Chicago Bites - Restaurant Reviews & Dining Podcast

The lobster & shrimp omelet

We popped into Roy's this weekend to try their new Sunday brunch menu. Starting things off were a basket of yummy miniature muffins and an instant offer of coffee. I appreciated the opportunity to snack without ruining my appetite, but I could've easily snarfed on poppyseed muffins all morning. They were seriously good.

We were a guest of the restaurant, so there was little hesitation in trying the $26.95 prix fixe menu. Bridget chose three courses that included the smoked salmon salad, a haiku omelet stuffed with bacon, gouda, mushrooms and onions, and the hot chocolate soufflé. I almost took that option because of the buttermilk pancakes served with Macadamia nuts and bananas, but instead I went ala carte and tried the lobster and shrimp omelet served with a side of potatoes and toast. We could've gone for bottomless mimosas (another $12), but we decided to forgo that in favor of the excellent coffee.

The service was excellent and the refills limitless. Two things that I firmly expect for any brunch experience. Everything we had was well executed, but I can't say it was exceptional. Toast, eggs, soufflé -- they didn't lack, but they didn't stand out either. The only thing I finished that morning was my coffee.

Roy's is a nice place to take out of towners who don't want to stand in line to get in the quirkier, more affordable neighborhood options, or a place to drop in because it's conveniently located to the many churches in the area. It's a midway choice between the all-out Sixteen brunch blow-out and the casual but interesting Over Easy experience.

Go if you're there, but I wouldn't seek it out.

Roy's Restaurant
720 North State Street
$30 -$40 for brunch

Bridget's Ratings:
Food Quality: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Overall: 8/10

Tammy's Ratings:
Food Quality: 3/5
Value: 2/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Overall: 6/10

Smoked salmon salad.

Related Chicago Bites Posts:
Glenn's Diner
Over Easy
Yolk

Online buzz about Roy's:
Metromix
Yelp

Check out our Roy's photos on Flickr.

Posted by Tammy at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We were overcome with sassiness after eating the eggs

We're always on the look-out for a good brunch place, and were happy to try our friend George's favorite spot, Over Easy. He raved over their sassy eggs so often we were sure he was taking kick-backs! After trying them, we are happy to report that they're as good as reported! Tune in to hear what we thought about the rest of our experience.

(18.6 M)

00:00 - 02:15 Over-caffeinated and sassy
02:16 - 03:18 Burning down the house and other atmosphere
03:19 - 05:44 Juiced and coffeed and coked
05:45 - 10:25 Eggs, eggs, eggs, sweet!
10:26 - 11:34 Thoughts on service
11:35 - 13:31 Ratings & sign-off

Over Easy
4943 North Damen Avenue

Bridget's Ratings:
Food Quality: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Overall: 8/10

Tammy's Ratings:
Food Quality: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Overall: 7/10

Average price per person: $20

The Eggs Benedict were beefy and bountiful.

Related Chicago Bites Post:
Lumes Pancake House
M. Henry
Orange
Pauline's
Yolk

Online buzz about Over Easy:
Chicago Gluttons
Metromix
Yelp

Check out our Over Easy photos on Flickr.

Posted by Tammy at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lumes serves a generous portion of fruit with its French toast.

If you're heading south, stop by Lumes Pancake House for brunch! The service is fast, the coffee plentiful, and the orchard peach crepes make you wish you could eat breakfast three meals a day. We've been twice and can't wait to go back for more!

(10.8 M)

00:00 - 01:09 Wine bottling then brunch
01:10 - 02:43 The diner experience
02:44 - 03:58 The savory story
03:59 - 06:50 The sweet story
06:51 - 07:50 A tale of Cobb salad
07:51 - 08:40 Clean plate club
08:41 - 10:02 Test of coffee
10:03 - 11:48 Ratings and sign-off

Lumes Pancake House
11611 S Western Ave.

Bridget's Ratings:
Food Quality: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Overall: 10/10

Tammy's Ratings:
Food Quality: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Overall: 9/10

Average price per person: $15 will fill you up and make you happy.

Lumes serves up "A taste of France" with stewed apples, raisins and pecans.

Related Chicago Bites Posts:
M Henry
Pauline's
Yolk

On-line Buzz about Lumes Pancake House:
Metromix
Yelp

Check out set #1 and set #2 of our Lumes Pancake House photos on Flickr.

We're making our wine at Beverage Art Brewing & Winemaking

Posted by Tammy at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

A bright and sunny logo carries through to a bright and sunny interior.

Are the surly waiters, cheerful atmosphere and endless menu of eggs, meat and waffles enough to justify a $15 breakfast? Does the quantity and quality of coffee meet expectations? Tune in as we rate this South Loop brunch spot.

(4.8 M)

00:00 - 01:35 Father's Day brunching
01:36 - 03:00 Cheerful, hot & surly. A little something for everyone.
03:01 - 04:45 A tale of coffee
04:46 - 06:11 Pancake regrets
06:12 - 07:43 Lotsa options with only 5 ingredients
07:44 - 10:35 Where would you wear the t-shirt? Ratings and sign-off

Yolk
1120 S Michigan Avenue

Bridget rates Yolk 5/10
Tammy rates Yolk 5/10

The stuffed waffles looked better than they tasted.

Related Chicago Bites Posts:

Baladoche
Deleece & Sopo
Glenn's Diner
Orange
M Henry
Marquette Inn
Pauline's

On-line Buzz About Yolk:

LTH Forum
Menuism
Yelp

Posted by Tammy at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Eggs Benedict and an odd combination of fruit at Deleece

If anyone asks Bridget or I if we enjoy brunch, rest assured the answer is usually Yes! followed by a question of When?. But on this particular Sunday, there was also the question of How often?, because we enjoyed brunch twice in one day. It's true...a few hours after we met up with friends at Deleece, we sat down for another brunch at the Sopo Lounge & Grill. Either we're gluttons or we're dedicated to finding the best brunch along Southport. I like to think we're just that dedicated, but please tune in and tell us if you agree.

(5.2 M)

00:00 - 00:38 A tale of two dorks
00:39 - 01:43 Rational for two brunches
01:44 - 06:09 Deleece - weird fruit, good meat & no coffee
06:10 - 10:22 Sopo - texas toast, sweet potato fries & lotsa coffee
10:23 - 11:19 Quest for the best brunch & Sign-off

Deleece
4004 N. Southport

Bridget rates Deleece 4/10
Tammy rates Deleece 4/10

Sopo Lounge & Grill
3418 N. Southport

Bridget rates Sopo Lounge & Grill 8/10
Tammy rates Sopo Lounge & Grill 7/10

French Toast at the Sopo Lounge & Grill

Related Reviews:

Baladoche
Glenn's Diner
Orange
M Henry
Pauline's

Posted by Tammy at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The infamous French Toast.

Tammy and I couldn’t resist when a fellow podcaster, Steve, suggested we try the breakfast fare at Pauline’s. This charming place is far enough from Andersonville’s main thoroughfares to feel like a neighborhood hang out, but close enough to public transportation to be convenient. We enjoyed our food so much that it nearly made up for the fact that our waitress completely ignored us. It’s never a good thing when a “bottomless” cup of coffee turns out to be a farce. Still, Pauline’s is a worthy stop.

(6.4 M)

00:00 - 01:01 Intro, a fellow podcaster, and Andersonville food
01:02 - 02:23 The Forgotten Table
02:24 - 06:06 Atmosphere and Coffee Temptation
06:07 - 10:40 Food Redemption
10:41 - 12:11 Neighborhood Charm
12:12 - 13:48 Ratings and Sign-Off

Pauline's
1754 W. Balmoral

Bridget rates Pauline's 6/10
Tammy rates Pauline's 6/10

Steve is skeptical about his “bottomless” cup of coffee. That’s because he sees the bottom of his cup.

Related Chicago Bites Post:
M. Henry

Posted by Bridget at 1:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Savory is as good as sweet at M. Henry.

The menu at M. Henry is amazing. That’s because absolutely everything on it looks good. And if our experience is any indication, everything served at M. Henry tastes as good as it looks. I have been craving their aptly named Bliss Cakes (because the word “pancakes” doesn’t go far enough) ever since I tried them. I think it’s safe to say that M. Henry is a Chicago Bites favorite. Listen to our on-the-street review to hear all about it!

(5.3 M)

00:00 - 00:27 Takin' Podcasting to the Streets
00:28 - 1:11 Beached Whales
01:12 - 09:11 M. Henry Review
09:11 - 11:19 Ratings and Sign-Off

M. Henry
5707 N. Clark

Bridget rates M Henry 9/10
Tammy rates M Henry 9/10

The Bliss Cakes are truly blissful.

We had to try a cupcake too. It was more like a mini cake but still tasty.

Related Chicago Bites Posts:
Glenn's Diner
Orange

Posted by Bridget at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bridget, Joe, Lisa and Tammy (left to right) caught podcasting in public. At Starbucks no less!

Tammy and I met up with fellow foodcasters Joe and Lisa from Cheap Date to have brunch at Glenn’s Diner, a place known for its good seafood and bottomless bowls of cereal. The food was great, and the company was even better! Listen in to hear what happened when the four of us ducked into a Starbucks to record our review of Glenn’s.

(6.9 M)

00:00 - 00:56 Intro and Cheap Date Chat
00:54 - 10:12 Glenn's Review (From Livin' Large Bloody Marys to Frou-Frou Pancakes)
10:13 - 11:05 Chicago Bites Orange Whip Challenge
11:06 - 11:53 Clam Chowder, Seafood Trivia and Dinner Plans
11:54 - 14:58 Ratings and Sign-Off

Glenn's Diner
1820 West Montrose Ave.

Joe rates Glenn's 8/10
Lisa rates Glenn's 8/10
Bridget rates Glenn's 7/10
Tammy rates Glenn's 7/10

Getting upclose and personal with the crab cakes.

Related Chicago Bites Posts:
Baladoche
Ritter's Breakfast Delivery
Orange

Posted by Bridget at 7:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The breakfast pizza is right-sized and made-to-order.

Ever have one of those mornings when a hearty breakfast is what you’re craving, but you can’t muster the energy to cook? Time to call Ritter’s Breakfast Delivery. They’ll bring breakfast right to your door, and if you want, fresh flowers and the morning paper to go with it. Your food arrives ready-to-eat, along with a fantastic cup of coffee capped with a nifty spill-proof lid so that you can drink it even if you’re still half asleep.

(4.6 M)

00:00 - 00:42 Intro
00:43 - 08:00 Ritter's Breakfast Delivery Review
08:01 - 10:04 Sign-Off

Ritter's Breakfast Delivery
2665 N. Clark

Bridget rates this restaurant 6/10
Tammy rates this restaurant 6/10

Peach cobbler french toast is a Ritter's special.

Related Chicago Bites Posts:
Baladoche
NaNoWriMo Coffee Shop Tour
Orange
House of Blues Gospel Brunch

Posted by Bridget at 12:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bridget's soft and chewy waffle with unmeltable Frankenberry sprinkles

Want a waffle? Can't stand the thought of toasting another eggo? Then scoot over to Baladoche where they serve them up hard and crunchy or soft and chewy, and always with more flavor than can be found in your grocer's freezer section. No need to l'eggo -- they are generous with their samples of waffles and gelato. Walk by and give them a try.

(6.9 M)

00:00 - 00:11 Intro
00:12 - 00:50 Wine Review
00:51 - 14:12 Baladoche Review
14:13 - 15:04 New Year's Resolution & Sign-Off

Baladoche
2905 N. Clark

Wine reviewed in this podcast was Fess Parker 2004 Frontier Red.

Bridget rates this restaurant 7/10
Tammy rates this restaurant 6/10

Tammy's nutella waffle, extra crunchy

Posted by Tammy at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fruit + Rice = Frooshie!

In this episode, we haul ourselves out of bed and north to Orange - a popular brunch spot with a peal! Ha! This eatery offers a wide selection of breakfast food including customized juice, pancake flights and orange-infused coffee. Come hungry and be prepared to waddle home.

(10.6 M)

00:00 - 00:30 Intro
00:31 - 10:59 Orange Review
11:00 - 11:30 Sign Off

Orange
3231 N. Clark St.

Bridget rates this restaurant 10/10
Tammy rates this restaurant 8/10

Fruity Pebble Shortstack

Posted by Tammy at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The House of Blues (HOB) attempts to save your soul once a week with a Gospel Brunch that’s worth getting up for. The food, served buffet style, has a tasty Cajun flair, and you get to sit down to eat it… a rare and wonderful luxury in a venue that is usually chair-free. While munching on waffles, I got my first good look around without having to deal with the body-crush characteristic of most HOB concerts. And there was music too… music that raised the rafters and got me clapping. At one point, the spirit moved me to swing my napkin around. Can I hear an amen?

(12.9 M)

00:00 - 00:52 Intro
00:53 - 03:34 The Brits were here recap
03:35 - 10:55 HOB Gospel Brunch review
10:56 - 13:55 Wrap-up & Sign-off

HOB Gospel Brunch
329 N. Dearborn St.

Bridget rates this restaurant 10/10 (Ultra-fab!)
Tammy rates this restaurant 7/10 (Awfully nice!)

Posted by Bridget at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)