With the holiday season over and spring nowhere in sight, we won't judge if your weekend brunch routine has devolved into hunkering down in your apartment with a box of cereal. Find your antidote to the winter blues in the form of well-garnished bloody marys and rich plates of French toast at these 10 restaurants offering new brunch service.
Ravenswood Q
1800 W. Irving Park Road 773-472-1800
Launched: Nov. 2
Dishes: Meat lovers can dig into the brisket and sweet potato hash ($13) served with two eggs, toast or pancakes, and hash browns or skillet potatoes. You can also add brisket, pulled chicken and pulled pork to your three-egg omelet in addition to all the classic ingredients ($10).
Drinks: Look for bloody marys garnished with smoked brisket and mimosas made using fresh-squeezed orange juice (both $6).
Brunch times: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Reservations accepted.
Osteria Langhe
2824 W. Armitage Ave. 773-661-1582
Launched: Jan. 11
Dishes: The menu at this Logan Square restaurant features brunch standards with an Italian accent, such as carbonara biscuits and gravy ($13) made with biscuits from neighbor Bang Bang Pie Shop topped with pancetta, sausage, rosemary, sage, thyme and cream. For something sweet, share a plate of chocolate hazelnut-dipped thick-cut bacon ($9).
Drinks: Try the bloody mary ($6) made with Purus vodka from Italy and a housemade mix of tomatoes, pickled leaks and celery, garnished with pickled asparagus, pearl onion, olive and Calabrian cherry pepper. Brunch times: 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sunday. Reservations accepted.
Leghorn Cafe
600 N. LaSalle St. 312-944-4444
Launched: Nov. 4
Dishes: The River North sibling of Leghorn Chicken serves biscuit and egg sandwiches ($5) that you can order with your choice of bacon, hickory-smoked ham or maple and sage breakfast sausage ($2 each). If you're just looking for a quick snack, grab an order of cheddar tater tots ($3), a housemade buttermilk biscuit with butter and artisanal jam ($3) or a doughnut from Glazed & Infused ($4).
Drinks: BYOB or just satisfy your caffeine needs with a 16-ounce cup of Stumptown coffee ($4).
Brunch times: 7-10:30 a.m. daily. No reservations.
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Masada (pictured above)
2206 N. California Ave. 773-697-8397
Launched: Nov. 1
Dishes: The Middle Eastern restaurant in Logan Square serves pork-free versions of breakfast standards such as hickory-smoked beef bacon and housemade chicken sausage, both of which you'll find in the fried egg combo plate ($12) along with sliced tomatoes and a pancake made from potatoes, eggs, cauliflower, parsley, jalapeno and mint. The menu is also vegetarian-friendly, with options including housemade yogurt served with olives and walnut-stuffed pickled baby eggplant ($6).
Drinks: Try a bloody mary using mix from Wicker Park restaurant The Smoke Daddy garnished with celery, a pickle and a cube of feta ($5) or a prawn, smoked oyster and calamari ($10).
Brunch times: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Reservations accepted.
Fahlstrom's Fresh Fish Market
1258 W. Belmont Ave. 773-281-6000
Launched: Nov. 22
Dishes: While the Lakeview restaurant offers breakfast any time, the weekend brings extra dishes that emphasize its seafood focus, such as the New Orleans scramble, made with tiger shrimp, andouille sausage, peppers and onion ($12), and smoked trout hash and eggs mixed with red and green onions ($16).
Drinks: Seafood also makes an appearance on the drink menu, where a skewer of five shrimp accompanies the 20-ounce bloody mary ($9).
Brunch times: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Reservations accepted.
Chop Shop
2033 W. North Ave. 773-537-4440
Launched: Dec. 13
Dishes: At this Wicker Park restaurant and bar, treat yourself to the indulgent lobster polenta cake eggs benedict ($18) made from polenta topped with lobster, crab hollandaise, poached egg, chives and pepper. Or dig into a portobello mushroom stuffed with caprese sausage (made in-house and stocked in the butcher case up front) and topped with runny egg, arugula and red onion ($13).
Drinks: The Butcher's Bloody ($9) is garnished with a housemade pickle, cheeses and a rotating selection of meats such as pepperoni, chorizo and salami. Or opt for the Whiskey for Breakfast, a blend of Bulleit rye, CH Distillery amaro, lemon juice, maple syrup, egg white and two types of bitters ($10).
Brunch times: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Reservations accepted.
Revival Social Club
1133 W. Granville Ave. 773-293-6435
Launched: Nov. 10
Dishes: Satisfy your sweet tooth with monkey bread served in an iron skillet and covered with bourbon-caramel glaze ($7), or the Elvis Lives French toast topped with bananas, peanut butter sauce, candied nuts and bacon ($8). For a little kick, opt for the roasted poblano skillet, which includes Cajun fingerling potatoes, scrambled egg, chorizo and salsa verde ($10).
Drinks: The bloody mary ($9) at this Edgewater bar features house-infused pepper vodka and a skewer of meat that rotates based on the butcher board from the dinner menu. For something lighter, try the beermosa made with grapefruit juice and Revolution Anti-Hero IPA.
Brunch times: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Reservations accepted.
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Tippling Hall (pictured above)
646 N. Franklin St. 312-448-9922
Launched: Dec. 8
Dishes: Chef Guillermo Tellez's menu features twists on classic dishes such as French toast made with brioche soaked in a mix of vanilla, cinnamon and allspice and topped vanilla-flavored mascarpone and housemade huckleberry compote ($14). His version of chicken and waffles (pictured above) features deep-fried cornmeal-breaded chicken breast served with a jalapeno-cheddar waffle and spicy honey ($13).
Drinks: A full page of the River North bar's massive drink menu is devoted to bloody mary variations, including the Blood & Smoke ($14), which uses mezcal in place of vodka, and the Maria Sangrita ($11), which blends tequila with an extra spicy version of the housemade bloody mary mix, honey and a splash of pickle juice.
Brunch times: 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Reservations accepted.
Epiphany
734 W. Fullerton Ave. 872-808-2456
Launched: Oct. 12
Dishes: Dine on Southern-inspired fare such as shrimp and asiago grits served with andouille sausage ($15.95), fried green tomato eggs benedict ($14.95)-which features a biscuit in place of an English muffin-or a sweet potato waffle topped with peaches and pecans ($12.95).
Drinks: The Lincoln Park restaurant offers sweet sippers including peach bourbon coffee ($7.95) and brandy milk punch made with cognac and chocolate liqueur.
Brunch times: Noon-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Reservations accepted.
2015 W. Division St. 312-763-9600
Launched: Jan. 10
Dishes: The small brunch menu at the recently opened Wicker Park bar includes French toast with caramelized bananas and pecans ($11), chicken and waffles with bourbon syrup ($12) and green eggs and ham with poached eggs, braised pork and cilantro hollandaise ($9). Drinks: The house bloody mary ($8) is spiced with horseradish, black pepper and Mexican hot sauce and dressed with pickled veggies ($8).
Brunch times: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Reservations accepted for parties of 10 or more.
Samantha Nelson is a RedEye special contributor. redeye@tribune.com | @redeyeeatdrink