I know that men can be a little lukewarm on brunch. I think they prefer heartier meals, like lunch and dinner. Brunch menus can be full of egg whites, kale, and quinoa – things that most men don’t really want to eat. However, there are a handful of restaurants where Charles loves to grab brunch on a weekend, and today he is going to share them with you.
1. The Publican
Charles likes the ambience and the delicious food. “It isn’t a girly place where everyone is drinking mimosas.” The menu at Publican is constantly changing, but there is always a good amount of meat centric options. This is where you can get pork shoulder with your eggs (pictured above), and the best bacon in Chicago.
We order: Charles especially loves the breakfast meats, including the sausage and bacon. He will generally order a meat centric dish served with eggs.
2. Nookies
“It’s cheap and low key. You can roll in there in whatever situation you are in. And the portions are huge. The downside is that they do not have espresso, Publican has espresso.” Nookies is a diner with a massive menu, it is also a short walk from our house, which is a definite plus.
We order: Charles likes the omelettes and the eggs benedicts with potato hash. I usually end up ordering a special, like lemon poppy seed pancakes or the huevos rancheros.
3. Flo
Charles says, “It isn’t the standard brunch place, since it is a Mexican place. They serve nice spicy food and the chilaquiles are good. Plus it was where we had our first date so that has to factor in.”
We order: Charles likes the Red Chilaquiles, and I love the huevos rancheros.
“Great eggs benedict and they have espresso. I like the fresh atmosphere of it, but doesn’t lack personality.” Cochon Volant is a modern take on a French Bistro with an extensive brunch menu that hits all the classics.
We order: Charles orders the omelette and I get the Super Green Benedict.
5. Au Cheval
The restaurant with the best burger in Chicago can be next to impossible to get into – but it is slightly easier to snag a spot if you go for brunch and show up a little early. The brunch menu has items like foie gras and scrambled eggs, and chilaquiles, plus the legendary burger is available too.
We order: Charles loves the English breakfast, and I get the chilaquiles.
There you go, five great man friendly places to brunch this fall.