Brunch at Longman & Eagle

Four of my LA blogging friends got to Chicago the same day as me for a weekend full of fun and food. They dubbed it #ChiTownChowDown and mapped out all of the places they wanted to visit in a short period. I was able to join them for a little bit and we sure did chow down. It felt a bit gluttonous, but it was a great way to introduce myself to the city's vibrant food scene.

Early on Tuesday, we attempted to go to Hot Doug's, but they were unfortunately closed for the day. The night before, the rest of the gang had feasted at Longman & Eagle and loved it so much, they decided they wanted to go back for more. This restaurant/hotel is so unassuming, you could miss it walking down the street (I almost did), but inside it's bustling and fun and dare I say, my new favorite place.



I started with a Beermosa ($6). It's just beer (in this case Hacker-Pschorr Weiss) and OJ, but really does taste like a regular mimosa.



While I was waiting for the rest of the group to arrive. I saw a diner eating from the Plougman's Platter ($13) and I knew I was going to try to find a way to have the same platter make it's way to our table. Luckily, everyone else was in agreement and we split the speck, farm greens, apricot spread, soft boiled egg topped with Boquerones (anchovies), and bread between the five of us.



We also split the maple bacon doughnut ($3.50). The fluffy donut is topped with a not too sweet maple glaze and crunchy candied bacon. It hits that perfect combination of sweet and salty with a nice texture from the bacon.



For the main event, I ordered fried chicken and waffles ($12). Juicy fried chicken is served on top of fluffy waffles and a sweet potato and pork belly hash with a side of maple syrup. It's just decadent enough, but not greasy. This was a popular dish of the day, and by the time my plate made it's way back to me, a lot of the waffle and hash were gone. Thanks friends!



Andy ordered the Slagel Family farms burger with aged Widmer's cheddar and Neuske's bacon on a brioche bun ($12). The burger patty was thick and juicy and perfectly cooked, but unfortunately those attributes were overshadowed by a slightly stale and dry bun.



One of the other popular dishes of the day was the Pork Belly Cubano ($11). The bread is stuffed with the aforementioned pork belly, ham, Fontina cheese, Dijonaise, and housemade zuchinni pickles. It comes with a generous serving of the restaurant's famous beef fat fries (or salad if you feel like something lighter).



Fiona had the sunny side duck hash with duck confit, shallots, potatoes, and black truffle vinaigrette ($12). The dish has had great truffle flavor and the eggs with runny yolks were a treat as always, but the general consensus was that we wish there had been more duck.



The Peeky Toe Crab Benedict ($13) was full of real, meaty sweet crab. The eggs were a little underdone, but the crab outshined that small misstep.



Despite the fact that we were stuffed beyond belief, HC insisted on ordering the French toast ($10) as dessert. It is a brioche toast topped with glazed apples, whipped maple syrup, and brown butter crumbles. It's sweet, but not shockingly so with a bit of tartness from the apples. Death by French toast was so worth it.



I tried to convince my friends that they should stay an extra night at the adjoining hotel, but alas, they had to catch their flights and head back to reality. Longman & Eagle does good, simple food in an interesting way and I cannot wait to visit again.

Longman & Eagle
2657 North Kedzie Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 276-7110
Website