Vettel Breaks it Down About Brunch

By Laura Oppenheimer in Food on Apr 26, 2007 7:00PM

Some people have really tough jobs. Really tough. For example, we regular wonder how Chicago's public school teachers, police officers and sanitation workers get up day after day to do what we imagine are incredibly difficult and often thankless jobs that are non-the-less important. You know who Chicagoist doesn't worry about? Tribune dining critic Phil Vettel who had the taxing job of visiting 70 brunch spots over the past two months (with the help of some of his Tribune colleagues) in order to find the best brunches in town. And just in time for Mother's Day too!

Vettel's "Ultimate Brunch Guide" includes his picks of the five best brunches for under $25. Vettel praised Bongo Room, Cafe des Architectes, Frontera Grill, Prairie Grass Cafe and Sola. We were sort of confused because in our world, brunch never costs more than $25 (and rarely costs more than $15), but we'll accept that some people do brunch in a slightly more upscale way than we do. Also listed in the ultimate brunch guide are articles about "Bountiful Buffets," "Elegant + Tranquil" and "Fabulous French Toast."

Two of Chicagoist's favorite brunching spots didn't make the cut. We love Dodo, and its Breakunchwich, a fantastic sandwich with customizable ingredients. For a classic greasy brunch, our favorite is Valois Cafeteria in Hyde Park. Technically, neither of these lovely places would qualify for the Trib's guide, as per Vettel's rules, "breakfast restaurants that merely kept weekend hours didn't qualify [for the guide]".

Either following, or dismissing Vettel's rules and regulations, what is your favorite brunch spot?

Image via Pirate Alice.