I acknowledge it. Writing about weekday breakfast can be trying. When we began this mainstay 3 years ago subsequent month, infrequently it was unequivocally tough to find tasty and engaging places to share with you. But this final year has seen a thespian alleviation in a offerings, settings and, many important, a turn of hospitality. What a service and fun it is to go out to breakfast!
Fairgrounds Coffee Tea
Here’s a ideal instance of a new call of what we suspicion of as a coffee shop. I’ve created before that a notation we enter a place we can tell a lot about a culture. This one was a knockout!
A smiling greeting, a useful reason about how it “worked” and a idea to take a seats during a finish of a community list opposite a wall. The other seating was engaging given it was a prolonged tufted sofalike square of chair with tables and chairs so groups could be accommodated. There were tables and chairs by a window as well.
But my friend, Carla Williams, who is in a food and libation dialect during a Hyatt, suggested a bar stools during a counter, so we could see all a movement during a pour-over coffee station, computerized coffee grinders and espresso machine. Good call.
We systematic a Seoul play with brownish-red rice, shaved zucchini, kimchi, kale, sesame seeds, Sriracha and a boiled egg on top.
The breakfast taco, from a soothing tortilla up, layered scrambled eggs, black beans, charred tomato salsa, preserved shallots, queso fresco and cilantro.
Avocado toast on multigrain bread had crushed avocado, grape tomatoes, thinly sliced radishes and matcha vinaigrette with cilantro slaw.
Michael Schultz, a desirable owner, insisted we have a flue cake fries (to fit a fairground theme) with hiss dipping sauce. We were too friendly to resist.
We did a caffeine overkill (latte, cappuccino, cortado and unchanging coffee) only to lay there and watch happy employees unapproachable to offer glorious transport in a smashing place.
Of note: Street parking. Fast casual. Online ordering.
Find it: 1620 N. Milwaukee Ave., no phone, www.fairgrounds.cafe
Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; and 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Gallery Cafe
Oh, that Hot Doug. He keeps vagrant to go with me, and given it was pre-Cubs, and he was bored, we agreed. (Only kidding. Doug Sohn, owners of a late lamented Hot Doug’s, is unequivocally good company!)
We were headed to a place that was ostensible to be open, formed on a website, though was closed. So Plan B, or should we contend Plan G?
I keep a pad on a automobile chair when I’m pushing around, so we note and remember new places to try. The Gallery Cafe was on that list, so we attempted it.
In gripping with a coffee emporium vibe, dual desirable group were there to assistance and explain a design on a walls, a goal to assistance artists and that they fry their possess coffee, that was unequivocally good.
The menu is singular to breakfast sandwiches, that they offer all day. We common a Manet with eggs, pesto and provolone on multigrain bread, and a DeVinci with eggs, turkey sausage, peppers jack cheese and tomatoes.
We finished with a banana muffin and scone from a West Town Bakery.
P.S.: I’m still meditative about a Power Monkey splash with espresso, cocoa, banana, peanut butter and almond milk. No, we didn’t try it, though I’m still meditative about it.
Of note: Fast casual. Whole bean coffee for sale. Special-order roasting only for you. Roasting in tiny batches of 3-5 pounds. Fifteen percent of sell bagged coffee sales goes to Chicago Artist Resource. Street parking.
Find it: 1760 W. North Ave., 773-252-8228, www.gallerycafechicago.com
Hours: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.