Taking A Break At Ada St.
By Erika Kubick in Food on Feb 7, 2014 4:50PM
It may be in one of the strangest locations in the city, but Ada Street seems at home situated somewhere between a parking lot of garbage trucks and the lovable but raggedy venue The Hideout. In the glare of morning light, Ada St. is a haven for the moderately hung-over, lazy Sunday brunchers. After trudging through a block of barely plowed snow, Ada St. welcomes you with its industrial-looking double doorway and long hallways of exposed brick. Along the hallways lies a quiet private dining space, curtained and dim. On the way towards the main dining area, a caged library of wine stretches along the wall. An impressive collection of bottles are situated in clusters and shelved under spot lights that seem fit for urns in a mortuary. On the far end, just before the kitchens, there is another library of vinyl records. Ada St only plays vinyls and allows their patrons to choose the album, allowing them to better interact and develop their experience.
The dining area is long and narrow, with huge window on one end, and a semi-open kitchen nook at the head, from where Chef Zoë Schor often runs plates. The typically Mediterranean inspired cuisine finds a more traditional breakfast groove on the weekends. They hit on all the brunch necessities like steak and eggs, salmon lox on a bagel and inch-thick slabs of bacon. However, all the basics are elevated, giving that little special something. For example, that bacon is a nueske confit bacon with a chili maple syrup. There are plenty of morning cocktails to choose from and Chicago’s own Sparrow coffee as well.
If the tantalizing menu and charmingly quaint interior aren’t enough for you, then stop by in the summer when they debut their patio, decked with string lights, picnic benches and even a ping pong table. Whenever you go, you’re sure to find a relaxing brunch at Ada St.