4. Pannenkoeken Cafe

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So, Lauren recently made the move to Lincoln Square! Haley biked up Lincoln to the new brunch territory on a lovely Saturday and we walked over to Pannenkoeken Cafe.

Okay, so as soon as we walked in we didn’t really know what to make of this place. We spent a good half hour trying to figure out what kind of cuisine it was – Jewish? Eastern European? – until we saw “Dutch” somewhere, which kind of might a lightbulb go off but we were still a little confused by all of the challah.

We thought about leaving but Haley already had her coffee. Locked in.

We ordered…and waited about a half hour for our food. It is hard to hide how infuriating this was as there were very few people in the restaurant and we were starving. When it finally did arrive, it was very good, but we still were not pleased with how long it took to arrive. Hopefully this is not typical.

Pannenkoeken

3. Frances’

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A Lincoln Park classic (we think), Frances’ Deli has been gracing Clark Street with its comfort food since 1938. We have a feeling the Spiked Shakes are a newer addition – sadly we did not indulge in these loopy wonders.

Frances

First and foremost, we split a side of pancakes. And they were amazing. Like, so absolutely incredible that the fluffy dreaminess cannot be put into words. Except for fluffy dreaminess. Haley had scrambled eggs and cheddar on sourdough bread – and a Bloody Mary. She had just run a 10 mile race and was very sweaty and hungry! Lauren had the BLAT (bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato) – but it was really a LAT.

Yes we were glad for the steak knives.

So…what did we think?

Lauren: I’ve walked past this place a bunch of times and was never sure what all the hooplah was about since it just seemed like any other kitschy diner. But this place was really good, and the pancakes were a great choice. We agreed it was probably because they used real butter which is a rarity to us. I remember now why they call it liquid gold. Unless that’s velveeta cheese…?

The thing about sandwiches in hip restaurants is that it is not a sandwich, it is an art piece that you will then get all over your hands and clothes. (I’m looking at YOU, Chicago Diner.) I lost a lot of good napkins fighting the good fight with this sandwich, and there was egg yolk everywhere. It was great. My mimosa was still not as sweet as I would want, but I think the OJ was freshly squeezed. A definite plus!

The best part: The pancakes. Fer sure.

The worst: Egg Yolk Hands. But for a good cause! There was no bad part.

Haley: Everything was delicious. I was prepared for a standard diner meal, which would not disappoint, but my breakfast exceeded my expectations. The pancake was phenomenal…maybe the best pancake I’ve ever had. My breakfast sandwich was made by the sourdough bread – it really brings the standard egg & cheese to another level of yum.

Frances’s Deli · 2552 N Clark St · Chicago, IL

2. 2 Sparrows

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Our next stop was 2 Sparrows, a breakfast/brunch-only joint that opened in September 2011 with two Charlie Trotter’s alumni at the helm. We knew it had to be good.

2sparrows

So – what did we think?

Lauren: I have been trying to come here for months! And I can say it did not disappoint. Plus it wasn’t too pricey either. I got the Chilaquiles and it was a big beautiful mix of whites, greens, and yellows. I really liked that they put tortilla chips in the dish. Toward the end of it, it was a bit too much of the same flavors and I was craving something sweet. Luckily I had been working out with my personal trainer earlier, so I had my favorite drink, Kombucha! On the DL though. I don’t know if this place way BYOK. I don’t know if anyplace is ever BYOK….

Outside of the restaurant, literally right next to us on the other side of the window, some scenes of a movie were being filmed. It was titled “Jack and Amelia.” It looked pretty bad. At one point they were filming some man (who happened to just walk by?) texting. Probably pretend-texting. As people are wont to do.

The best part: When I was tapping my kombucha on the windowsill to loosen the top (Haley’s very good and successful idea) it drew the attention of an adorable dog.

The worst: They didn’t ask us be in their movie.

Haley: I thought this place was adorable! I felt earthy and hip as soon as I walked in, albeit I was not hip because I was sweaty and short of breath when I asked the hostess for a table. I stepped back outside and chatted with the ever so ambitious movie-makers in the sunshine while I waited for Lauren, secretly wondering if this would turn into my big break into stardom. It wasn’t.

Opening Lauren’s Kambucha was a struggle. But an ultimate success.

The food was delicious! I ordered my typical Florentine, but I was a little confused when it arrived with arugula rather than spinach and a mixed greens side. I am a spinach enthusiast, so unfortunately I didn’t get the concentrated iron dose that I was hoping for. Nonetheless, it was good – maybe the typical Florentine has become passé and I missed the memo.

There were some good-looking doughnuts on the menu. And pop tarts (a foie gras pop tart? Gross.). We passed on dessert – too full from our yummy entrees.

 

1. Hubbard Inn

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The first official Brunch Tour stop was Hubbard Inn. Being very indecisive, the decision was made by a Gilt City voucher that Haley had and was saving for a momentous occasion such as what was before us.

Hubbard Inn is a beautiful place – not often enjoyed and adequately appreciated during the light of day! Best known for craft cocktails and a wide variety of beer and wine, the food menu is unique and impressive.

Hubbard

 

So – what did we think?

Lauren: We got there around 2:30 and there were not many people there so service was fast. The tables and chairs were high enough to let our legs dangle freely like the school children that we are. I had just come from an hour and a half of yoga so I was hungry and limber. I got the crab cake benedict, and I wouldn’t call myself a food snob because I will eat mealy apples and store-bought sushi, but still I thought it was just OK. The multicolored potatoes were more interesting to me, and pretty good. I also prefer my drinks sweet (I always say alcoholic juice is my dream drink) so my mimosa was also just OK. I really liked the interior design and I could imagine coming back for drinks in the evening. There was a bartender schmoozing with some patrons when we were there.

The best part about this place: Our meal was discounted from the coupon Haley brought.

The worst part: Our waitress was not very understanding when someone (ahem), accidentally hit the tray of drinks the waitress was holding and a drink spilled on the ground. I thought she would laugh it off, but instead she quietly huffed away. The way I see it, people make mistakes and wild gesturing is a wonderful thing.

Haley: It was me. My wild gesticulations toppled the Bloody Mary in all directions. On top of having the changing voice of a prepubescent boy thanks to the winning combination of drinking an excessive amount of white wine the night before while having a cold, the waitress definitely thought I was a freak.

I ordered a mimosa and eggs florentine (which was off of the menu – the menu was very indulgent and meat-heavy). I thought the mimosa was nice because the champagne/orange juice ratio was skewed toward the champagne. I wish the spinach on my florentine had been sauteed a little more – as a self-proclaimed spinach fiend, sauteed spinach is my means of eating a pound of spinach like it’s nothing. But being off the menu, I was just happy to have the dish! It could have used slightly more seasoning in my opinion, but it was a nice. I think there were more adventurous options on the menu that, had we tried them (or had we not been vegetarian/pescatarian), we might have been more excited about the food. The colorful variety of potatoes was lovely, but in the end they were just potatoes.

And so it begins (again)

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Lauren and Haley like brunch. Lauren and Haley had a brunch blog on Tumblr, but amidst a revival of said blog they decided to make the move to WordPress and purchase a domain name. Who said they were afraid of commitment?

It all began when the two were planning a joint birthday party in March and held a planning session over what other than a Power Brunch? They then decided (forgetting about the birthday party amidst the excitement over the prospect of becoming very famous) that the Power Planning (Planning Power?) Brunch could be the beginning of something very special…a brunch tour of Chicago (and maybe the world…but we’re starting small).

Oh they both enjoy biking and running but not so much swimming…eating was an easy substitute.

So this is their (ok, our) blog. We will mostly be blogging about brunch, but we both work out a lot and do fun things sometimes so we’ll also talk about that. Sometimes we’re relatively fashionable but usually one or both of us is very sweaty. Enjoy!