Category Archives: Breakfast

Cinful Prices but a Heavenly View (Cindy’s)

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Mark T

Ah, another quarter done in my speech pathology program. It has probably been the most challenging quarters so far, but I came out on the other side ready for another quarter of growth. Plus, Summer has finally arrive in Chicago. While I am more of a fan of winter since I am part White Walker as well as a weirdo,

If you squint closely, you might see me

I do enjoy all of the great activities the city offers when the sun is shining and everyone is out of hibernation mode. Today’s post is a little delayed but better late than never!

While New York is often known for its skyscrapers as well as their 9/11 tower that took away the Sears Tower’s status as the tallest building in America, skyscrapers were invented in Chicago all the way back in 1884/1885. Between then and now, we have gotten enough practice constructing these towering behemoths to include elements of work and play. Enter Cindy’s, a.k.a. the jewel of the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel.

PC: Chicago Architecture Association

This establishment did not exist back in 1893 when some of the biggest names in Chicago and world industry such as Marshall Field, Cyrus McCormack, and William Wrigley (the very same as the gum company) came together to create the Chicago Athletic Association. Mr. Wrigley even went on to adopt the association’s logo to be the symbol for a certain Northside baseball team that just broke a 108 year World Series curse.

Not too subtle, eh? PC: LoopChicagoBlog

It became a hub for the richest socialites to get their sweat on as well as some of the biggest athletes from the turn of the early 20th century such as Johnny Weissmuller who went gold five times in Olympic swimming and also was Tarzan. It was a male-only club up until 1975, but by then it was a slowly decaying institution that eventually closed in 2007. Thankfully, a hotel consortium reopened the doors to the new Chicago Athletic Association Hotel where they restored the edifice to its former glory and then some to create a feast for the eyes.

The ballroom staircase and event room with a recreated plaster ceiling (right) PC: Chicago Architecture Association

I had never been to this hotel even though I’ve lived here all my life, but as always, my fiancée Janice/her friends managed to find a new brunch place to check out. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the view from Cindy’s where we could look out over Millenium Park and the harbor. It is one of the most popular skyscraper balconies in the city, so I highly recommend you make reservations. However, based on our experience, we were not sure why it is so in demand as a brunch venue aside from its ultramodern design. We were sat at a low bench table with a box for a table.

Plenty of room for tiny Jan Jan

We looked over the menu to find a variety of drinks and breakfast staples such as pancakes and eggs Benedict but with ridiculous prices even for sharable dishes. 25 bucks for a yogurt parfait? Unless it came served in the holy grail, a bowl of yogurt should never cost that much. The cocktails were not up to snuff either since their old fashion ($16) was oddly sour and my Moody Tongue porter ($25) was strangely tinny tasting. Maybe it was an off day, but the wait staff was also not very attentive since it took a good while to get our server to exchange our drinks for better made ones. Then there was the food. It was the best part of the experience aside from the seating arrangement. Our group ended up sharing a cast iron quiche Lorraine ($34), croque madame ($30), and cast iron chilaquiles ($29). There was a lot of food that eventually was brought out to our table, but the quality still wasn’t worth the exorbitant prices. Plus, the seating arrangement was not ideal for taller patrons like yours truly. I say this because my knees were level with the low box table which meant I had to lean forward and downward to an extreme degree in order to avoid spilling my food. Out of the three dishes we sampled, the chilaquiles were the best followed by the croque madame, and then the quiche. The chilaquile’s mixture of eggs, chorizo, crema, and peppers were a much-needed punch of Latin american flavor and spice for an otherwise mild brunch. The croque madame is a French invention originally named the croque monsieur. The name croque monsieur roughly translates to “Mr. Bite” because it was originally designed to be a cafe sandwich to be quickly eaten in Parisian cafes. The croque madame was a riff on the croque monsieur when a fried egg was placed atop its brioche top slice. The floppy egg was said to resemble an old-fashioned lady’s hat, hence the “Madame” moniker. At Cindy’s, we had many ladies in our presence with how many eggs were residing on our sandwich. The sandwich was extremely rich and buttery with the melted Gruyère cheese and bechamel sauce, and the ham brought a very slight smoky element to the flavor profile.

So much ham hanging out with some rogue chilaquiles

The frisee salad on the side was less a side salad and more of an ornamental lawn to this monstrous mansion of meat. This would be an idea meal for a powerlifter who needs a ton of protein really quickly after working out at the Athletic club in the hotel. As for the quiche, this Middle Ages classic brought the original recipe back to life with plenty of egg custard, bacon, cheese, and onions. I’m not a big egg fan, so this plate was lower on my list. Janice loves eggs more than I do, and she said it was okay but not great.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend Cindy’s for brunch, but it would be a great place to grab drinks before going out on the town on the Mag Mile, a night-cap at 2 am on Saturdays, or some hair of the dog the following Sunday morning. Now go out there and enjoy summertime in Chicago for all it’s worth!

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Posted in American Cuisine, Breakfast and tagged Beer, brunch, Chicago, chilaquiles, cocktail, croque, dining, eggs, Food, ham, historical, hotel, madame, Mexican, quiche, restaurant, Reviews, skyscraper, spicy. Bookmark the permalink.

San Diego (Day 3): A Sweet Sendoff (Il Fornaio and Phil’s BBQ)

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Mark T

It has finally come to the end of the line for the San Diego travelogue, and perhaps my last blog post in a long time to come as I begin my journey through graduate school tomorrow. I’ll try my best to post on her, but life has a funny way of hijacking my best material. As always on Mastication Monologues, I plan on highlighting the culinary stops we made along the way during our travels as well as any fun or exciting events of note. Day three was much more laid back than day one or day two aside from a little shoe scare toward the end of our trip.

As we woke up from our deep slumber from the crazy night before, we were definitely feeling the results of dancing and indulging ourselves all night long with great company. Thankfully, the newlyweds were hosting a farewell brunch for guests at another eatery on Coronado Island called Il Fornaio or “The Baker” in Italian. It was one of seemingly a million Italian eateries strewn about San Diego, but it was clearly inspired by the signature villas one could find in the Tuscan countryside with the sand colored walls and arbor vitaes lining the entrance. On the inside, it was light and airy with exposed woodwork and a kitchen that was open to the public eye. While we didn’t eat from the official menu since it was picked out to be more wide ranging for the multitude of guests’ palates, the waffles, eggs, and sausage that were provided were all excellent, especially the fluffy waffles topped with a spritz of whipped cream and some freshly sliced strawberries. We didn’t touch any of their alcoholic offerings like their signature mimosas or bellinis (a nod to the classic Venetian drink at Harry’s Bar), but they didn’t mess around when my fiancee asked for her personal elixir of life: Diet Coke.

Now that’s service!

Once finished with chowing down on the delectable morsels, we strolled out onto the outdoor patio that overlooked the entire San Diego skyline. A breathtaking view for a trip that has felt the same way at certain points due to the immense amount of activities that were planned. We were under the canopy, soaking up the last few rays of humidity free weather, when suddenly Janice remembered she didn’t have her high heels from last night. I quickly traced our Uber driver down online and called him. Luckily, he had them in the back of his car, and offered to drive to the restaurant to drop them off. After we wished the Cua and Ng family goodbye and thanked them for their hospitality, our Uber driver arrived right on time with the goods. It seemed like nothing could stand in our way on this perfect vacation. Not even when we looking for a place to satisfy our rumbling stomachs as we waited for our plane. As mentioned in my day one post, the wedding party hosted a rehearsal dinner with barbecue catering. Lo and behold, Janice and I ended up eating at the same company’s franchise location in San Diego’s airport: Phil’s BBQ. After looking over their full menu of chicken, ribs, salads, sandwiches, and fixin’s, I decided to share a quarter rib dinner with Janice ($10). It included four of their ribs and with two small sides or one large side. We opted for the former choice in the form of potato salad and macaroni salad. It also came with a side of cornbread which might not be offered at their main restaurant locations. The ribs were smaller than the gargantuan ones offered at Sabrina and Thompson’s rehearsal dinner, but that didn’t mean that they were lacking in flavor. The tomato-based sauce was on the sweeter end with not much of a smoky profile to it. They weren’t as mouth-wateringly transcendent than the Twin Anchor ribs back in Chicago, but they were better than some fancy Italian dining at Sbarro. The sides were competently made but nothing of note. I did enjoy the cornbread that was warm and soft without the waterfall of crumbs that typically accompany each bite of cornbread. I’d recommend trying Phil’s BBQ if you have a layover and want to try some Ohio style bbq, but it isn’t a must for any traveler. At least the food was more satisfying than the Euro 2016 final between Portugal and France we watched. By the time we were boarding, Ronaldo was lifting the trophy, elated beyond words, while we were less than enthused to come back to reality after such a wonderful time. Perhaps the West coast really is the best coast after all that we saw, experienced, and tasted. Until next time, readers! Keep on traveling and eating!

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Posted in American Cuisine, Barbecue, Breakfast, Chain Restaurants, Mixed Drinks, Non-Alcoholic, Soft Drink and tagged airport, bbq, bread, corn, Coronado, cream, Food, Il Fornaio, Italian, macaroni, pasta, pork, potatoes, salad, San Diego, sauce, strawberries, Travel, waffles, whipped. Bookmark the permalink.

Ann Extraordinary Brunch

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Mark T

Hello and happy Fall to all (or Autumn for the international crowd)! It has been way too long since my last post, about a month to be exact, and I’m planning on changing that fact right now. If you’ve been wondering why the silence on the foodie front, it’s due to my path to speech pathology grad school. However, that hasn’t extinguished my passion for tasty morsels and bring all the best recommendations to you, the readers. Today’s post focuses on the Chicago diner cornerstone Ann Sather.

I’ve heard every opinion of these diners ranging from sheer ecstasy when talking about their famous cinnamon rolls to ambivalence to the opposite end of the spectrum with upturned noses looking for greener brunch pastures. Instead of turning my interest away from this supposedly inferior diner to other, more modern establishments, it only intensified my curiosity when Janice, Michael, and I visited the Broadway cafe location, but there are other locations on the northside Chicago with one on Belmont and another on Granville. Now, with a name for a restaurant like Ann Sather, you can safely bet that there is a story. According to their website, Ann Sather was a real woman who bought the original restaurant over 70 years ago on Belmont from the previous Swedish owners of the property. She was a stickler for quality, simple food made from scratch with a mix of American breakfast staples, Swedish classics, and a bit of Ann’s ingenuity. Ann eventually passed the baton in the mid 1990s to a southsider named Tom Tunney who actually is a Chicago alderman as well. Even with the changing faces in charge, their decades of quality food and service shone through during our visit. The Ann Sather cafe had plenty of personality on the inside with lots of Swedish inspired artwork which brightened up a rather gray and drizzly day. I don’t know if it was my sweet tooth on a rampage or the warm orange/yellow motif, but I knew I needed to get some of their famous, daily handmade cinnamon rolls into my belly. When they came out, they looked like the best $3.50 I spent. When I sunk my teeth into one of these rolls, I was transported to culinary Valhalla on a boat of soft, cinnamon spiced dough covered in a rich, sugary sauce with a vanilla hint. I wish I could have had an entire pan of them, but I knew I had to slow my roll (see what I did there) because I needed room for my actual breakfast entree. Perusing the menu, I didn’t know where to begin. Their wraps and omelets looked way to good to just pick one, but I couldn’t jump off that sugar train after taking down those cinnamon rolls like a great white shark to a seal. Sadly, I don’t have a week on the Discovery Channel or the Food Channel devoted to me yet, so I got to keep practicing with more great eats like what I ordered next. I finally settled on the daily special which was their cinnamon roll French toast ($7.50). It was an interesting transformation of the dulcet treats I just devoured. Instead of being doused with the sticky, soupy icing, a sprinkling of powdered sugar covered the plate and rolls like the semi-flurries that were fluttering past our window outside. The fine white covering was punctuated with bright raspberries and blueberries and a tan layer of granola that blended into the rolls’ surface. However, I didn’t know that the magic of the dish lie in wait for me because when I cut open the meal for my first bite,

Presto…

I was greeted with a cream cheese filling.

change-o!

It wrapped the plate together to perfection. The French toast transformation of the cinnamon rolls replaced an overwhelming pool of pure sugar with more subtle, nuanced elements that complimented each other to make a Swedish-American original. The berries, treading the fine line between sweet and tart, provided a contrast to the powdered sugar and sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, cream cheese filling. I actually liked that the cream cheese centers were not too chunky or heavy but instead whipped to keep the rolls from turning into a culinary quagmire. Plus, let’s not forget the granola, dude! It was just enough to form a thin, rough coating to provide a satisfying and groovy crunch to the majority of the squishier ingredients, and the honey coating on each piece of the granola made me feel like these rolls and I were meant to bee. I highly recommend this daily special if they have it available, and I have to note that my fellow diner’s choices were great as well.

In closing, I have to say that my visit to Ann Sather’s quashed all of the negative publicity with their food that is clearly made with plenty of care and quality ingredients along with a very affordable price tag in a brunch town where some prices are just plain criminal at times. So, if you want to get a piece of Chicago’s breakfast history, roll on down to Ann Sather!

Stroop and a Pancake? Bacon and a Blintz?

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Mark T

Ah the Netherlands. A land of many contrasts and confusion. Like is it the Netherlands or Holland or both? Even though both are generally accepted, the Netherlands is the official name of the country/kingdom while Holland is the combined name for two provinces within the country/kingdom. Beyond the name, most people have a few common thoughts about the country. The first thing that probably pops into the heads of many is of Amsterdam and its accompanying delights or vices depending on your moral constitution or perhaps Mike Meyer’s freakish Dutch villain Goldmember, the largest of the Low Countries has a lot more to offer. For example, it is home to the Frisian language. It is currently an endangered language in the Netherlands, but it once was spoken throughout the North Sea’s southern coast. Not only does it have a once distinguished past, but it currently holds the position of one of most closely related languages to English, more so than German. Some are quite clear cognates like “help” which is just the same word or “My name is…” is “Myn namme is …” in Frisian or “I’m from…” is “Ik kom fan …”. However, don’t expect to be able to completely understand them. While linguistic facts, Dutch ones included, are always interesting, I’m here to talk about a Dutch pancake house in Chicago that is homey and filled with delicious breakfast treats. I’m talking about the Famous Dutch Pancake House/Pannekoeken Huis in Lincoln Square on the north side of Chicago.

While there are plenty of great breakfast places throughout the city and surrounding suburbs, each one seems to have its own angle. There’s one that reflects the Swedish community in the Andersonville neighborhood or even a Greek cinnamon themed restaurant. However, it’s not often you hear of a Dutch breakfast restaurant. The Pancake House doesn’t serve any of the “special” treats you might assume, but rather a plethora of Dutch pancakes or pannekoeken (pronounced: pan-eh-ko-kehn). Although the Dutch word literally means “pancake”, they are different than the American ones we are used to. Instead of them being thicker than a Snicker, they are more similar to their French brethren: the crepe, a thin and airy bread that could be sweet or savory. When we got there on a Saturday morning, we managed to beat the rush just barely around 8:30ish. It’s a very small dining room, so be prepared to have a real cheek to jowl experience. We looked over the menu to find a plethora of sweet and savory pannekoeken along with more common American breakfast items like eggs, French toast, and bacon. After much deliberation and a recommendation from our waiter, I got the apple raisin cheese pannekoek ($9.95) and Janice got a veggie pannekoek ($8.95). When they came out, I couldn’t believe how big they were, i.e. at least as big as a small hubcap. However, they were thin which meant that they weren’t as heavy as American pancakes. Janice’s veggie pannekoek looked verdant and mouth-watering. She had the option of three veggies and her choice of cheese as toppings, so she went with a asparagus, mushroom, and green pepper combo along with some strips of melted Havarti cheese. It was a great savory pancake. While the thin dough provided a solid flavor foundation, the lightly sauteed veggies mixed well with the buttery cheese. Definitely made this carnivore steal more than one forkful off her plate. As for my pannekoek, it was certainly different than what I’m used to eating for breakfast. While I like to keep my savory elements separate from my sweet ingredients when it comes to food, this pannekoek had me singing a different tune. First, there was the plethora of apple slices that almost completely obscured my pannekoek and was occasionally punctuated with an amorphous blob of melted Havarti cheese. Then our waiter hooked me up with what seemed to be syrup for my sweet pannekoek, but it wasn’t quite the same. It turned out to be schenkstroop which derives from the words “schenk”which comes from the Dutch/German verb “schenken” meaning “to pour out”, and “stroop” meaning “syrup”. Aside from the name difference, this Dutch specialty is made from sugar beets instead of the cane sugar our everyday pancake syrup is made from. What this meant for my pannekoek experience was two things. First, it had a much higher viscosity than American syrup which made it seem more like a thick molasses. Second, after I made it rain all over my pannekoek, I found the schenkstroop to have a cleaner and not as overpoweringly sweet aftertaste compared to its American counterpart. I thought it was perfect for this type of pancake because of the many competing flavors for my tastebuds attention. As I mentioned before, I wasn’t a mixing savory and sweet kind of guy. Hell, I find Hawaiian pizza to be an abomination to food lovers everywhere. Pineapple on a pizza? Aloha, brah (and I mean it in the “goodbye” sense). Anyway, pizza rant over. The creamy and slightly salty Havarti semi-neutralized the tart, gossamer-thin granny smith apple slices that melted in my mouth. However, little did I know that the pannekoeken’s dough hid another sweet secret in the form of raisins that were baked right into the cake. They were like little, chewy barnacles riding along on the underbelly of a blue whale of flavor. I couldn’t get enough of the sweet, savory, and salty delight, but it was gone before I knew it.

So if you want to sample a cozy little corner of Holland in Chicago for very reasonable prices and great service, grab your wooden shoes and clog your way down to the Pannenkoeken Cafe!

The Mother of All Posts: 4 Great Mother’s Day Restaurants

Posted on May 10, 2015 by Mark T

Finally I am free to write! I’m very sorry that I haven’t been able to write lately since I’ve been going through a whole sort of life transition with going into a completely new career, but that doesn’t mean that I will forget about loving and writing about food. Today’s post deals with four great brunch places for tu mama, and is presented to you by my blog, Mastication Monologues, and OpenTable.com in honor of Mother’s Day. If you want to check out more great picks for Mother’s Day and make reservations for your family, check out OpenTable’s Mother’s Day promo page with plenty of offers!

1. Kanela

Kanela is one of the best brunch places that I’ve been to in Chicago, and I’m sure they will pull out all of the stops to make your mom feel special. I would highly recommend making reservations for this place since the place isn’t huge and is very popular with the locals. It’s on the northside of Chicago nearby the iconic Wrigley Field, and while the Cubbies might be the lovable local losers, you won’t lose anything except your mind with Kanela’s delish dishes. I would highly recommend their monkey bread to start off with one of their smoothies on the side. For the entree, you can’t really go wrong. If you like sweet things, I’d recommend the red velvet french toast. However, if savory is the name of the game, try the spicy Feta omelet that is jam packed with whipped semi-spicy cheese and all wrapped up in a layer of fluffy eggs.

2. M. Henry

Then there is M. Henry in the Andersonville/Little Sweden neighborhood which is also on the northside of Chicago. While it doesn’t specialize in meatballs and cold herring as the area would suggest, they have plenty of noms for your mom to enjoy. Everyone swears by their extremely fruity bread pudding aside from me, but try it for yourself and let me know what you think. While I got their granola pancakes that were also swimming in fruit juice, my girlfriend’s huevos borrachos were fantastic for a savory option. It’s not my cup of tea, but everyone else that has been there has raved about it. So I’d still recommend trying to fight the crowds at this very popular brunch establishment.

3. Bongo Room

While the name might sound like a funky, nighttime hangout, it’s actually quite a quaint and modern breakfast restaurant that is serving up unique and mouth-watering fare for the masses. It’s actually right down the street from M. Henry, so if it’s too full there, you can always pop on over to the Bongo Room. Once again, I cannot stress the importance of making reservations! I’ve been there twice, and you get GIGANTIC portions for the price. My personal favorite are the white chocolate and pretzel pancakes. Not only are they bigger than your face, but they combine the best of both sweet and salty that everyone loves with chocolate covered pretzels. If you don’t have that big of a sweet tooth, they also have plenty of options for you savory lovers out there.

4. Walker Brother’s Pancake House

Finally, there is the oldest of the bunch in the form of the Walker Brother’s Pancake House. If you like a lot of history and a lot of great food for delicious prices, I highly recommend this Chicagoland favorite. The original one that I went to in my first post about it (you can read it in this section’s title). This place was bumping when we went there for breakfast, and I’m sure it will be bursting with patrons on Mothers’ Day. They have a very extensive menu filled with classics like bacon and eggs and other more exotic entries like blue crab Benedict which is like eggs benedict with the addition of some decadent crab meat. I, however, was following Janice’s lead when I went there. If you’re really hungry, go for the pancakes since they are gargantuan and oh sooooo good. I would recommend the apple cinnamon pancake or the Dutch baby pancake. The former can be served a la mode which is totally worth it while the latter is a lot less intense, but still filled with plenty of mouth-watering powdered sugar and lemon juice for a tart and sweet contrast. Plus, the surroundings of dark wood and Tiffany glass aren’t too hard on the eye either.

So there you have it. Four great Mothers’ Day locations for brunch in the Chicagoland area that focus on quality food at prices that are easy on the old wallet. If you want to make reservations at any of these establishments or others, please check out OpenTable.com. Bon appetit!

A Deli For a Happy Belly

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Mark T

Ah college…an idyllic time where you can enjoy every social opportunity there is for an 18-22 year old while hopefully gaining an education. On any college campus in America, minus the dry campuses, there is always a main street where most students go to shop, eat, and get their drink on. The last two are especially important given that nothing is better than having a great night out on the town and more importantly, getting some precious food to fill your food before, during, and/or after the shenanigans. This past fall, I went for the first time to the Indiana University with my girlfriend and her friends, and experienced everything their campus had to offer. I had always heard good things about Bloomington, Indiana (hard to believe given it’s in Indiana), but I never had been there. Plus, I went to the University of Illinois at Chambana, so our schools aren’t the best of neighbors. However, I ended up having a fantastic weekend filled with fun, friends, and especially food.

We kicked off Friday night with exploring the downtown area and visiting a popular bar called Nick’s. Apparently they’re famous for a drinking game called Sink the Biz, or as I’ve always known it from U of Illinois, depth charge. Basically, you try not to sink the shotglass while pouring beer into it.

The guys behind us were captivated.

Loser has to drink per usual. Things got really rowdy when Captain Morgan showed up, but we were more into the prompt service and the good bar food like the cheese sticks, fries, and burgers. Old people priorities, woooooo! After that, we moved on to the Upstairs Bar where the party really jumped off. First, there were these drinks called AMFs or Adios Mofos to keep it clean, and after tasting one I can see where the name comes from. Take down one or two, and you might as well kiss your last functioning neurons goodbye. If you like to dance, this was the place to be especially when Michael Jackson’s Hold Me from the classic film Free Willy came on. It was a spiritual experience to say the least. The rest of the night was pretty fun, but the following morning was even better.

The highlight (one of many) for our visit was the tailgate before the football game. For the uninitiated, like myself back then, I wasn’t sure what tailgating consisted of. Turns out it was the biggest food and drink fest of all time, but with the unpredictability of the elements thrown in. What that meant was while we were freezing outside, we huddled around the Weber grill for warmth as bbq master Cam was slinging burgers at us. We also were enjoying plenty of adult beverages, making new friends,

Ruby the dog is so popular

ruining old friendships over drinking games,

Something's afoot, but Janice is having too much fun.

Nobody but Janice is having fun.

and getting on Buzzfeed (Check number 15). Nbd. Eventually we made it to the football game, and it was about as dismal as the weather. It was so depressing that one of our friends, Amanda, basically led a mass exodus of fans out of the stadium after loudly voicing her displeasure at a terrible throw and a missed catch. We thought about going out, but after 10 hours of straight raging, we decided to call it a night. The following morning, however, we nursed our hangovers with a little something the girls kept calling VD. Now, that’s something people normally try to stay away from, but in Bloomington, VD or Village Deli is the place to be on a Sunday morning. Recently it suffered a terrible fire, but thankfully it was repaired and back in business. I enjoyed their funky fresh paint scheme with their psychedelic paintings on the wall of celebrities, and the food looked delicious as we walked pass the packed tables. Their menu was simple but filled with great options for pancakes, omelets, and scramblers. They are known for their Famous, Collosal, Huge, Ginormous, Fresh Buttermilk Pancakes, so that is exactly what I got ($4.50). You can also add up to three toppings including fresh fruit, walnuts, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, granola, or cinnamon roll. That last one greatly intrigued me, so I plumped for just that to see what these from scratch big boys would look like. What came out was just as large as they were talking about. They were literally bigger than my face and coated with cinnamon, sugar, and icing. I seem to have a penchant for ordering large breadstuffs for breakfast. I quickly got down to business since I was starving, and they were some of the best pancakes I’ve ever had. I could tell they were made from scratch with the fluffiness of each bite coated in that sweet and slightly savory cinnamon sugar melange. It was kicked up a notch in the diabetes column with the cinnamon roll icing, but I was back in college for a weekend. Nothing like letting the hair down a little. My compadres’ meals looked equally delish, but I highly recommend getting there early if you want a table and not have to wait in line for half an hour or more. It was a satisfying end to an entertaining weekend with new friends.

Job well done, team!

To finish, I would highly recommend visiting U of Indiana and the Village Deli if you’re looking for good times and great food with even better prices.

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Posted in Alcoholic, American Cuisine, Beverages, Breakfast, Mixed Drinks and tagged amfs, bbq, Beer, Bloomington, cinnamon, college, deli, football, grilling, icing, Indiana, pancakes, sugar, sweet, tailgating, village. Bookmark the permalink.

Cinfully Delicious

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Mark T

A common phrase in English is “the breakfast of champions” which is often used to describe a specific foodstuff or collection of drink and food that will transform someone into a winner. However, a tougher title to achieve is “champion of breakfasts”, especially in a big and competitive market like Chicago. Now, I’ve had my fair share of flapjacks, scramblers, and skillets, and it’s really just the tip of the bacon-wrapped iceburg. Not all diners are created equal though. Kanela is one of those special franchises that has slowly, but surely, taken over the Chicago breakfast scene.

“κανέλα” or Kanela means “cinnamon” in Greek, and this Greek American establishment of the same name is a temple to this once rare ingredient. I love my spices and seasoning, but I think that cinnamon is my favorite. Whether it’s in rolls, doughnuts, or French toast, I can’t get enough of the powdery and savory spice. So, when I heard that we would be paying a visit to it for a morning meal, I was over the moon. It had a modest exterior that belied its popularity as people were milling outside waiting for a table. Thankfully, there is free parking nearby and on the street if you’re looking to take a large group to enjoy all of the great breakfast options we soon thereafter started sampling. The place was absolutely poppin’ on a Sunday morning, go figure, but we got a table for two in no time. We started the meal off with drinks. Janice got a Bloody Mary that was extra spicy and made with Absolut Peppar vodka to give it that peppy kick to wake you up and/or chase the mad dog of a hangover from last night away. As for me, I went the healthier route with the PB & J smoothie ($6) which consisted of peanut butter, blueberry, strawberry, and organic agave nectar which is a slightly healthier alternative to regular sugar but much better than artificial sweeteners. Fun fact: the agave is the same plant that tequila is derived from as well, but don’t expect any sort of alcoholic punch with this natural sugar substitute. Surprisingly, this large glass of cooling ambrosia isn’t as sweet as you would imagine. It managed to capture the soul of the elementary lunch school staple with a splash of peanut butter mixing with the sweet fruits and syrup but in a much more understated manner. Once we had our beverages in hand, we started the food fest by sharing an order of monkey bread ($4). It came out and looked simply sinfully delicious. I often wondered why people call it “monkey bread” since it doesn’t look like something a monkey would eat or shaped like some sort of simian. After a bit of research, the origin of the sweet treat’s name is shrouded in mystery, but one theory postulates that its cracked and bumpy surface bears a certain resemblance to the bark of the monkey puzzle tree that grows in South America. With one bite of this appetizer, we went ape. Each piece we pulled apart from the bread was more flavorful than the one that preceded it. The cinnamon dusted on top combined with the honey drizzled on top made it taste like a mixture between a dulce de leche roll I had in Costa Rica and a classic cinnamon roll. Plus, it was slightly warm that pushed this dessert to the next level. For our entrees, Janice got the duck confit hash ($12) while I ordered the spicy feta omelet ($11). First, I have to mention that if you are any type of Greek restaurant or even just a restaurant owned by a Greek, you will get giant portions for your money. Kanela holds to this axiom. The duck confit hash looked mouth-wateringly good especially with the orange truffle vinaigrette that really piqued my interest and taste buds. Thankfully the duck wasn’t too greasy either which can often be a pitfall when ordering the fowl for a meal. As for my spicy feta omelet, I really loved the fresno pepper garnish that served as a flashpoint of the meal. Its bright red skin immediately drew my attention at the newborn baby-sized omelet that was lying in front of me. The ends weren’t that packed with any sort of filling, just fluffy eggs. However, I soon got to the business end of things as I was greeted with a thick pocket of tyrokafteri cheese, red onion, and tomatoes. My advice for anyone wanting to get this is that it’s not terribly spicy, and make sure that you love feta cheese because there’s half of Greece’s supply in just this one omelet. So if you aren’t as big of a cheesehead as me, then consider yourself warned. It’s not for the faint hearted. The onions made a minimal impression on my palate, and the tomatoes were negligible. The potatoes on the side were not too greasy or too dry, and they worked well when mixed with the omelets or just on their own.

By the end of meal, we were stuffed and satisfied with our trip to Kanela. For the price, portion sizes, and overall quality of ingredients, Kanela can’t be touched.

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Posted in Breakfast and tagged Bloody Mary, breakfast, cheese, Chicago, Feta, fried, Greek, northside, omelet, peppers, potatoes, sweet. Bookmark the permalink.

Bro-ing Out with the Apple of My Eye

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Mark T

Welcome to another edition of Mastication Monologues! If it’s your first time on here or you’re a longtime fan, you’re in for a treat. I’m all about finding and trying new and unique restaurants, and today’s establishment definitely falls into both categories. Well, maybe not so much new, but its menu choices are certainly memorable. Cutting to the chase, I’m talking about Walker Bros. Original Pancake House. It has been around since 1960, and is considered by Zagat and James Beard the best breakfast place-bar none in the Chicagoland area. It is so popular that there are now six locations around the Chicagoland area, but in this post, my girlfriend and I visited the original location that opened in 1960 in Wilmette.

I’ve heard of the Walker’s Bros. before, and I wondered what made them so special compared to all of the other types of chain breakfast restaurants or even little hole in the walls I’ve visited in the past. Breakfasts in America are much more varied compared to breakfasts in other countries, so I feel like I’ve seen it all when it comes to ordering something tasty to fill my piehole with in the morning. Boy, was I wrong after eating with the Bros. The exterior of the restaurant just radiated history like it was a living time capsule, but the cars were slightly less hulking and more chock full o’ plastic compared to the motorcoaches of yesteryear. Walking through the door, however, that hasn’t changed since they first opened it (or so it seemed). It was full of beautiful stained glass windows and ornate woodcarvings coating the walls. We were promptly seated in one of the side dining rooms, and we were treated to a perfect view of one of the enormous ceiling lights that were designed in the Tiffany style. Not only were we taking in the surroundings but also the menu contents. Janice had been here before, so she automatically knew what she was going to get: the Dutch Baby pancake ($8.50). As for me, I was having trouble trying to pick something since everything looked great! Eggs? French toast? Crepes? Waffles? I was at the pancake house, so I plumped for the apple pancake ($9.95) with the additional $1.95 for French vanilla ice cream on top. Got to do it big when you’re rollin’ with the Bros.

When our plates came out, I was taken aback since I had never seen anything like it. Janice’s Dutch Baby wasn’t like a small, screeching, blonde child wearing wooden shoes but rather something that looked like a cross between a taco salad shell and a danish. What it actually was was an oven-baked pancake that was topped with a healthy sprinkling of powdered sugar. The kicker was the lemon juice she spritzed over the pancake that really brought it to life. I personally thought that it was a unique dish as it was less like a bready pancake and more like a lighter, buttery crepe that sizzled over my palate with the sweet powdered sugar combining with the raw sour power of the lemon juice. Thankfully, the pancake itself wasn’t outshone by the lemon juice. Then there was the apple pancake….where to start? It was advertised as an “Original Pancake House tradition”, and that it was stuffed with some apples and cinnamon glaze. Simple. I’ve had apple pancakes before where they slice some apples on top and put a slightly thicker syrup over the flapjacks and fruit to leave you full but just moderately satisfied. My apple pancake from Walker Bros. was the Steve Jobs of the breakfast world. A revolutionary just doing what it wants to do no matter what. It’s not for the faint of heart but rather for those with a well endowed sweet tooth, i.e. yours truly. The exterior seemed to be lacquered with the Sinikiang (fun fact: Sinikiang or Xinjiang is the Northwestern province of China that is home to the Uighur community and a majority of China’s Muslim minorities. Also, it was a stop along the famed Silk Road where spices like cinnamon were traded.) cinnamon and sugar glaze so that it shimmered under the ornate lights and beckoned me to tuck into it. I could see that it was piping hot as its snow white toupee was slowly trickling down its undulating surface through each nook and cranny. Upon slicing it open, I was greeted with slices of cinnamon apples, pure white dough and more sugar glaze. It was like an apple pie and a cinnamon roll had a delectable love child. I was in absolute heaven with every bite, and this is one tradition I hope Walker Bros. never retires.

So if you want a piece of Chicagoland history along with some wonderfully innovative and delicious breakfast items for great prices, run, don’t walk to Walker Bros. Original Pancake House. Their pancakes will make you flip!

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Posted in American Cuisine, Breakfast, Chain Restaurants and tagged apple, breakfast, Chicagoland, ice cream, lemon, pancakes, restaurant, review, sweet, vanilla, Wilmette. Bookmark the permalink.

Bongo A-Go-Go

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Mark T

Happy 4th of July, ‘Murika! What is more American than a new Mastication Monologues post about stuffing my face with delicious food that comes in gargantuan portions that would feed a family for a week? Nothing…well, except maybe this . Today’s restaurant review takes me to Andersonville in Chicago to the famed Bongo Room.

I had heard through the grapevine that this establishment knew how to sling some delicious brunch items to fill some growling, hungry and possibly hungover bellies. I knew I had to check it out since I also caught wind of their portion sizes being insanely large. I went there on a weekday morning, and I found it quite easy to park in their minuscule parking lot on the side along with procuring a table upon walking in. However, they don’t take reservations, and if you go on a weekend, you will have to brave the hungry hordes that I often see milling about outside their doors. Anyway, I was just there by myself, so I decided to sit at the bar since I didn’t want to take up one of the larger tables that were perfectly spaced and designed for the dining room. The bartender gave me the main menu along with a list of specials. It wasn’t as extensive as a Greek diner or other chain breakfast places I’ve been to, but they did have plenty of creative entries like a similar Andersonville diner, M. Henry. I looked over the omelets, French toasts, and pancakes they had to offer, but it was like trying to pick your favorite child. So, I asked the bartender what she would recommend, and she picked what I was leaning towards initially: white chocolate and caramel pretzel pancakes ($10.50).

After a bit of waiting, they finally came out. I honestly didn’t know how they managed to fit in the pretzels in this plate that looked almost like a canvas that should be hanging in the MOMA. I almost felt bad that I would have to sully the milky white and golden lattice pattern that covered these monstrous cakes, but I sallied forth to my delectable date with destiny. From the first forkful I was hooked. The actual pancakes were light and fluffy, and the white chocolate sauce that covered them wasn’t thick like frosting but rather an extremely thin syrup made thicker with the presence of divine caramel. This sauce was the key to the success of these pancakes while at M. Henry I was very disappointed in their bliss cakes. M. Henry went the healthy route with berry juice, but the problem was that they used way too much of it. The sauce itself was too watery which the cakes absorbed too quickly, and in turn, left me with a plate of soggy flapjacks. The Bongo Room, on the other hand, did coat their pancakes with a lot of sauce like M. Henry but with just enough to coat every inch of them and no more. I didn’t interrupt another pancake pool party for breakfast. Plus, the sauce was thicker which meant that it infiltrated the pores of the pancakes much slower than the thin berry juices. Take notes, M. Henry. You have good ideas and ingredients for bread-based recipes, but you need to tweak them to make them truly great. Anyway, there is also the pretzel element of this dish that I found quite novel. As I cut through my meal, I would occasionally be greeted with actual pieces of pretzels, salt and all, between the sweet folds. I inquired with the bartender how they integrated these pretzel fragments into the meal, and she said that they are sprinkled in as the cakes are on the griddle. Much to my surprise, they were not soggy at all and provided a great crunch to offset the more delicate pancakes. The saltiness of the pretzels were a double edged sword since it was a masterstroke to combine it with the sweet white chocolate and caramel, but at times towards the end of the meal, the salt seemed to be a bit too much for my palate to handle. Either way, this snowy white chocolate dish left me in a winter wonderland in the middle of summer. I ate all of it so fast that the bartender asked if I wanted to lick the plate, but I wanted to preserve a bit of self respect after the dust settled from my feeding frenzy.

I was greatly satisfied by The Bongo Room. From service, environment, price, portion size, and overall quality, they got it all. Even though their menu isn’t encyclopedic in comparison to other nearby establishments, The Bongo Room makes up for it with fewer dishes done so well that they make everyone want to come back for more. Just don’t cut in front of me while we stand in line, and I’ll see you there.

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Posted in American Cuisine, Breakfast, Chain Restaurants and tagged Andersonville, Bongo, caramel, Chicago, chocolate, omelet, pancakes, pretzel, room, sauce, waffle, white. Bookmark the permalink.

Too Much Flavor to Savor

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Mark T

Hey hey, everybody! Summer is finally here, and Mastication Monologues has another new restaurant review hot off the presses. While it seems like I’ve been focusing a lot on fried chicken joints and burger stands lately, today’s post takes a turn for the more genteel in the form of brunch at M. Henry.

There are plenty of words that have entered the English language in the form of portmanteaus such as spork, frienemy, and the never-ending parade of celebrity couples like Brangelina, Kimye, and TomKat. However, “brunch” has been around a bit longer than these limelight hoggers, and frankly I think it has offered a lot more to the world than they have. Case in point, Punch magazine in England in 1895 first coined the term as a “Sunday meal for Saturday night carousers” that “Puts yourself in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow human beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” Truer words have never been spoken, so I was led to M. Henry by Janice to see if their amazing brunch could do all of the above. It seemed like it could based on the 20 minute wait we had to endure to finally get a table in the back room. The interior of the establishment was tastefully decorated along with a full bakery section that greeted us complete with homemade granola, pies, and sweet rolls. So we sat down in the bustling backroom, and I got acquainted with the menu. If you love breakfast/brunch as much as I do, then you’ll need plenty of time to pour over the selection of mouth-watering options ranging from different egg dishes, bread based dishes, and tons of sides and vegan-friendly noms. We started our meal off with a half order of the out of this world bread pudding ($5.75 half/$6.95 full). Janice was over the moon about it, so I was curious to see if I’d be in orbit as well. It came out, and it looked unlike any bread pudding I’ve seen. The actual pudding was buried underneath a mountain of blood-red peach slices and plump raspberries. So I took a few spoonfuls of the fruit and some chunks of the vanilla brioche pudding. Upon eating it, I was greeted with a blast of rich vanilla flavor of the bread pudding along with the semi-sweet notes of the peaches. The raspberries also were fresh and slightly tart that provided a nice contrast to the mellow pudding, but the seeds were a bit of a pain. Although the ingredients were good, the presentation brought the entire dish down. The main sticking point for me was the fruit juice that all of the ingredients were swimming in. This caused the already soft bread pudding to become soggy. I don’t know if we went there for the senior early bird special since they were trying to soften up our food for our dentures, but I personally prefer my bread pudding to have a bit more fortitude than the delicious but mushy pudding they served us. If they served it on a plate with just a drizzling of the fruit juices, similar to other bread pudding recipes I’ve tried and seen, instead of a biblical flood, then it would be considerably better. Once finished, the waiter was back to take our order. After much deliberation, I settled for their acclaimed bliss cakes ($9.95) with a side of candied applewood bacon ($3.75), and Janice got the black bean cakes and huevos borrachos ($9.95). I was looking around at people eating bliss cakes in the dining room, and they looked like they were enjoying them greatly. So I was quite excited to tuck into them when they were finally placed in front of me. It looked like a plate out of Martha Stewart’s kitchen, and the first bite was delectable. The top hotcake had a crust of brown sugar and oats for a sweet crunch for a great flavor and texture contrast to the fruity and fluffy pancakes. After that first bite, I delved further into my meal, and my initial excitement gave way to a similar ennui that I experienced with the bread pudding. Once again, M. Henry believed that stewing bread products in its own juices would somehow improve the quality of the meal. This destroyed the bottom flapjack, and the creamy mascarpone cheese between the pancakes didn’t help. I’m sure it was a good idea on the drawing board, but they should cool it with the fruit juices. I definitely wasn’t crestfallen when I tried and subsequently destroyed my candied bacon. Normally, I’m not a crispy bacon kind of guy, but these monster-sized strips were special. M. Henry took a basic bacon strip and combined the salty, smoky flavor profile with a perfect coating of sugar to redeem an otherwise disappointing meal. I tried some of Janice’s dish, mainly the huevos borrachos or “drunk eggs”, and I really should have ordered those. Not only was the tortillas homemade, fresh, and thick, but the adobo mixed with the chorizo, sour cream, and avocado was a thick, south-of-the-border fiesta that couldn’t be any more at home in my mouth. Que rico!

By the end of the meal, I was indifferent to my experience at M. Henry. I think I just chose incorrectly, but they do care a lot about the quality of the ingredients that they use. That is for certain. I’m sure there are other places in Andersonville that serve brunch, like Lady Gregory’s, but I wouldn’t say to completely avoid M. Henry’s. It’s worth a shot.

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Posted in American Cuisine, Breakfast and tagged Andersonville, bacon, Chicago, chorizo, eggs, fruit, juices, meat, pancakes, smoky, sweet, tortilla, wood. Bookmark the permalink.

Mastication Monologues

Category Archives: Breakfast

Cinful Prices but a Heavenly View (Cindy’s)

San Diego (Day 3): A Sweet Sendoff (Il Fornaio and Phil’s BBQ)

Ann Extraordinary Brunch

Stroop and a Pancake? Bacon and a Blintz?

The Mother of All Posts: 4 Great Mother’s Day Restaurants

A Deli For a Happy Belly

Cinfully Delicious

Bro-ing Out with the Apple of My Eye

Bongo A-Go-Go

Too Much Flavor to Savor

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