Guest Post: Best Bottomless Brunches

Greetings dear readers!  We have a special treat for you this week (we know how you all love special treats); a very special guest, Lizz Riggs from ChicagoTravler.com has penned us a list of her favorite Bottomless Chicago Brunches.  So without further ado, bottoms up!

Best of Brunch: Bottomless Boozing in Chicago

As Bunny and Brandy have proven, Chicago is a hot spot for brunch every weekend.  Whether you’re looking for a healthy way to start your Sunday or something to soak up the mistakes of the previous night, you can definitely find a wonderful spot to indulge one morning. When many people brunch, there’s something a little more important than the eggs and french toast. They’re looking for the bottomless booze. Who doesn’t love all you can drink bloody mary’s, mimosas and champagne? When you’re looking for the best bottomless cocktails on a Sunday morning, you can’t go wrong with these spots.

1. Angelina Ristorante is an Italian restaurant in Lakeview. They have a full brunch menu and the option of a champagne brunch that includes a dish from the menu and bottomless champagne drinks for $21 a person. Choose from a mimosa, Bellini, Kir Royale or just straight bottomless champagne if that’s more your style. You've got plenty of options for your meal, and all are bottomless and delish. They get pretty crowded for brunch, so it’s best not to come absolutely famished, because you might have to wait 20 minutes or so. Luckily, the wait is worth it, because on top of the champagne drinks you literally can’t get enough of, the food is amazing. I don’t eat eggs, so I’ve never personally tried any of those dishes on the menu, although I hear they’re amazing, but I have fallen victim to all of the pastas on the menu (a surprisingly perfect start to a Sunday morning), the delicious and fresh Bosco salad, and everyone’s favorite, the banana stuffed French Toast.

2. Broadway Cellars is a little farther North, but only by about 8 minutes up North Lakeshore Drive. They serve bottomless mimosas and bloody mary's for just $10, which is about what you pay for just one drink at some other places, so I’d say it’s well worth it. They have tons of menu items that I've heard rave reviews about, most of which have eggs, but there are a few things that I really love here. The apple pancakes are really delicious when you’re in the mood for something sweet, and the baked caprese sandwich is just right when you want something salty but meatless. And of course, they’re known for their wine, and even though there’s no bottomless option for that, they've got a great selection for sampling and wine pairings.

3. Lokal has the deal when it comes to bottomless booze. $7 for bottomless mimosas, but it has to be while you’re eating. If you finish your food and stick around to keep drinking, they charge you $2 per refill. They also have bottomless bloody mary’s ($9) and champagne ($12) but the mimosas are truly the real deal. I love a good beer on a Sunday morning too, and when I’m not in the mood for the standard brunch booze, Lokal has a great selection of beer on tap. The food on the menu here is not as elegant and delightful as many other places, but it’s good nonetheless. They have great sandwiches and I've always been intrigued (but never had the guts) to try the “cheese & pickles.” At least it’s always there for when a moment of adventure arises...

4. Deleece Grill Pub is another Lakeview favorite for bottomless mimosas. The wait is never as long here, and who can say no to mac and cheese? They serve it six ways! It’s $15 for the bottomless mimosas here, and a good selection of wines, beers and whiskeys for the non-mimosa-loving patrons in your party.

5. Victory’s Banner is a great spot in Roscoe Village for those who don’t want a hangover at 2pm on a Sunday, but still want bottomless drinks. They make their own Chai lattes from scratch, and you can get have all you can drink (hot or cold) for just $5. Personally, I’m a big fan of the blackened chicken wrap, but who doesn’t love a delicious chocolate chip waffle to go with all that Chai?

No matter where you do your brunching in Chicago, there are plenty of places to make it bottomless.

This article was written by Lizz Riggs, editor of ChicagoTraveler.com, a site dedicated to helping travelers find things to do, deals and Chicago hotels.

Deleece Pub and Grill or Delee-cious!

The Slow and Savory Review

As Bunny and Brandy have been sworn to secrecy about their part in organizing a certain Royal Wedding, not much can be said about their absence from the brunch scene.  "Managing to stay out of all those pictures was quite the trick!" Brandy proclaimed.  Bunny simply reminded her "But there's nothing a good hat can't hide."

Our Ladies chose to get back into the swing of things by brunching at Deleece Pub and Grill on Clark (not to be confused with Deleece restaurant on Southport, which offers a similar brunch menu).  Surrounded by some of the best brunch spots Lakeview has to offer including Bunny and Brandy favorite Socca only a few doors down, Our Ladies had high expectations for this establishment.   The interior was a little stark and heavy for brunch with nothing much to look at other than an industrial fire place and a stylishly cracked slate floor.  Our Ladies were also disappointed to see there weren't many beverage choices, i.e. coffees, other than the special of the day, $15 for unlimited mimosas ("If I wasn't recovering from the open bar at the wedding, I'd order two glasses for myself," Brandy whispered).

Bunny's choice for brunch was a delicious sounding Lobster Benedict, served with a white truffle hollandaise.  Bunny was delighted to see that no concession was made for the dish, which came with great hunks of lobster meat over wilted spinach, all of which tasted fresh and bright.  The eggs were perfectly poached and the hollandaise too was outstanding with that savory quality of the truffle coming out with every bite, making one's mouth water for the next bite before you could even finish chewing.  The dish was served with some lovely roasted potatoes on the side, which had just enough flavor to convince Our Ladies that they had not just been thrown onto the plate to fill space.  It is very sad to report that although this dish was exquisite, Bunny found a rather large egg shell sitting on top of one of the benedicts.  The very kind server offered to take the dish off her bill or replace it as soon as the atrocity was discovered.

Brandy zeroed in on an unusual dish, Breakfast Mac and Cheese; a mixture of pasta, beschamel sauce, chopped tomato, and bacon with two over medium eggs on top.  Her choice entree was brought out in a giant white bowl, looking and smelling magnificent.  Of the eggs on top, one was cooked beautifully, and the other a little over done, with no yolk to run into the rest of the dish.  Though usually not a fan of raw tomato, Brandy appreciated it in this dish for its ability to break up the richness of the sauce.  The bacon also was a nice touch, not only for its smokey flavor, but for a bit of different texture.

Brandy also opted for a half order of French Toast, which came with caramelized pears, pecans, and whipped cream.  The French toast had a lovely ginger flavor to it and was delightfully crunchy on the outside.  She soon wished she had splurged and ordered the full version to take home.

Though the food at Deleece was amazing, the service left something to be desired.  Water glasses went unfilled and the bill took quite a while to reach the table.  This would have been excusable, except for the fact that the restaurant was practically deserted (perhaps there were more people out on the patio Our Ladies didn't know about).  All in all a very fine brunch when the food was considered, and for the price (only about $15 a person) generous portions and excellent quality are to be found.  Perhaps those $15 mimosas aren't such a bad idea after all...

The Short and Sweet Review