Revisit: Kit Kat Lounge

Long long ago in the spring of 2007, I was new to Chicago and was still trying to find my footing. I'd moved here the previous fall with two friends from college and we had all just barely made it out of our first arctic winter. I had a crappy job (which I would be fired from within the month for accidentally exposing a shady real estate investor's sketchy policies), a cheap, but comfortable apartment, and a very small group of friends. My roommates were both from Pennsylvania and were getting really home sick, especially as Easter approached. One decided to go home for the holiday, while the other couldn't afford the trip. "Don't worry," I told her. "I saw a sign on the restaurant down the block about an Easter brunch. You and I are going to go to that and have the best time ever." That restaurant was Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club, and I had no idea what I had just signed us up for.

My first ever Easter brunch at Kit Kat Lounge, 2007

We walked in Easter morning with no reservation and were lucky to be seated. In those days, Kit Kat wasn't doing a brunch service every week, and this might have only been the first or second time they had done a special service on Easter. They had a prix fix menu that included unlimited mimosas and three courses (biscuits, an entree, and a dessert) at a pretty damn good price. Best of all, they featured numbers by the exquisite Madam X, a showgirl drag queen of the highest order who made all her own costumes and sang all her songs live. Keep in mind, this was before RuPaul's Drag Race transformed the drag scene forever and brought it's history, artistry, and lingo into popular culture, so having brunch at a drag club on a religious holiday seemed very rebellious to us at the time. My poor home sick room mate was infatuated with Madam X, even asking if we could take a picture with her to commemorate our first Easter in Chicago.

For the next ten years, Kit Kat was my go to neighborhood spot. I knew the nightly specials by heart. I knew the martini menu by heart. I knew the performance schedule by heart. I took friends there. I took dates there. I took my mother there. When this blog was launched in 2010, Kit Kat was the subject of one of our very first reviews. That was just at the point where they were beginning to expand their brunch service to include holidays like Halloween and Mother's Day, so things were a little shaky, but I never minded. Mostly because I was usually pretty wasted.

Now, Kit Kat's Sunday brunch is a mainstay of the neighborhood. Every Sunday, you'll find huge groups of girlfriends, boyfriends, families, bridal showers, birthdays, and everything in between flocking to Kit Kat for their perfect mix of entertainment, great food, and amazing cocktails. When I moved out of Lakeview last year, I knew that heading to Kit Kat anytime I wanted was going to be one of the things I would miss most.

That is why I decided to make my triumphant return to Kit Kat this past Sunday. They've recently expanded their menu quite a bit, so I was interested to see what they had in store, as well as revisit some of my old favorites. And of course, I wanted to see what new numbers Madam X had added to her repertoire.

Where as in the past, Kit Kat Lounge had only offered unlimited mimosas with their brunch, they've now expanded the choices to include Bloody Mary martinis, white and red sangria, pink champagne, and vodka spritzers. I'm pretty partial to the sangria myself, but I also had to get one of my old favorites off the martini menu, the Lava Lamp (which is basically a lot of vodka and a Jello shot). I was near to distraught not to see my all time fav cocktail, the Black and White, was no longer listed on the menu. I beg you, Kit Kat. BRING THAT ONE BACK.

My friend and I started off with the Crab Cake Benedict, which has been on their brunch menu since the very beginning. It was still satisfyingly crabby, with a softer texture then a typical New England style crab cake, but they had added a bit of bacon to the top, which gave it a welcome meatiness and a little crunchy contrast.

Next up, a stand by and a new addition to the menu: The Kit Kat Burger and the Korean BBQ Chicken Sandwich, both of which came served with a literal mountain of truffle fries (their fries are outstanding, by the way). Once again, the burger was just how I remembered it: cooked perfectly medium, topped with a thick slab of bacon, a perfectly fried egg, and melted Gruyere cheese. It's nearly impossible to go wrong with this burger. The chicken sandwich was a nice new addition to the line up, with a sweet and tangy flavor that matched nicely with the crunchy slaw and the juicy chicken. It was a little difficult to pick up and eat (especially while trying to hold out a $5 bill to Madam X in my other hand), so eventually, I had to resort to a fork and knife. Still, hoping this one sticks around for a while.

Lastly, we finished off with my personal favorite sweet treat on the menu, the Rice Krispie French Toast. For this dish, they coat their French toast in a layer of puffed rice cereal, then serve it with a tres leches syrup and marinated strawberries. It's not overly complicated, but it's still such a fun take on a classic brunch dish.

As always, Madam X was perfection. She delighted the crowd with several pop diva medleys (Beyonce, Miley, Katy Perry, etc.), which included her signature vocal talents as well as dramatic costume changes. Some Sundays will see her doing an entire show of themed numbers, like ABBA for Mother's Day (Mama Mia... get it?), Rocky Horror on Halloween, or just an entire morning of Lady Gaga to celebrate Mother Monster's birthday and such. Regardless of her set list, she is never a disappointment.

People are often surprised when I recommend the food at Kit Kat, but I cannot remember a time when I got a dish I didn't like. The prices are always more than reasonable (seriously, most bars would be charging upwards of $20 for comparable cocktails, whereas Kit Kat charges $13 for most everything they serve, and has 4 nights per week where all martinis are half price!). Can they get a little crowded? Yes. Is the service a little slow and spotty sometimes? It can be. But in my over a decade acquaintanceship with this restaurant, always come away utterly delighted with my experience there. Also, Madam X? My mom said to tell you hello!

I was invited to dine free of charge by the restaurant, but all opinions are my own.

Kit Kat Lounge or The Home of Strange Feelings

The Slow and Savory Review

Whilst dying her hair the perfect shade of blue (labeled as Starlight Glory), Bunny’s hair dresser Rico suggested the perfect spot for a Halloween brunch, The Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club. He handed her a flyer, boasting of a “Rocky Horror Picture Show Brunch,” (Bunny naturally assumed this was some sort of mountain climbing slide show). “Doesn’t seem like my sort of place,” Brandy was heard to remark when she was shown the flyer. “They have over 50 different martinis,” said Bunny. Brandy snatched the flyer, and with it crumpled in her fist, headed for the door.
Birdie Brown tagged along again this week, having been left on his own whilst his dear wife Biscuit recovered from having a hangnail removed. The party of three were taken to the back room of the lounge, past servers dressed in corsets, platform boots, and various colorful wigs, while movies played on the walls and disco balls twirled about the space.
Our Ladies and guest were presented with the choice of a prix-fixe 2 course menu (which included bottomless bloody martinis or mimosas), or the a la carte menu. While the flyer promised drinks and food themed for the “Rocky Horror” brunch, the choices didn’t seem any different than normal brunch faire.
Our Ladies and guest all opted for some of the a la carte options, with Brandy partaking of the mimosa while Bunny and Birdie chose the bloody martinis, which were all presented with some amusing plastic vampire fangs. Birdie commented that, “It was awful nice of them to provide me with some false chompers, as I’ve left mine at home.” (It is worth noting that on Sundays, all martinis are ½ price and there are many delicious varieties to choose from, if Brandy hasn’t cleared them all out before you arrive.)
While waited on by a very attentive waiter, the food took an inordinately long time to present itself to the table. In the meantime, Our Ladies were presented with some cinnamon sugar fritters and blueberry compote to snack on. They were a tad dry and crunchy, but better than nothing. As a feast for the eyes, the splendiferous Madam X entertained the multitudes by singing musical numbers from Rocky Horror. “It’s a movie,” Brandy explained, “People attend screenings dressed up as perverts and throw things at each other, from what I understand." Birdie got quite a bit of attention from Madam X, as well as the scantily clad servers. “Such stout, strong featured women here,” Birdie chuckled, “I like a handsome woman.” Bunny and Brandy had long ago deduced that these “women” were not all they appeared, but didn’t have the heart to explain things to the dear man.

Finally, the food arrived. Birdie chose the “Big Blue,” a crispy and fluffy, yet sparsely plated waffle, here presented with three syrups: Nutella cream, more blueberry compote, and cayenne maple (the latter of which was reportedly the best of the three). Birdie also ordered a side of Stone Ground Grits, which turned out to be the best thing any of them tasted that morning.

Brandy’s meal consisted of “the Big Bad Wolf”; four sliders with blue cheese and Cajun fries. Brandy felt the sliders were a tad over done, ruining the flavor of what was obviously a very high quality beef. The fries were thinly cut and crispy, but tasted no better than a standard “steak fry.”
Bunny’s plate was the most eye catching, presentation wise. She had ordered the “Big Daddy,” which was eggs Florentine with ham and a tangy béarnaise sauce, severed over whole wheat toast and accompanied by a small greens salad. The eggs were well poached, but the toast was dry and hard to eat, and the greens were undressed for their début.
While the food may not have been worth the wait, the experience of brunching at the Kit Kat Lounge did put Our Ladies and their befuddled guest in the proper Halloween spirit for just about $25 a person. Brandy made plans to return that night and make a 50 course dinner from the martini menu.

The Short and Sweet Review: