Double Brunch Attack x IHOP x Ann Sather

Admittedly, brunch is probably my favorite meal of the day. Two reasons: One,  simply because it's situated between late morning and early afternoon -- the ideal hour to crawl out of bed. Two, brunch food is the best food there is. I'm a huge fan. So here I am - after missing in action for over a month - is finally back to share some of my interesting weekend brunch finds in the Chicago neighborhood.

First up, the International House of Pancakes...

"Being the "INTERNATIONAL" house of pancakes, they better be mind-flippin' pancakes" was the thought before embarking on the IHOP experience. All I can say is that they really do know how to make some kick-ass buttermilk pancakes... on top of the other great breakfast selection.

Split Decision Breakfast, price not listed online [I want to say it's slightly under $9 before tax]
Everything comes in twos: two eggs (got mine scrambled, of course) + two bacon strips + two pork sausages + two french toast triangles + two buttermilk pancakes
I can't mention enough how great this is for first-timers cause it lets you try almost everything! -- Almost like a sampler plate (sort of).

Spinach & Mushroom Omelette, price not listed online
Just showing you what my brunch buddy got. You get to choose a side with your omelette with either the three pancakes, hash browns, toast or mixed fruit. And of course, she had to get the pancakes!

With the food + tax + we each got coffee and tea + tip totals up to about $13 a head.

Find IHOP!

Category: Breakfast/brunch

Website: ihop.com - IHOP® Restaurants‎

Location:
3760 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60613

Let's keep it rolling with the next place -- Ann Sather, which is a 5-minute walk from the Belmont red-line station (two thumbs up for the location convenience). I have not heard of this charming little breakfast place before this visit. And I'm surprised at the fact that I waited so long to be introduced to it. But all in all, it has become the my go-to place for cinnamon rolls -- a strictly childhood guilty pleasure of mine.

Warning: It's a legit eggs benedict fiesta up in this joint.

(Top) Traditional Benedict, $10.95
Poached Eggs, Country Ham and Hollandaise Sauce
(Middle) Steak & Eggs Benedict, $12.95
Poached Eggs, Sliced Tenderloin and Hollandaise Sauce
(Bottom) Smoked Salmon Benedict, $12.95
Poached Eggs, Norwegian Salmon, Fresh Dill and Hollandaise Sauce

If you're curious, I ordered the Traditional Benedict because I'm old-fashioned. The eggs benedict were nothing exceptionally mind-blowing, but it's good benedict. One thing to note: One of my friend's poached egg was overcooked, which was quite the let down. The only redemption to that epic fail is the fact that she eats around the yolk!

Two Cinnamon Rolls, $3.95
Now this is something special. I will not taint your expectations with words. All I can say is if you ever dine at Ann Sather, you'd be a fool to not give this a go! Since we each ordered a main, the meal comes with a selection of two sides of your choice. All of us picked the cinnamon rolls! But if you were to order it a la carte, it's $3.95 for two pieces.

The total bill sets us back to about $40. So under $15 per head.

Find Ann Sather!

Category: Breakfast/brunch

Website: Ann Sather Restaurants and Catering

Location:
909 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657

xx
Carmen

Miss Asia

I must confess that I was expecting to have a rather more informative entry up before this one and a lot sooner at that, but due to the lack of inspiration and my never-ending busy schedule proceeding towards the end of my academic quarter in school, this did not happen. For that, I have no other justifiable excuse.

But, in order to redeem myself, I have somewhat a fun post today. Upon embarking on a journey to satisfy my craving for Thai food, I was introduced to this place by a friend whom I declare, is also a food enthusiast. And so on a wintry Sunday night, we decided to venture to this charming little restaurant at Diversey Parkway-in close proximity to Lincoln Park.

The menu was simpleton, with home-style dishes you would commonly find at a casual Thai restaurant. Decor was decent; with an elaborate use of buddhas scattered across the dining area. While it might be over-the-top, I myself enjoy basking in the sensuous ambiance as I dig into my extremely spicy curry.

But before we get into the curry, here's the appetizer we decided to order in last minute. Despite them devils being bite-size, beware, cause they're quite filling.
Crab Rangoon (8 pieces); $5.25
These typical fried wantons are nothing out of the ordinary, but they do taste good. Cheese is a tad bit filling for my personal liking.

Now on to the good stuff. As a die-hard Malaysian, my eyes lit up in the presence of rich, creamy curry.
Front: Panang Curry (with chicken) + rice; $9.50
Back: Pad Ped Catfish + rice; $12
While I enjoyed my panang curry, I must give deserving credit to the catfish. The fillet pieces are deep fried and tossed in what seems like a spicy curry gravy. It is simply wonderful-a definite must-try!

All in all, I enjoyed the food and will definitely go back and go through the menu again. Oh, and they seem to be in great demand for takeaway.

xx
Carmen

More Restaurant Info?

Restaurant Theme & Feel: Mainly Thai cuisine, also serves Chinese and Vietnamese dishes; casual

Website: missasiarestaurant.com

Directions:

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!

Please tell me I'm not the only one getting all jumpy and hyped up about the name of the restaurant. Now whenever I'm having one of those down days all I have to do is recite "Ba-Ba-Reeba!!!" and it's all rainbows and unicorns, just like that. But then again, I confess: I'm easily amused.

Upon taking up a job on campus, part of my assignment is to help host monthly luncheons for international students at various Chicagoan restaurants. And since I've been blessed with the opportunity to wet my mouth with all these delicious food, I'd thought it's only fair to share some visuals on my lil' cyber space because I mean, why not? So these will fall under a segment I like to call "Chi City Cuisine" on the blog.

This time around, we were hosted by a lovely Spanish restaurant on Halsted Street. The menu of the day greeted us with a selection of cold and hot tapas, creating a savory combination of small Spanish dishes that make up a wonderful lunch on a Friday afternoon.

Here's a snap of our menu. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! showed extraordinary hospitality by printing  a special menu for our event. Now that's what I call top-notch service!

Cold Tapas Dish #1 --
Sarreno ham, salchichon, chorizo and manchego cheese; $9
In layman terms: It's spicy pork sauce on bite-size pieces of bread that can be eaten on it's own or topped with slices of cheese, ham or spanish sausage.

Cold Tapas Dish #2 --
Brussel sprout salad with marcona almonds and manchego cheese (vegetarian) ; $6
The texture of the almond crumbles mixed with the tangy taste of the cheese is simply heavenly.

Hot Tapas Dish #1 --
Mushrooms stuffed with spinach and manchego cheese (vegetarian); $7

Unfortunately, I do not have photos of the beef skewer with horseradish cream and red onion relish or the warm tortilla with garlic alioli because I was highly distracted (I apologize) but the beef dish was $9 and the price of the latter was not listed.

In conclusion, the entire meal totaled up to $31, excluding the beef skewers. I wouldn't dine here every weekend mostly because it's not as budget-friendly as I would like it to be but I will come back and bring friends. And hey, kudos to the restaurant for offering a selection of vegetarian options.

xx
Carmen

More Restaurant Info? 

Restaurant Theme & Feel: Spanish cuisine; semi-casual with a nice bar 

Website: CafeBaBaReeba(dot)com

Directions: