Old Town Social or Bloody Marvelous

The Slow and Savory Review

Brandy's quest to learn to appreciate the Bloody Mary has been a long and arduous journey. "It's a brunch staple, so I feel terrible turning my nose up at the thing, but I simply don't understand the appeal." "Well, now a days, its all about what comes with the drink," said her friend Bailey, who has been Brandy's surrogate Bloody Mary connoisseur for some time now, "People are less worried about the actual flavor of the mix and more concerned with topping them with outrageous stuff, like a slice of pizza or a whole roasted chicken." "One would think that both deliciousness and outrageousness could be achieved simultaneously and not have to be mutually exclusive," Brandy mumbled.

Then came the day Brandy learned of a rather extraordinary offering at Old Town Social: a 99 ingredient Bloody Mary bar. "This must be the kind of thing Bailey was talking about," she said to noone in particular. "Sure, you can dress up the drink all you want with doodads and whatsits, but will it actually taste good? Only one way to find out!" And so, grabbing Bailey and forcing her out into the crisp fall air, Brandy headed down to the bar to see if DIY-ing one's own cocktail into a thing of Instagram dreams could also result in a drink Brandy would actually be able to consume.

Old Town Social had a hunting lodge sort of feel to it, with high vaulted ceilings, lots of eclectic decorations, and mismatched woods and metals, yet it still had the feel of a comfy sports bar where one could easily settle in for the long haul of a football game.

The Hangar 1 Vodka Bloody Mary Bar was, of course, the centerpiece of the Game Day brunch service. From a variety of sauces, pickled veggies, meats, cheeses, herbs, and even a few oddly chosen snack foods, one could create a Bloody Mary so customized that it likely had never existed before and might never exist again. Brandy was a bit overwhelmed at first when she was handed her glass full of Hangar 1 vodka and ice and told to "have at it," but she soon got a picture for the kinds of flavors she wanted to bring out in her beverage. Leaning towards savory rather than spicy, Brandy added in elements like Worcestershire sauce, brown mustard, pickled onions, and crisp sticks of fresh carrot and cucumber. She then adorned her creation with rosemary sprigs to give it an herbal flair, and finally gilded her lily with a chicken wing, a quarter of a grilled cheese sandwich, and two strips of maple bacon. The end result was a flavor she quite enjoyed. "It's sort of like a beef stew in a glass," she commented to Bailey, who actually approved of Brandy's creation. Bailey went a bit more traditional with her drink, staying on the side of vinegared tartness with a little kick of spice from a good sprinkling of lemon pepper.

A round of delicious looking beignets soon made their way to the table, frosted in a snow fall of powdered sugar. Brandy made sure to grab one up while it was still warm so as to indulge in the full experience of biting into a fluffy, melty, airy little pillow of fried dough. "This is everything I would expect from a beignet," she sighed, "Perfect texture, perfect sweetness. A lovely way to start off a meal." "Sorry, what?" said Bailey, who was busy stuffing a second beignet in her mouth while watching the football game on the screen behind Brandy.

For her entree, Bailey picked the Benedict, which came with an herbed hollandaise, pork belly, arugula, and a fresh made buttermilk biscuit. "I really love the hollandaise on this one," Bailey commented, "And with the biscuit instead of an English muffin, it almost makes this more Southern than anything else." Bailey also enjoyed a side of potato casserole, a smooth blend of potatoes, cheese, and onions, all served in a mini cast iron pan, which she thought made for a nice change of pace from the usual kinds of roasted and skillet potatoes served at brunch.



Brandy decided to keep things sweet to balance out her savory drink by ordering the French Toast. This consisted of thick slices of eggy bread topped with tart and caramelized granny smith apples, a good sprinkling of cinnamon, and a crunchy pecan crumble. Brandy thought the flavor of the French toast was absolutely perfect for fall. The apples kept everything from getting too sweet, while the crumble really helped to make the textures more interesting throughout the eating of the dish.

"Well, I suppose it is possible to have an aesthetically pleasing drink as well as a palate pleasing one," Brandy commented as she attempted to distract Bailey from the football game on the screen, "And by being able to customize it to my liking, I think I actually created a Bloody Mary I wouldn't mind having again." "I like that they kept the food menu somewhat uncomplicated so that we could really go ham on the Bloody Mary's without feeling too overwhelmed," said Bailey. "Did you go ham with yours?" Brandy asked, "Because I went bacon with mine!"

The writers of this blog were invited to dine at the restaurant free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review

Yard House or The Curse of the Empty Stomach

The Slow and Savory Review

There are many reasons that Brandy brunches, but up until recently, she has kept one of the darkest reasons to herself.  But after seeing The Cubs struggling in the playoffs, the guilt began to eat away inside of her and she found she simply had to confess her sins to someone.  Her dear friend Brocco Lee Binto was taking a break from one of his many scientific experiments, so she decided to sit down and tell him the tragic tale.

"The last weekend I didn't brunch was back in 1945," she began with a sigh, "I was visiting Chicago for one of the first times and I was simply too excited to do and see everything.  I barely even knew what baseball was back then, but I knew something special was going on at the ballpark, so I bought a ticket with my brunch money and went to the game.  And that was the last time The Cubs went to the World Series.  Everyone told me not to alter my routines while they were winning, but I didn't listen!  I didn't know!"  Brocco gazed at her, sympathetically.  "Oh Brandy, I'm sure that has nothing to do with it.  Superstitions don't have any scientific basis, so-" "Wait!  What time is it?" Brandy interrupted him.  "Nearly noon.  Why?"  "Quick!  We have to get to brunch!  I'm not going to be responsible for ruining the city's chances at a championship again!"

They headed to Yard House, the recently opened Chicago addition of the successful craft beer focused sports bar concept, since Brandy said she needed to be able to surround herself with as many games as possible to keep the curse at bay.  Yard House was open and spread out across a massive ground level space, a rarity in Chicago where restaurant real estate is at a premium.  The decor was mainly darker woods with colorful art, which made things feel comfortable, but didn't take away from the main focus of the many clusters of television screens surrounding the large center bar.

The morning began with a few cocktails for Brandy and a few beers for Brocco.  The first cocktail, the Black Orchid, was pretty stunning to behold for its electric blue color.  "Since blue is one of The Cubs' colors, maybe this will help," Brandy muttered, making Brocco shake his head.  The cocktail made with raspberry vodka, watermelon schnapps, and blue curacao was fruity and a little syrupy, but not sickly sweet, and was just as pleasant to sip as to look at.  Of course the second cocktail had to have some red in it, so Brandy ordered the Strawberry Bourbonade which was fresh, strong, and perfect with the food.  Brocco opted to try a couple of the hundreds of beers on offer, starting off with the Butterfly Flashmob, a citrusy IPA from Naperville based brewery Solemn Oath, and then followed it up with a Bell's Grapefruit IPA, both of which were quite delicious.

Being terrified of feeling any amount of hunger, Brandy ordered up two appetizers; the Spinach Cheese Dip and the Onion Ring Tower.  The spinach dip was creamy, salty in a good way, and satisfyingly cheesy.  Brandy liked that the dish came served with crispy pieces of a rather unique flat bread, which added a lovely crunch to each bite.  The onion rings had a rather dramatic presentation, being stacked on a long spike and served with a choice of chipotle ranch or buttermilk ranch for dipping.  The crunch on the rings was just perfect, the batter being a light and even texture without being greasy.

"It's still not enough!" Brandy had said when ordering her entree, "We need to make sure neither of us are craving food for the rest of the day.  Oh look!  A poutine!  We'll split that."  "But..." Brocco began to protest, but Brandy had already ordered the thing before he could say more.  The Pork Poutine was actually fairly traditional, which was refreshing to Brandy, as she has seen far too many overly creative poutines as of late.  The thin cut fries didn't have quite enough substance to remain crispy under the gravy coating, but the little chunks of pork helped to live up the texture.  Brandy could have done with a few more cheese curds in the mix, but over all the poutine really hit the spot,

For his entree, Brocco picked the Cuban Roast Pork Dip, a sort of combination of a French dip and a pressed Cubano sandwich.  Brocco found the flavors to be a little toned down from their originator (for instance, the pork was a little under spiced) so as to be a little more palatable to an American bar crowd, but the dip that accompanied the sandwich was rather special.  Brocco also enjoyed his side of Truffle Fries, which were thin, light, and crispy with a good hit of truffle oil.

Brandy's main course was the Steak and Cheesy Eggs, which came served in a skillet with a grilled corn cake and a sweet teriyaki like glaze.  The skirt steak in the skillet was cooked to perfection and tasted splendid when dipped into the glaze.  The eggs had a nice dense texture, which Brandy prefers in her scramble, and plenty of cheesse.  The corn cake at the bottom of the skillet was the real surprise, as it was loaded with actual sweet corn and had a soft, melt in your mouth texture that Brandy really savored.

"Well, I think that'll do it," Brocco said.  "Oh no you don't!  There's still dessert!" proclaimed Brandy.  To get a little more bang for their buck, so to speak, Brandy ordered them a Mini Trio Sampler, which came with miniature versions of the chocolate souffle, the lemon souffle, and the peach and apple cobbler, all topped with ice cream,  The chocolate souffle was pretty dense and rich, while the lemon souffle was light, airy, and bright.  The cobbler, which came served with caramel ice while the other two came with vanilla, was dense, warm, and perfect for fall.

Though full to the brim, Brandy felt a bit better after she'd enjoyed her tasty, hopefully curse breaking brunch.  The friendly service and thoughtful presentations helped to put her at ease as much as the food and drinks did, so much so that she began to reconsider her long held belief that it was her empty stomach that had caused the long drought for The Cubs.  "Perhaps you're right," she sighed to Brocco, "It may have just been coincidence that the one weekend I haven't brunched in the last century happened to be the same weekend the Northsiders faced off in their last World Series game."  "Of course its coincidence!" Brocco laughed, "I'm happy you've finally accepted that."  "It was an extraordinary game, that match in 1945," Brandy grinned, "Almost worth skipping brunch for.  Do you know some silly man tried to sit next to me with his smelly pet goat?  I'd never seen such a thing in my life!  If I hadn't complained to the staff and had that man and his beast removed, I don't know if I would have been able to sit through the whole game with that animal bleeting beside me."  "Oh dear..." said Brocco.

The writers of this blog were invited by the restaurant to dine free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review

Up Comedy Club or Brunching Out Loud

The Slow and Savory Review

A long, long time ago, a very young Brandy arrived in Chicago, full of hope and dreams of stardom. She had already made a name for herself on the music hall circuit back home in Old Blighty (and indeed, there are still those in certain circles that speak of her famous Dance of the Seven Owls with great admiration) and had now decided to conquer The Colonies. Shunning the typical routes of Hollywood and Broadway, Brandy made her way to Chicago, where a burgeoning comedy scene seemed the real place to be.  

Stepping off the bus and straight into The Loop, she began to inquire about where a young hopeful might go to get acquainted with the bigwigs of comedy and she was directed to a modest little theater in Old Town, where a bunch of beatniks were causing quite a stir with their irreverent improvisational sketch comedy shows.  "Put me in one of your shows!" Brandy proclaimed as she stepped grandly inside the theater.  "Do you even know what improv is?" A man with a clipped beard and a black hat asked her. "No, but I'm sure I'll figure it out along the way!" she responded.

Worried she didn't quite have the skills, but impressed by her gumption, Second City hired on Brandy to do various jobs about the theater, like answering phones, sweeping up, getting lunch for the actors, and such so that she could learn as she went.  Not long after she started there, another young British lass, a cheerful and bubbly little thing with a lust for adventure named Bunny Bacon, was hired on as a coat check girl.  And that, dear readers, is how Bunny and Brandy first met.

"It's simply too perfect!" Brandy exclaimed as she starred up at the marquee over Piper's Alley in Old Town, "Brunch at Second City!  I really can't believe it!" Brandy was eyeing up a sign that read "Sunday Bloody Mary Sunday," which was advertising a brand new brunch service at the Up Comedy Club, which featured a full buffet, unlimited drinks, and a 45 minute improv comedy show, all for the price of a $40 ticket.  Knowing dear Bunny was off in the Andes somewhere with her husband Benedict and therefore would be unavailable to accompany her, Brandy dialed up her friend Bailey Blue and informed her of he extraordinary news. "I'd like to think I had some little part in this newest development," Brandy smirked. "Do they even know you're a professional bruncher?" Bailey asked.  "I can't talk any more now, luv, I'm going in to buy us some tickets!" Brandy said in a rush and hung up the phone.

Up Comedy Club, located on the third floor of Piper's Alley, is one of the more recent additions to Second City's arsenal of stages.  Not only does it feature some of Second City's signature improv and sketch comedy performances, but also hosts traveling stand-up performers like Todd Glass, Dave Attell, and Al Madrigal.  The theater is set up in the classic cabaret style with open booths at the back of the room and tables throughout the rest of the floor, all facing the stage.  The seating was based on arrival, ensuring everyone had a fair chance at a good view, though with the room as wide as it was, there was nary a bad seat in the house.  Brandy was quite pleased by how spread out the seating was, meaning people weren't piled on top of one another.  "One does need a bit of arm room when eating," Brandy commented, approvingly, "And I suppose so do the more aggressive laughers in the room."

Once shown to their seats, Brandy and Bailey were allowed to visit the buffet, which was set up just outside the theater.  First, the ladies visited the hot table, which featured breakfast staples like scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries, and sausage as well as biscuits with either sausage or mushroom gravy.  Among the more interesting choices were a garlic butter shrimp, creamy polenta with Taleggio cheese, and brussel sprouts with crispy panchetta, as well as some tantalizingly fresh looking spinach and tomato salads.  On the cold table was an amazing array of fresh fruit and pastries, like blueberry muffins, cinnamon rolls, and almond croissants.  Two more stations featured fresh proteins; some carved-to-order pork tenderloin and fried chicken with freshly made waffles.

After filling their plates to the brim (Brandy's strategy was to get a little bit of everything straight away instead of filling one plate and then returning for seconds later, as she didn't want to have to get up during the show), Brandy and Bailey returned to their seats and were immediately beset upon by kindly servers offering them coffee, mimosas, and Bloody Mary's, all of which were refilled with brilliant efficiency during the course of the morning ("I don't think I've seen the bottom of my glass yet!" Bailey giggled at one point).

Both ladies were quite impressed with the food, especially since Brandy is sometimes a little skeptical of buffets.  Favorites included the tender sprouts and salty panchetta, the very creamy polenta, the tender biscuits with their accompanying deliciously savory gravy, and especially the chicken and waffles, which Brandy and Bailey had dressed with cinnamon apples and spicy syrup.  "I have to say, this food is certainly nothing to laugh at!" Brandy said, showing a cocky smile to Bailey.  "Perhaps you need to look into sighing up for a comedy class upstairs in the training center to improve those one liners of yours," Bailey responded, rolling her eyes.

Brandy's instincts in bringing all the food to the table proved to be useful, as the lights began to dim right at 12:00.  The house company of veteran improv performers then took the stage and let loose 45 minutes of mimosa snorting hilarity, using suggestions from the audience to craft one hilarious scenario after another, even indulging in some brunch themed humor themselves with scenes based at a pre-wedding brunch, a brunch party, and a post church service pancake breakfast.

"Oh, it feels so good to back," Brandy grinned and she and Bailey collected their things after the show, "And I'm glad to see that though the theater has grown since I first became acquainted with it, the quality of the comedy and the service hasn't decreased in the least.  I thoroughly 'Yes And' this brunch."  Bailey gave Brandy a quizzical look.  "'Yes and?" she asked.  "It's a comedy term, dear.  As in 'Yes, and I'd like some more mimosa please.'" Brandy grinned.

The writers of this blog were invited to dine free of charge by the theater in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review

Food News: J. Parker at Hotel Lincoln Debutes New Rooftop

Photo courtesy of The Door

Earlier this week, The J. Parker, a slick cocktail bar that sits atop the Hotel Lincoln in Old Town, opened up their brand new rooftop to the public.  "How can one even think about rooftops at this time of year?" Brandy wondered when she heard this, "I hope they're handing out blankets and ear muffs with the cocktails!" Fortunately for Brandy, this rooftop has a few tricks up it's sleeve, namely that the space is newly enclosed by a retractable roof that keeps revelers warm and comfy while still being about the enjoy the gorgeous lakefront view.

Photo courtesy of The Door

The glass enclosed section of the bar gives guests the feeling of being inside a living snow globe during the winter, but on warm summer nights, it can be pulled back so that guests can fully enjoy the city-scape below.  "It's quite a brilliant set up, I must say," Brandy said when she attended a preview of the space last week, "I'm not sure I feel like being inside a snow globe, but with the panels the way they are, I do feel like I am inside a giant diamond, which definitely does feel luxurious."

Along with the rooftop, the J. Parker is also premiering a new winter menu of small plates and bites by Chef Paul Virant (whose name sake restaurant, Perennial Virant, rests on the ground floor of the hotel) that includes things like hand cut fries, beef shank chili, and shrimp sliders.  Though the food is tempting, Brandy was truly smitten by the cocktails, created by seasoned bar vet Allie Kim.  The craft concoctions include a few warm unique cocktails, like the Rockin' Chair, a sort of spiced apple cider with rum and topped by a pad of melting butter, but Brandy's favorite was the Smoke Rings, a combination of boubon, white chocolate, root beer, and a whole egg that sounds like a sweet mess, but actually tastes sophisticated and surprisingly, well, smokey.

The rooftop at the J. Parker is now open to the public 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Hashbrowns: The Sequel or The Return of the Killer Potatoes

The Slow and Savory Review

Brandy has never been one to repeat herself.  Indeed, one of her sworn promises when beginning to record her culinary adventures through this blog was to never eat at the same place twice, but that promise has proven to be more complicated than originally expected.  "What I wasn't counting on was things like expanding locations and the rise in seasonal menus, meaning most places in Chicago change their brunch items every few weeks," Brandy sighs, "So I've had to make exceptions from time to time."

One exception Brandy decided to make was for Hashbrowns, which she visited at their Maxwell Street location way back in 2011.  As a perennial favorite of the Chicago Taste Festival, founder Ronnie Ruffolo wanted to take his vision of an affordable, home made, casual dining experience a little farther North of University Village, and last year, a brand new location was opened in Old Town, providing the same menu of comfort food favorites to a whole new neighborhood.  Hashbrowns reached out to Brandy to come compare the new spot with the Maxwell Street location, and as a public service, she felt she must accept the offer.  "Technically, it's not the same, I suppose," she said in an attempt to justify her back tracking, "But really, how can one's experience anywhere ever be considered the same?  You'd have to arrive at the same exact time, on the same exact day, sit at the same table, have the same server... there's a lot of variables involved and... oh sod it, I'm going back because I bloody well want to!"

The inside of Hashbrowns' Old Town location certainly had a few things in common with the Maxwell Street location (the modern look with an exposed, industrial ceiling, the brown fabric panels on the walls, the open kitchen at the back), but this space seemed much more open and sunny, which Brandy appreciated, especially on such a beautiful day.  The main dining area could easily seat 100 or so without anyone feeling too crowded in, and with an additional 50 seats on the covered patio, Brandy could easily see this being an excellent option for diners on busy summer weekends with little to no wait time and comfortable seating.

To start off with, Brandy ordered up one of the house specials, the Killer Hashbrowns.  More a casserole than what one would typically expect of the oft neglected potato side dish, "The Killer" appeared more like a thick slice of lasagna.  The shredded potatoes within had a surprisingly firm texture with a nice tartness from the sour cream, as well as an awesomely crispy top, which was made from, of all things, crumbled corn flakes.  "Well, I can certainly see why they call this "Killer Hashbrowns," Brandy remarked, "I think I could easily eat a whole pan of this deliciousness, though I'm not certain my body could survive the intake of all those potatoes."

Next up Brandy ordered the Bridgeport Burger, which coincidentally had the same flavor profile as the burrito she had ordered the first time around (Hashbrowns offers omelets, burritos, and burgers in signature flavor combinations, all named after different Chicago neighborhoods).  "The burrito was quite disappointing all those years ago, so this is a matter of redemption," she commented to no one in particular.  The burger, made from premium New York strip, came simply dressed with some melted cheddar and mozzarella cheese on a pretzel bun and a few of the usual veggie accompaniments.  Though a little dry, the burger packed a great punch of meaty flavor, something that can often be taken for granted.  "I do enjoy a burger that actually tastes of meat," Brandy contemplated, "And its rather refreshing to have one that's not been dowsed in sauces and toppings to disguise it.  Simple, clean, and flavorful.  That is definitely comfort food in my book."  The burger also came with a generous side of hand cut sweet potato fries.  Those too had a nice clean flavor to them, and though not as crispy as Brandy might have liked, she still appreciated the attention to detail put into them, right down to the sea salt on top and the adorable basket they came served in.

Lastly for a little sweetness, Brandy ordered the Cinnamon Blueberry French Toast.  As we all know, Brandy is pretty picky about her French toast, even turning her nose up at concoctions made by some of the most highly regarded restaurants in Chicago, but this French toast was absolutely perfect.  The bread was eggy and soft, but still maintained a little firmness, the coating had a great warm cinnamon flavor, and the blueberries on top added a little pop of tartness.  She was especially glad to see a side of vanilla syrup for dipping, which she remembered as one of her favorite things about her last meal at Hashbrowns.

With the same warm and attentive service, flavorful home made food ("It's a sad state of affairs when a restaurant has to proclaim they don't use anything pre-made or frozen!" Brandy scoffed), and incredibly reasonable prices she'd loved about the Maxwell Street location, but a larger, more open space, Brandy couldn't help planning to make this Hashbrowns one of her regular haunts.  "The only thing left is to stake my claim on one of the tables," she thought, "I'll need something by a window for the summer, but without too much of a draft in the winter, plus enough space to order every type of hashbrown on the menu... hmmm... perhaps a few more scouting trips are in order."

The writer's of this blog were invited to dine at Hashbrowns at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review

Glunz Tavern or Old Style, New Attitude

The Slow and Savory Review

There is nothing that amuses Brandy more than when Americans express worship for anything antique, vintage, retro, or old.  "Nothing under 200 years old deserves the sort of reverence Americans place upon it.  I've seen items in antique stores that can't be less that 25 years old!" Brandy has been known to chastise, "Nothing labeled as an antique should be made of plastic.  Period."  When she sees such reverence bestowed on some of the older buildings in the city, her patience is no thinner.  "If it was built by a man who knows what a pair of trousers looks like, then its not ancient enough for me to care about," she says.

It was this everyday annoyance that was on the forefront of Brandy's mind when she decided to visit Glunz Tavern in Old Town for a quick brunch one windy weekend morning.  She'd heard the tale of the place, how it had been founded in 1888, closed in the 1920's, and then re-opened in 2012 by the granddaughter of the original owner, and how the neighborhood absolutely revered its newly found 125 year old neighbor.  "A century a a quarter, eh?" Brandy scoffed sceptically, "I've stayed in castles that would laugh in the face of a century!  We'll just see about this so called piece of history."

Inside Glunz Tavern the style was Old World German with a high tin ceiling and fabulous dark woods on the bar, tables, and chairs.  Soft jazz music played lazily in the background, bringing a vision of a prohibition era speakeasy to mind (funnily enough, the original Glunz Tavern had closed down just before the Prohibition Act nearly 90 years prior and had stood empty ever since until it was reopened last year).  Glancing at the menu, brought to her by a well dressed young man, Brandy could see that the warm and comforting options available perfectly matched the cozy atmosphere.  "Makes me almost long for it to be snowing outside," she mused," Just so that I could spend the day watching it flutter past these beautiful windows."

Upon seeing the drink menu, one option in particular practically leapt off the page; Founder's Breakfast Stout.  "I've been drinking stout at breakfast for years and all I've ever heard is grief!" Brandy harrumphed, "At least now I'm justified!"  The beer was a light tasting oatmeal stout which had been infused with coffee.  It had a sweet aroma, a very smooth finish, and a little more carbonation than one usually finds in a stout.  "All those young people today with their smoothies and designer cappuccinos," she moaned, "Well they can have 'em!  This is my new morning pick me up."

To start off her meal (and justify drinking so early in the morning) Brandy chose the Arancini.  They arrived perfectly golden brown and upon biting, the crispy coating gave way to a soft ball of tomato and basil spiced rice and melty cheese at the very center.  The Arancini also came with a zesty aioli for dipping which helped to cut the richness of the little fried delights.  Brandy loved how the snacks kept their density and didn't crumble apart, as after several more breakfast stouts she was beginning to lose her normally graceful mobility.

After that Brandy ordered a Grilled Cheese Sandwich, which came with a side of creamy tomato soup.  The sandwich itself was made on crisp, buttery bread that had been coated in shredded parmesan cheese for an extra hit of salty goodness.  Inside, the sandwich was stuffed with melty, gooey white cheddar and caramelized onions which added just the slightest touch of sweetness.  The soup was incredibly light and airy with an almost cheesey note that carried over from the sandwich.  Quite happily, Brandy dipped and dipped again her sandwich into the soup until there were simply no more reasons to continue taking up the peaceful little table at the window.

Brandy was quit pleased with her brunch at Glunz Tavern, taking away not only a full gut, but a warmth in her heart.  "Chicago may not have the breadth of history we have over in Europe, but that doesn't make little places like this any less authentic, I suppose.  I might as well have been sitting in a tavern in Berlin just now," she said as she clumsily packed away the knitting supplies she'd brought with her, "Except that there were no actual Germans in there.  And no one was speaking German.  I also didn't have any German food.  Or drink.  Come to think of it, that was even better than sitting in a tavern in Berlin!"

The Short and Sweet Review