I have this bad habit of falling in love with a song and listening to it on repeat over and over until I have every line memorized. Sometimes it takes a day, sometimes a few days, but it becomes this sort of obsession I fight to conquer. My poor neighbors are probably so sick of Lykke Li, I wouldn’t be surprised if they ordered 10 extra large pizzas to my house as payback for my obsessive compulsive behaviors.
There are certain instances, though, where repetitive behavior is not only okay, its encouraged. Recently, I discovered my new favorite repeat- Perennial Restaurant in Lincoln Park (1800 N. Lincoln Ave). Though I’ve enjoyed dinner at Perennial on a few occasions, I’d never visited the restaurant for brunch. Last Saturday, while scrolling through my news feed on Facebook, I read that the windows and sliding doors at Perennial would be open on the gorgeous, sunny 75 degree day. Dish and I were scheduled for a 10am Zumba class in the park (check out www.teamifit.com for more information on amazing outdoor classes this summer- its how girlsthateat stay in shape!), so I felt a little guilty proposing the idea of bailing on an 800 calories burned workout for yummy brunch. Apparently, I didn’t feel guilty enough. Had I known that Executive Chef Ryan Poli was going to fill me to the brim with the most delicious breakfast I had in months, I probably wouldn’t have skipped my workout. Deciding that every item on the menu sounded amazing enough to try (and realizing it was priced well enough to not break the bank), we asked Patrick, Perennial’s incredible manager, if it would be possible to have tasting portions of a few (okay, six) dishes.
A few sips into our Bloody Mary’s, made with a dash of horseradish (and served with a mini High Life back), we were served round 1 of our brunch extraordinaire, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, served with an over-easy egg. Having spent almost 5 years in the south, I have a soft side for Biscuits and Gravy, so believe me when I say that Chef Poli does gravy good. The consistency was spot on, the sausage was not overwhelming, and the biscuit was fluffy and flavorful, noticeable despite being soaked in gravy and topped with an egg.
There are certain instances, though, where repetitive behavior is not only okay, its encouraged. Recently, I discovered my new favorite repeat- Perennial Restaurant in Lincoln Park (1800 N. Lincoln Ave). Though I’ve enjoyed dinner at Perennial on a few occasions, I’d never visited the restaurant for brunch. Last Saturday, while scrolling through my news feed on Facebook, I read that the windows and sliding doors at Perennial would be open on the gorgeous, sunny 75 degree day. Dish and I were scheduled for a 10am Zumba class in the park (check out www.teamifit.com for more information on amazing outdoor classes this summer- its how girlsthateat stay in shape!), so I felt a little guilty proposing the idea of bailing on an 800 calories burned workout for yummy brunch. Apparently, I didn’t feel guilty enough. Had I known that Executive Chef Ryan Poli was going to fill me to the brim with the most delicious breakfast I had in months, I probably wouldn’t have skipped my workout. Deciding that every item on the menu sounded amazing enough to try (and realizing it was priced well enough to not break the bank), we asked Patrick, Perennial’s incredible manager, if it would be possible to have tasting portions of a few (okay, six) dishes.
A few sips into our Bloody Mary’s, made with a dash of horseradish (and served with a mini High Life back), we were served round 1 of our brunch extraordinaire, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, served with an over-easy egg. Having spent almost 5 years in the south, I have a soft side for Biscuits and Gravy, so believe me when I say that Chef Poli does gravy good. The consistency was spot on, the sausage was not overwhelming, and the biscuit was fluffy and flavorful, noticeable despite being soaked in gravy and topped with an egg.
Our next course was an omelet duo- the pork belly omelet with mushrooms and cheddar cheese and Sancho’s omelet, served with roasted poblano peppers and chorizo and topped with queso fresco and cilantro cream. Though the pork belly was good, it could never measure up to the rich flavors of the poblano peppers and spicy chorizo. I don’t know who Sancho is, but the man can make a mean omelet. The Spanish flavors were perfectly complimented by the patatas bravas, fresh cut potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce that tasted like they came out of my Puerto Rican grandmother’s kitchen.
Well on our way to full, Chef Poli surprised us with a dish that was so decadent, so elegant, so…beautiful, that calling it a “brunch” dish just didn’t seem to do it justice. Chef Poli’s twist on Eggs Benedict (one of my all time favorite breakfast dishes), is truly in a league of its own- a soft English Muffin topped with a Foie Gras Mousse, Duck Confit, and a supple poached Duck Egg, drizzled in a truffle infused hollandaise sauce. Mouth. Watering. It was, without a doubt, the best Eggs Benedict I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. And, of course, there is a catch- this dish hasn’t officially made the menu…yet. Chef Poli is still experimenting with ingredients, recipes, and prices to make sure that the dish’s decadence doesn’t mean a break-the-bank dollar amount for diners.
We rounded off our excellent breakfast with dessert (because every great meal warrants a great dessert)- a flaky croissant filled with rich, creamy chocolate that made me feel like I could be sitting in a café in Paris. Thankful I wore drawstring pants (and regretful that I skipped out on Zumba), I convinced Dish that we needed to walk off our breakfasts. We left Perennial completely full, completely dazzled, and completely content. I’ve found my new fix, my new favorite, and I will surely be playing this one on repeat for a long time to come.
Well on our way to full, Chef Poli surprised us with a dish that was so decadent, so elegant, so…beautiful, that calling it a “brunch” dish just didn’t seem to do it justice. Chef Poli’s twist on Eggs Benedict (one of my all time favorite breakfast dishes), is truly in a league of its own- a soft English Muffin topped with a Foie Gras Mousse, Duck Confit, and a supple poached Duck Egg, drizzled in a truffle infused hollandaise sauce. Mouth. Watering. It was, without a doubt, the best Eggs Benedict I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. And, of course, there is a catch- this dish hasn’t officially made the menu…yet. Chef Poli is still experimenting with ingredients, recipes, and prices to make sure that the dish’s decadence doesn’t mean a break-the-bank dollar amount for diners.
We rounded off our excellent breakfast with dessert (because every great meal warrants a great dessert)- a flaky croissant filled with rich, creamy chocolate that made me feel like I could be sitting in a café in Paris. Thankful I wore drawstring pants (and regretful that I skipped out on Zumba), I convinced Dish that we needed to walk off our breakfasts. We left Perennial completely full, completely dazzled, and completely content. I’ve found my new fix, my new favorite, and I will surely be playing this one on repeat for a long time to come.
