaction. The gooey, the crunchy and the starchy all workin' together. The herb potatoes were cooked just the right amount, wiping away our memories of every under-done breakfast potato from our past.

Kingsbury offers some twists on classics, enticing combinations and could be the perfect cure for the (overly)common brunch.

Kingsbury Street Cafe is located at 1523 N. Kingsbury St.