Brunch Bites: Julius Meinl and Parlor Pizza Bar

In this week's batch of brunch bites, Julius Meinl rolls out a new location and adds music to the brunch mix, while Parlor Pizza Bar adds another brunch option in the West Loop. 

(Julius Meinl comes to Streeterville)

For years, Julius Meinl has been a cozy Austrian mainstay on Southport, featuring an array of baked goods and brunch-y items all day long. After expanding with an outpost in North Center a few years ago and one in Ravenswood, they're growing yet again with a daintier location in Streeterville, featuring the same formula of coffee, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and other patisserie provisions. It's the latest brunch-like option in the booming Streeterville 'hood, which continues to see growth in the dining and drinking sector. In other Meinl news, the North Center locale is now featuring live music during Sunday brunch from noon until 3:00 p.m. 

Speaking of neighborhoods that keep blowing up, the ever popular West Loop welcomes a new restaurant and brunch option this weekend in Parlor Pizza Bar, which bows September 12 on Green Street. The sprawling new eatery clearly has a pizza focal point, with huge patio space and a rooftop deck on which to enjoy them. But weekend brunch is also a pivotal part of the formula, complete with a hefty Bloody Mary bar with DIY garnishes. These include smoked Gouda, beef jerky, brown sugar candied bacon, and more.

- Matt Kirouac