Bake or Brandy in Wonderland

The Slow and Savory Review

Once, long ago, Brandy dreamed of having her own bakery. She could picture it so clearly; she, standing behind the counter, smiling wistfully at the delighted children as they pointed at the brightly decorated cookies or the stoic adults who quietly tried to contain their excitement about buying themselves a slice of cake. In her fantasy, she'd start every day covered in flour and end every day smelling of coffee and butter. Sadly, once she finally began to learn the baker's trade, she found that she didn't have much patience for it. "I went a little crazy rolling out dough every morning. It just got everywhere! Under my finger nails, in my hair, on my face. And I could never get the macarons to bake with proper feet. My buttercreams always separated. And to this day whenever I see a piping bag, I get a slight shiver down my spine. I was just simply terrible at baking in a professional kitchen. It was then that I decided I would much rather be a spectator in the world of food rather than an athlete." Never the less, Brandy has always carried a soft spot for bakeries, and she often will wile away her mornings at such places, snacking on a variety of sweet and savory pastries while sipping on a smooth and frothy cup of coffee.

Always on the lookout, Brandy recently stumbled upon BAKE in Wicker Park. Their colorful decor was the first thing that attracted her attention; from the vibrant paper lanterns in the window to the creative art displays inside the shop (like a wall covered in tiny paper wrapped canvases and another spot where the word "BAKE" had been replicated in a variety of colors and fonts, to the chandelier in the middle of the ceiling that seemed to be made from a large tree branch painted silver and hung with crystals).

Stepping up to the counter, Brandy instantly became overwhelmed by the sight of all the beautiful baked goods, so she asked the lady behind it for some recommendations on the bakery's best offerings. With hands full of delectable treats, Brandy settled herself into a table by the window and started in.

Her drink of choice was a simple mocha, but it had been prepared very skillfully, which gave it an thick, foamy top. Though the chocolate was present, Brandy mostly tasted coffee in the drink, which she very much appreciated. It also had a very subtle sweetness, making it the perfect accompaniment to the variety of sugary delights before her.

Brandy started out with the Morning Bun, which the lovely girl behind the counter had pointed out as one of the bakery's top sellers. The bun had several layers of crispy dough on the outside and a wonderful chewy interior. It seemed to have been flavored with honey and just a touch of cinnamon, which put it somewhere in the family of a croissant and a cinnamon roll. "Oh, this kind of thing can be very dangerous," she said to herself.

Next, she moved on to her savory selection for the day, a slice of Bacon Quiche. The texture was incredibly silky and smooth with a prominent eggy flavor that some other quiches don't always get right. It did seem to be a little on the greasy side, though whether that was because of the bacon or from the copious amount of butter in the crust, she wasn't quite sure. Regardless, the bacon did add an excellent smokey flavor that permeated the quiche, but didn't overwhelm it.

Finally, she ended with a dessert, a Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcake. The cake was very spongy and moist with a lovely dark chocolate flavor that wasn't too sweet. The frosting was an absolute dream of fluffy cream cheese and butter sprinkled in shredded coconut. "Simple, but delightful," Brandy concluded, "Just how everything in life should be."

Quite happy with what she had experienced so far, Brandy grabbed a second round of treats to take back home with her. Among her favorites were the house made chocolate croissants with lots of flaky layers, the chocolate chip scone, which was so enormous that she had to eat it across two different mornings, and the pear and cranberry pie, which resembled more of a crumble, but had a lovely sweet and tart flavor with just a hint of baking spices. But her favorite take away from BAKE was the Oatmeal Sandwich Cookie, which was positively bursting with buttercream filling. The texture of it was crisp, yet soft, and the flavor was pure brown sugar, yet it was never cloying. "Toss those chocolate sandwich cookies in the trash and give me a box full of these!" she loudly declared after taking a bite of the amazing cookie.

All in all, BAKE had many of the things Brandy likes to see in a bakery; a whimsical atmosphere, a handful of savory options, great control when it comes to sweeter foods, wonderful coffee drinks, and a real sense of joy behind it all. "If I had ever opened my own bakery, it most certainly would have looked a lot like that place," she commented to no one in particular, "But I think at this point in my life I'd much rather get up early to eat those morning buns rather than getting up early to make them!"

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

Festival Recap: Grilled Cheese Meltdown

"We don't have grilled cheese in England," Brandy was explaining to her friend Hawk, who was absolutely appalled, "We have beans on toast, which some add cheese to sometimes, I suppose.  Or eggs on toast with cheese.  Or cucumber sandwiches with cream cheese, but those aren't exactly hot and melty."  "Toast isn't the same; the perfect grilled cheese is buttery and crisp, but soft and yielding on the inside.  And you can't just use any cheese, you HAVE to use something with the perfect kind of viscosity that will stay midway between a liquid and solid state, because if its dripping out the sides its no good, but if it doesn't melt at all, then its just a boring cheese sandwich."  "Alright, alright!  I have had grilled cheese sandwiches before, you know."  "But have you had a perfect grilled cheese sandwich?"  "I... don't know," Brandy had to admit.

Luckily, Time Out Chicago was hosting the Grilled Cheese Meltdown, where several bars, restaurants, and food trucks would compete head to head in the ultimate grilled cheese cook off.  Determined to introduce Brandy to what made the perfect grilled cheese, Hawk brought her along to the back room of The Chop Shop early on a Saturday morning.  As they tasted their way through the room, the sandwiches quickly fell into a few categories: Traditional, Meaty, and Sweet.

Doing a traditional grilled cheese just right seemed to be the goal of many of the participants.  Glen's Diner used Texas toast for a dryer, more sturdy bread to hold in their chosen cheese of provolone, and accented it with some fresh tomato.  Northdown Cafe and Taproom did a little innovation to their sandwich, using fontina and cheddar and then soaking the whole thing in a Scottish style ale.  Though the flavor of this one was good and Brandy especially liked the little cup of tomato soup that came with it, the beer-soaking process had rendered the bread a little spongy, which negated the crisp exterior Hawk so coveted.  Same Day Cafe made their sandwich with cheddar and smoked Gouda, but switched things up with a rosemary bread, which Brandy thought was a lovely compliment in flavor.

In the "Meaty" category, there was a definite trend towards bacon, which Brandy certainly didn't mind.  Lady Gregory's used four different cheeses in their sandwich, plus a Parmesan encrusted sourdough, and then added in two types of bacon, fried shallots, and roasted tomato.  This was one of the most complex sandwiches, which had purist Hawk worrying that it might have had a little too much going on, but Brandy enjoyed the contrast and richness of it.  Toasty Cheese opted to use some duck bacon in their sandwich, along with baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, aioli, and provolone, but Hawk felt the amount of meat overshadowed the cheese in this case.  "If its a grilled cheese sandwich, the cheese has to be at the forefront," he explained to Brandy.  Breaking with the norm was Happy Lobster, who presented their signature sandwich with a top secret two cheese blend and chunks of Maine lobster.  Both Brandy and Hawk were a little skeptical of this one at first, but after one bite, they were on board.

Both Brandy and Hawk's favorite sandwiches of the day ended up being those with a touch of sweetness to them.  The Fat Shallot used Muenster cheese (a choice Brandy highly approved of, as it had the ideal meltiness Hawk spoke of) along with some sauted spinach and caramelized onion, making for a rather savory mouth full that had a nice, sweet surprise to it.  Blue Door presented a sandwich using farmer's market ingredients, such as fig, arugula, Havarti, and goat cheese, which while delicious, was not so much grilled as it was slightly toasted.  "It's a lovely sandwich," Brandy contemplated, "But it's not a grilled cheese."  One of their favorites of the day (and the ultimate winner of the showdown) was Beard and Belly's sandwich with Butter Kase and cheddar cheese, tomato jam, and a brioche bun.  This made for a really ideal grilled cheese experience with a buttery, rich flavor, cut by the sweetness of the jam.  Lastly was Brandy and Hawk's favorite of the day, the Sweetie Pie from Gayle's Best Ever Grilled Cheese (a stand Brandy was already familiar with).  This sandwich, as all of Gayle's sandwiches do, featured only ingredients found at a farmer's market, right down to the butter and the bread, and included Swiss cheese, pecans, and raspberry jam.  The unique combination of the crunchy nuts, the nutty cheese, the perfectly buttery and crispy bread, and the sweet berry jam was really something memorable.  "It's got all your specifications for an excellent grilled cheese while being innovative and really tasty," Brandy said to Hawk, "I really must try re-creating something like this at home!  You know me, anything sweet and savory at the same time is going to be a winner in my book."

After their masterclass in grilled cheese, Brandy and Hawk both felt that their minds had been expanded and their taste buds educated.  "Now you know what every kid in the US grew up eating and why we love them so much," Hawk told Brandy as they waddled out the door.  "Listen, I didn't need to eat fifteen different sandwiches to understand why a warm, buttery, cheesy sandwich is so loved by Americans," said Brandy, "But it also doesn't mean I wouldn't eat fifteen more just to make sure I understand."

The writers of this blog attended this event free of charge as members of the Time Out Chicago Blogger Network.

Scone City or My Kind of Town

The Slow and Savory Review

First it was cupcakes.  Then donuts.  Then macaroons.  The pastry trends can be difficult to keep up with these days.  Since Brandy makes regular practice of visiting as many bakeries as possible, she likes to think she's on top of things, but there are a few items she would like to see becoming the next sought after treat.  "Scones, for one," Brandy explained one day, "Scones in this country are often little more than edible paper weights.  Back home, scones are tender, chewy, delicious little things that go perfectly with a cup of tea.  I do wish there was more places I could get a good scone or two."

Luckily for Brandy, the delightfully named Scone City recently opened in Wicker Park, specializing in not just scones, but home made jams and artisan coffee drinks, including cold brew on tap.  "A cafe that sells only scones?  It's like someone read my mind!" Brandy exclaimed upon hearing the news.


Scone City, tucked away just off the corner of Ashland and Division, had a stark white interior with contrasting black accents that fit quite well with the espresso bar theme. Bar stools sat by the window up front, then small tables and chairs, and more comfy arm chairs on an elevated section at the back. The scones were proudly on display beside the counter, making the choice simultaneously easier and more difficult.  So excited was Brandy to try the scones that she ended up forgoing the delicious sounding house made jams ("They even have clotted cream!" she exclaimed with glee) and ordered up six flavors to supply her with breakfast for the rest of the week.

Day 1: The Breakfast Scone with bacon, egg, and cheddar.  This scone had a chewy, but not heavy texture that resembled more of a buttermilk biscuit. The flavor was nice and cheesy with just enough bacon to make things interesting (Brandy was actually happy they hadn't gone overboard with the bacon) and a little bit of scrambled egg in the middle. "Quite an interesting concept," Brandy commented, "And most definitely delicious, but not quite the kind of scone I'm used to."

Day 2: The Halfwit with bittersweet chocolate chips, espresso glaze, and cocoa nibs.  Brandy thought the texture of this scone was almost cookie-like and certainly would have paired well with a cup of Joe.  The cocoa nibs made for a nice crunch in each bite, but Brandy would have liked the coffee flavor in the glaze to be a bit stronger.

Day 3: The Blackberry and Orange Glazed.  This was probably the most traditional scone Brandy tried, with a chewy, more moist texture than some of the others.  The berries were plump and juicy inside the scone, and the orange glaze provided a bit of tartness, but there was an odd perfumey aftertaste to it that Brandy didn't quite care for.

Day 4: The Brie, Thyme, and Honey. Certainly one of the most appetizing looking scones of the bunch, this one had a very dense texture, but was still very tender and crumbly.  The honey provided a nice floral note, while the thyme was subtle and perfect, and the brie more of a garnish than a predominant flavor. "This one definitely needs to be accompanied by a beverage, whether its tea or coffee," Brandy commented, "But I do so love a sweet and savory pastry."

Day 5: The Triple Chocolate.  The name of this scone was pretty self explanatory, as it was a basic scone with huge milk, dark, and white chocolate chips scattered throughout.  "This is a pretty standard type of scone for a coffee house," Brandy contemplated, "But the little addition of sugar on top marks this as being quite a bit better than other cheaper imitations."  The texture again was a bit dense, but the melt-in-the-mouth, high quality chocolate made it feel rather luxurious.

Day 6: The Afternoon Tea with Earl Grey soaked raisins and a tea flavored glaze.  Unsurprisingly, this was Brandy's favorite scone of the bunch.  The tea soaked raisins were plump and full of that distinctive citrusy, herbal flavor Earl Grey is famous for. The glaze added another layer of flavor, but didn't overpower the scone with sickening sweetness.

Though not always the authentic English scone texture she so desired, the scones from Scone City were none the less pretty bloody delicious.  At only about $3 a scone, their substantial size was more than enough to satisfy as a meal in itself, along with a good cup of tea or coffee, of course.  Brandy was certainly interested to return to Scone City as soon as possible, not only to try out some of the other flavors on offer, but also to finally get at those house made jams to see how they might enhance some of the more simple scone varieties.  "I do so hope scones are becoming the next big thing," Brandy mused, "Scones are meant to be enjoyed at leisure, not wolfed down in one, which is why people who appreciate proper scones are generally more intelligent and relaxed.  And if there's anything this world can use, its smarter, calmer people inhabiting it."

The Short and Sweet Review

Links Taproom or Dude Food

The Slow and Savory Review

"It's been such a long time since Hawk came out to brunch with us," Brandy commented one day to her friend Bailey Blue, "What a busy man he must be!"  "Actually...Hawk's not such a big fan of brunch..." Bailey said carefully.  "Not a big fan of brunch?!?!" Brandy sputtered after nearly fainting into the street in front of an on coming bus, "Who is this man?!?!"  "He's just not big on delicate foods.  He's on this whole manly kick where he just wants to eat beer and sausage all the time.  Don't take offence to it."  "Brunch isn't all delicate foods!" Brandy shouted, "That's what's so great about it!  It can be anything you want it to be!  Listen to me, you're going to call that man of yours immediatly and I'm taking him for a manly brunch he'll never forget!"

Brandy chose to take Hawk to Links Taproom in Wicker Park, a beer focused bar with a brunch menu themed on sausage.  "Fine, I'll go," Hawk relented, "But I won't be ordering anything that comes with a foam, coulee, or micro greens."  "I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Brandy smirked.

It took a minute for Brandy to take in the interior situation at Links Taproom.  There was typical neighborhood bar decor, like an exposed brick wall, high wood tables, and a long bar, but instead of televisions showing various ball games, there were several screens with what looked like bowling scores on them mounted all around the place.  A closer look made Brandy realize that these screens actually showcased the wide variety of craft and micro brew beers the bar had in stock, even going so far as to show which were running low.  "How genius!" Brandy exclaimed in delight.

Using the screens as menus, Brandy and Hawk ordered up two beers: Goose Island Matilda for Hawk and Two Brother's Panther Fist for Brandy.  "See?  Beer is manly, isn't it?" Brandy said to Hawk as their drinks arrived.  "I suppose," Hawk conceded, sipping, "Although my beer does have a girl's name."  "Oh, for goodness-!" Brandy exclaimed, and going back to the beer menu, she ordered him what she thought was the most manly sounding thing list: a maple flavored porter called the Smoked Pigasus.  Hawk sipped approvingly.  "It's good," he said, smacking his gums, "Tastes a bit like chocolate though."  Brandy threw her hands in the air.

Foregoing the beer and ordering up some food, the pair started off with a dish called the Brunch You in the Fry, an entire tray full of hand cut fries and slathered in goat cheese, sausage gravy, roasted red peppers, and pickled jalapeno slices.  Going in with nothing more than a fork in each fist, Brandy and Hawk made quick work of the sloppy mess of deliciousness.  The fries were thin and crispy, keeping their texture even under the weight of all the toppings, and the gravy was thick with a good smokiness from the sausage.  Even the peppers played their part, adding some sweetness and tanginess to cut through the richness.  "Plus, I do like a bit of color on things," Brandy said.  "Color isn't manly.  We like all our food to be in shades of brown and beige," Hawk countered.

For her entree, Brandy ordered a dish hilariously entitled the Chorizo Horny, which was a breakfast sandwich made from a massive cheddar bacon biscuit, a slab of chorizo, a fried egg, some bacon mayo, and a little spinach "for color."  Brandy actually approved of the little touch of vegetation, as so many restaurants often leave plant based foods out of their breakfast sandwiches all together. At the heart of the sandwich was the chorizo, which slightly resembled a slab of ribs, and had just the right amount of spice and chew.  The biscuit was perhaps a little dry, but very flavorful, and so tender that it fell apart into chunks a few bites in, forcing Brandy to resort to a fork and knife.  "Put those down and eat with your hands!" Hawk demanded.  "Now now!  Where I come from, being manly involves manners and etiquette," said Brandy, popping her pinkie fingers.

Brandy talked Hawk into ordering the most interesting item on the menu as his entree.  "Come on, if you're a real man, you won't have any issue saying the name of that dish," Brandy chided him.  Hawk rolled his eyes.  "Fine," he grunted, "I'll have the Fat Man in a Bathtub, please."  The aforementioned Fat Man in a Bathtub turned out to be hefty balls of bratwurst meat coated in waffle batter, deep fried, and served with a berry compote and some real maple syrup, housed in a tiny beer mug.  Hawk was at first skeptical of this sweet and savory combination, but one dip of the balls into the berry sauce erased all his doubts.  The meat was juicy and succulent inside and the waffle batter was light, crisp, and buttery with a delectable sugar glaze that left one licking their fingers in delight throughout the eating of it.

Because of the remnants of the drinking holiday weekend, the bar was a little busy, and without servers, a single bartender, manager, and a few food runners did the brunt of the work.  Though a little slow, they were extremely friendly and accommodating, especially the dynamic bartender who quickly learned the names of everyone in the room and made it his mission to recommend beers for every taste.  The prices were extremely reasonable, with all of the brunch specials coming in under $10, which was quite the deal considering the portion sizes and quality of the ingredients.  "It may not have been pretty food, but it certainly was tasty," Brandy commented.  "It certainly wasn't delicate, that's for sure," Hawk laughed, "I guess brunch really can be anything you want it to be."  "Indeed," Brandy grinned, "Now finish up the rest of that beer with your pinkie in the air like a proper man!"

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

The Short and Sweet Review

Postcards from Bunny: Max's Wine Dive Saturday Cartoon Brunch

A few weeks ago when Bunny was gallivanting around town looking for great places for a drink, she noticed something she thought should be brought to Brandy's attention.  "I know you said you'd been to Max's Wine Dive, but did you ever go back for their Saturday Cartoon Brunch?" Bunny asked Brandy.  "You know, I haven't yet," Brandy mused, "But honestly, how special can a Saturday brunch be?  Everyone knows the good stuff is served on Sunday."  "I'm not so sure about that," said Bunny, "It looked to me like they had a bunch of special items that were only served on Saturdays.  Dishes I have definitely not seen anywhere else."  "Is that so?" Brandy responded, "Well then, I had better check it out."

Not having grown up in American (nor, indeed in the age of television), Brandy had to have some elements of the cartoon brunch explained to her by Max's General Manager Kate Bocson.  It seemed that the concept of all the Saturday morning specials originated from the idea of a child's fantasies come to life and made more adult.  To add to the theme, cartoons played throughout the restaurant and classic games like Hungry Hungry Hippos and Don't Break the Ice had been set out for the patrons to enjoy.  "Well, my idea of a nice Saturday morning usually involves some needle point and a nice cup of tea, but what do I know?" Brandy shrugged.

First off, there was the mind blowing Candy Mimosa Bar, which instantly brought out Brandy's inner child.  The idea behind the mimosa bar was that Max's, being wine focused, originally didn't plan on stocking other spirits, and therefore could not make the brunch staple cocktail that is the Bloody Mary.  Taking all the fun of a make-your-own-Bloody-Mary bar, Max's converted it to fit their signature mimosas and gave it a cartoony twist.  There were carafes of Kool-aid, containers of gummy bears, Swedish fish, and other rainbow colored confections, and a tall glass with bunches of red licorice whips.  At first, Brandy was a little skeptical of adding such sugary sweets to her fairly high quality mimosa, but after plopping in a couple of peach flavored gummy rings, she started to see the fun of it.

After delighting her senses with candy, Bunny dove into the special Saturday brunch menu.  First up was the Pizza Bagel; a Red Hen Bagel toasted and coated in gooey cheese and pepperoni.  Though unfamiliar with the American tradition of pizza bagels ("Why would you want a hole in your pizza?" Brandy kept asking), Brandy did like that the bagel was very tender and soft, making it easy to eat.  The slightly spicy pepperoni had a nice bit of chew to it, complimenting the brilliantly melty cheese.

Setting a foot on either side of the sweet and savory line were the Pancake Dippers; strips of bacon coated in pancake batter and served with a side of maple syrup for dipping, hence the name.  Brandy found herself wishing the bacon used was a little bit thicker, as the pancake element seemed to take over.  The pancake itself was firm enough to keep its structure as Brandy dipped it into the syrup, though it did have a slightly grainy texture that Brandy didn't enjoy as much as she would have liked to.

After that came the house French Toast, which Brandy had sampled during her previous visit, but had been revamped to account for the season.  Now, the French Toast came topped with lots of cinnamon, sugar, and macerated clementine segments, which Brandy thought was a very interesting choice.  She sort of liked how the acid of the oranges cut through the sweetness of the sugar and when combined with the cinnamon provided a very old fashioned flavor combination that definitely did remind her of Christmas.  The toast itself had the same great texture Brandy had enjoyed the first time around with a good bit of crispiness on the outside and a soft, custardy inside.

The Scooby Snack was the next dish to the table, and the mere sight of it had Brandy swooning with delight.  The plate was a mile high stack of chocolate chip pancakes smothered in fudge sauce and topped with graham cracker pieces and a toasted marshmallow fluff.  Not entirely understanding the cultural reference of the dish's name, the waitress kindly directed Brandy's attention to the classic cartoons playing on the televisions above the kitchen.  "But you couldn't give these pancakes to a dog!" Brandy exclaimed in horror, "They're not supposed to have chocolate!"  As expected, the dish was decadent and rich, though the pancakes were actual quite light in texture.  The glistening chocolate sauce had been finished with just a little hit of salt, which really elevated what could have been a tooth achingly sweet dish, and the bits of graham cracker kept everything lively with a bit of crunch.

Just when Brandy thought she couldn't take any more, Chef Jessica Brumleve emerged from the kitchen with a devilish grin on her face, carrying what looked to be a small mountain contained inside a punch bowl.  As it was set down in front of her, Brandy suddenly realized what it was: The Six Person Sundae.  Looking like something out of a movie, the monstrosity came topped with everything imaginable, including colorful cereal, crisp bacon, potato chips, brandied cherries, peanuts, more marshmallow fluff, chocolate sauce, and enough ice cream to satisfy a football team.  There was even what appeared to be a chocolate lava cake in the middle of the thing, possibly added for a little more wow factor or for structural stability.  Brandy could hardly believe her eyes.  "Am I supposed to eat this or swim in it?" she asked.  Had she not already been so stuffed full of deliciousness, she might have faired better, but Brandy did her level best to make a respectable dent in the colossal masterpiece, a thing truly born from the imagination of a child.

"Well, how was it?" Bunny asked the next time she was on the phone with Brandy.  "My dear, it simply needs to be eaten to be believed," Brandy said, shaking her head, "I may not have experienced the typical Saturday morning cartoon thing in my youth, but everything about that brunch made me feel like a child again, especially that magnificent sundae, mostly because the damn thing was so big that it made me feel about three feet high!"

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