Local Brew: Spoke & Bird Open for Business

Spoke & Bird at 205 E. 18th St. is now serving breakfast and lunch, featuring coffee from Counter Culture. Check  out the menu below. They are open seven days a week 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. They can be reached by phone at 765.748.6661.

Wildberry Pancakes and Café at Prudential Plaza

We visited Wildberry Pancakes and Café at 130 E. Randolph St. at Prudential Plaza recently. Being across the street from Millennium Park almost guarantees business from a steady stream of tourists, but it’s good enough to be one of our favorite breakfast/lunch joints.

The space inside is bright and pleasant with table and booth seating. During the warmer months—Wildberry opened this summer—outdoor seating is available. Wildberry serves Intelligensia Coffee, not that unusual for a Chicago eatery. What is unusual is that they have a mini Intelligensia shop inside the entrance, with a barista ready to make espresso and other specialty coffee drinks. For workers in and around Prudential Plaza who just want coffee to-go on their way to the office, this is a great convenience. The large breakfast menu has an assortment of egg, pancake, and waffle dishes sure to please most. The lunch menu includes hamburgers, paninis, sandwiches, and salads. Prices are reasonable and are comparable with other area breakfast/lunch restaurants, offering similar fare.

We arrived for breakfast on our visit and ordered the corned beef benny: English muffin, corned beef hash, poached eggs, chipotle hollandaise. The corned beef, poached eggs, and chipotle hollandaise were cooked, prepared, and presented perfectly; we would order it again. The corned beef benny came with hash browns. Service was prompt and our waitress was pleasant and attentive. And the Intelligensia coffee is a huge plus (we had several cups).

Overall, our experience was very positive and look forward to our next visit (maybe we’ll try lunch). With their ample menu, large space, and good service, Wildberry should establish itself as one of the more popular breakfast and lunch spots in the loop. Wildberry also has locations in Libertyville and Schaumburg.

Hours: Monday – Sunday 6:30 a.m – 2:30 p.m.

If you’ve eaten at Wildberry, tell us about your experience.

Yolk Tops Favorite Breakfast Joint Poll

Our poll was hardly scientific or perfect and we know we left out some popular breakfast spots in the South Loop. Fifty-five folks voted in the poll. Here are the results.

Eppel’s received 7% of the vote
Little Branch Cafe received 18%
Waffles received 14%
White Palace Grill received 7%
Yolk received a whopping 52%

Did we leave out your favorite South Loop breakfast joint? Do you have a favorite that should have been included in the poll? Tell us about your favorite breakfast place here.

New Restaurant to Open at 1400 S. Michigan

A New Breakfast Joint? 
"Waffles"  restaurant is opening soon at 1400 S. Michigan Ave. The location is just north of where Grace O'Malley's used to be. Judging by its name and the sign posted (see below), it looks like it could be a breakfast place. For several months, a restaurant permit has been posted on the window, but with no clue, until now, as to what type of restaurant might be opening there.

Japonais in the Mix?
Another sign posted says "hiring now" with the e-mail address alex@japonaischicago.com. It looks as if the folks who own Japonais at 600 W. Chicago Ave. might be the owners of this new restaurant concept, based on that e-mail address. Hard to tell from the sign, but my guess is it won't be nearly as upscale as that Chicago eatery.

After some recent long-time restaurants closings in the neighborhood, there appears to be a business renaissance. What do you think? Is there an uptick in new restaurants and businesses opening in the South Loop?


Thanks for the Connection JH

Donna's Cafe: It's Open!

Donna's Cafe at 1255 S. State St. is now open. The cafe was open at 6 a.m. this morning. I stopped in for breakfast: oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar and a cup of coffee, on my way to work. This blog, and its readers, I might add, have been following Donna's progress for several months now. Donna has been tweeting her experiences, including giving insights into the permitting process that all new business owners must go through.

Donna Adams  rings up customers on opening day.

A 25-year veteran of the Chicago police department, Donna Adams is the newest entrepreneur in the South Loop. This week is the cafe's soft opening. The official grand opening will take place on February 19th. I suggest you check out this new eatery and let Donna know what you think. This is the shake-down cruise, so to speak, so all suggestions and comments will be appreciated and taken seriously.

Menu board is on the north-facing wall.

From an aesthetic perspective, the space is lovely. Something unique for a cafe of its size is the fact that there are two separate bathrooms for men and women. They are absolutely beautiful. It's worth the trip, just to take a look at  them. Both bathrooms have convenient changing tables. For a sneak peek at these two amazing lavatories, click here. Donna's Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

I'm told the blueberry muffins are delicious.

Donna's Cafe, welcome to the South Loop!