On Saturday morning I ventured out into a very quiet city to meet a few new friends for breakfast. I admit, I shuddered a bit as I agreed to meet at eight in the morning. But as I sat on the virtually empty train traveling to
Southport Grocery and Cafe (
3552 N Southport Ave, Lakeview) it dawned on me that that little shudder is a clear indication of just how spoiled I have become. Life is good and breakfast with new friends, now matter what time we meet, is just one indication of that.
It turns out, because we chose to meet so early, we had our pick of tables and there was absolutely no wait to be seated. If the reviews of
Southport Grocery posted on
Yelp are trustworthy, this is not typically the case. Some people admitted to waiting longer than an hour. Wow. Score one for early birds!
We took a seat on the patio and were greeted by an enthusiastic and
very chatty server. His welcoming attitude created a very relaxed, casual vibe. As we waited for our coffee, the restaurant filled up quickly and after we were served I knew why.
I ordered the bruschetta. It was a heaping plateful of crostini, scrambled eggs, smoked chicken sausage, tomato-red onion-balsamic mix and queso fresco. Topped with ribbons of fresh basil, the dish was bright, flavorful and delicious. My only criticism was that because the crostini was sliced so thin, it didn't stand up to the tomato juice. Most of it was soggy before I got through the enormous portion. But what the dish lacked in texture it more than made up for in flavor.
While looking at the menu I was tempted by the cupcake pancakes. Turns out, so was
Heather. I'll admit that when she ordered them, I celebrated. Although we're just getting to know each other, I was hopeful I could steal a bite. Thankfully, Heather offered before I had to ask. {Thank you, friend.} Just as I expected, those pancakes were breakfast and dessert all rolled into one.
This time we were good bloggers.
After we ate, we took a moment to browse the market shelves. Filled with tasty treats - mostly made in Chicago - those shelves are a food lover's dream. And then there's the bakery. A couple bites of the pancakes convinced me to grab a couple cupcakes to go. I was impressed and tempted by the selection of sweet goodies inside. Next time, I plan to bring home a few truffle truffles.
Although Southport Grocery and Cafe focuses on breakfast and lunch, once a month they switch things up. Their Secret Supper is an "underground dinner" with a surprise seasonal menu. To find out when the next Secret Supper will be, find them on Facebook or Twitter. I'm looking forward to reserving my spot soon. Dinner at Southport sounds pretty close to perfect. I figure about the only thing that could make my next visit better than this one is if I got to sleep a little bit later.
