Brunch for the Late Bunch
Drop biscuit sandwich at Three Aces (Photo: Three Aces)
Just recently a good friend asked me out to brunch. I was completely gung-ho until he said, “Yeah, and meet me around 1pm.” Uh oh. The thought of getting dressed to fight hungry crowds during what’s considered prime brunch time did not appeal to me. Oh, and did I mention he was “treating” me for this glorious grubfest?! If you’re like me and prefer a nice, leisurely brunch at a later time of day, then you’ve come to the right place. I’ve gathered a neat list of the very best brunch spots catering to tardy, trendier types.
Avec. Technically, Sunday brunch ends at 2pm for the long-time West Loop fave. That’s when the kitchen closes, BUT if you arrive before 3:30pm (when the kitchen re-opens for the evening) you can still order brunch cocktails like the Harissa Bloody Mary with Spanish chorizo (see, food!), seasonal Bellinis or On a Wait (a barrel-aged cocktail with gin, Americano and Carpano Antica that’s due out in mid-August). If you do manage to squeeze in before the kitchen closes, you’ll get luscious portions of the new chef de cuisine’s brand-new brunch dishes. Perry Hendrix’s whipping up wood-fired, oven-baked eggs with summer squash and Corona beans as well as Spanish-style French toast topped with fresh ricotta, cherries, almonds and mint.
Flo. The long-standing West Town spot hosts brunch until 4pm on Saturday (3pm Sunday), which means you don’t have to worry about the lines out the door. You also don’t have to worry about all the kids that come earlier, but you can still indulge your inner-child by ordering Fruity Pebbles or Cocoa Pebbles French toast. For those in the mood for more savory bites, go for green chile chicken enchiladas or the chorizo scramble made with house-made chorizo and Jack cheese. For drinking, there’s there Morning Moonwalk of grapefruit juice and sparkling wine and a “breakfast shot” of housemade bacon-infused bourbon and butterscotch Schnapps with an orange juice chaser.
Avec's Harissa Bloody Mary (Photo: Avec)
RM Champagne Salon. Created with bar- and restaurant-industry folks in mind, the sexy champagne lounge’s Sunday brunch starts at 1pm and ends at 4:45. The only thing is, however, is that if you’re still hungover from the night before, you’re on your own because it’s buffet style. For $24, you get to nosh on items such as smoked organic salmon, made-to-order organic eggs, house-smoked bacon, breakfast Strada, French toast with seasonal berries and more. Cocktails are not included in the price; choices include a classic Mimosa, Bloody Mary, a boozy frappe and the RM Bellini.
The Savoy. While weekend brunch ends at a reasonable time (3:30pm) at this swanky seafood-focused eatery, what makes The Savoy unique is that it also offers brunch on Fridays. Therefore, if you’re craving generous portions of ricotta pancakes and smoked porchetta & eggs mid-afternoons on Fridays, you now have a place to go.
Sinha Elegant Cuisine. Brazilian, BYOB and a little booty shakin’ too?! That all takes place every Sunday in a Near West Side brownstone that’s home to the restaurant’s owner. The authentic Brazilian buffet is set up on the lower level and you can eat as much as you wish as old-school and contemporary Samba serves as background music. Reservations required; 2 and 4pm seatings every Sundays. $40 per person.
Fruity Pebbles French toast at Flo (Photo: Flo)
Stanley’s Kitchen & Tap. Mounds of fried chicken, cornbread, mac ‘n’ cheese and more can be found on the Southern-style buffet at this popular Lincoln Park sports bar. It’s all you can eat, of course, for $13, and happens until 4pm Saturday and Sunday. If you go on the later end on Sunday, we highly recommend staking your space for the live band karaoke, which starts at 10pm. It’s a long time to wait, but the drinks are pretty cheap.
Three Aces. The hard-rockin’, Little Italy-based bar and restaurant serves brunch every day until 4pm. That’s perfect knowing that we can get breakfast poutine or a “drop biscuit” sandwich (cheddar-scallion biscuit, ham, aged cheddar, fried farm egg, sausage gravy fries) almost anytime we want.
Yusho. They don’t call it brunch, but we do, seeing how the weekly Sunday Noodles starts at noon and ends at 5pm. For $20, guests get a choice of noodles, soft serve and craft cocktail. You can also order quail eggs, grilled oysters, fried chicken or tofu doughnuts as side items.