5.06.2008
I Got Crabs Benedict
They were oh so tasty. I didn't have any leftovers. I ordered one please from the Bloody Mary Bar, and put too much mustard gas in so I couldn't even drink half of it, but I ate all the meat I stuffed in. I was afraid the place would be a bar with lots of TVs around, but I was wrong. My friend worked there for a week before they told him they didn't want him. There was a scooter outside that captured everyone's imaginations. I got a ride home afterwards.
Fireside Restaurant & Lounge
Our Second Stop: The Fireside Restaurant & Lounge
5739 N Ravenswood Ave #1
Chicago, IL 60660
(773) 561-7433
http://www.firesidechicago.com/
5739 N Ravenswood Ave #1
Chicago, IL 60660
(773) 561-7433
http://www.firesidechicago.com/
4.16.2008
Counterpoint: I love the word 'brunch'
Pauline's has a lot of charm, and was an enjoyable experience all around. We were greeted by some local color in the form of parrots which helped pass the time outside while waiting to be seated. There is outdoor seating at Pauline's which would be nice sometime in the future. My group was grateful that the owner provides those waiting with delicious coffee in small styrofoam cups. As I began to sip we were taken to our seats by the owner himself! (he's kind of like a mixture of Colonel Sanders and a sideshow barker)
Our booth was a bit cramped for the five of us, but we made it work trying to utilize the space as best we can. I noticed right off the bat there was not nearly enough condiments and single serving packets as needed. I would suggest to the owners they implement a rack of some kind that can hold ketchup, salt n peppa, as well as hot sauce, cream, etc... We had to flag down our waitress several times for so many things and it would be so much easier to have a standard rack filled with all the crap we could need throughout the meal. Bennigan's can do it, so can you Pauline's. It's a small innovation.
As for that aforementioned waitstaff: for a busy Sunday brunch to rival any diner in Chicago I think Pauline's would do well to take on some more people, waitresses and busboys both. It has been a long time since I've been forced to wait for water and I'm thirsty. Food came quickly and was hot so that's a plus. I appreciate our waitresses efforts but she was simply overwhelmed. Be prepared to be low on the list of priorities no matter how badly you need that bowl of butter refilled.
The food was good and there was a lot of it. I ordered a 5 egg omelet (it's their speciality) with broccoli, bell pepper, cheddar and swiss. It has a name on the menu but I can't recall it. I added some ham for some extra breakfastness. I was a little dissapointed with the ham. I was hoping for thin slices not big hearty cubes. Plus it was a little over-salty. The lengthy stalks of broccoli were delish, and the cheese was spot on with the stringy. Oooh, I do love the stringy. I had an omelet recently that just had a slab of swiss cheese tucked into it and it was the worst way to do it. The cheese must be mixed in with the egg so it can create a ribbon of delishous gooosity in the heart of the omelette (omelet? oh who cares). I topped off some final pieces of egg with black pepper and hot sauce making for a delicious spicy treat.
The highlight of the meal was most defenitely the signature O'Brien style hash brown potatoes. The combination of onion, green bell pepper and chunks of potatoes (rather than shredded) has been a favorite since childhood. It's a no brainer, just don't let it get cold while you're waiting for the staff to bring you hot sauce and ketchup.
I had to try one of their luscious fruit smoothees made from fresh fruit and yogurt. My pineapple smoothee was very refreshing and was served in a classic tall cool glass with some whipped cream to top it off. I will have to make that a regular part of my meal whenever I stop into Pauline's.
I had a great time brunching with my friends, scoping out the copious gay men, and trying the delicious breakfast fare of Pauline's. I was forced to wait for Greek toast, which is mildly annoying if I'd really wanted it badly, but I think our waitress did me a favor and saved me from some carb overload. I ended up sharing it with Sean anyways, so at least we got a good story out of it. I want to go back more and more and try all kinds of things. The fries which were brought accidentally promised their lunch menu would be just as tantalizing! I give it 4 out of 5 iPods.
Our booth was a bit cramped for the five of us, but we made it work trying to utilize the space as best we can. I noticed right off the bat there was not nearly enough condiments and single serving packets as needed. I would suggest to the owners they implement a rack of some kind that can hold ketchup, salt n peppa, as well as hot sauce, cream, etc... We had to flag down our waitress several times for so many things and it would be so much easier to have a standard rack filled with all the crap we could need throughout the meal. Bennigan's can do it, so can you Pauline's. It's a small innovation.
As for that aforementioned waitstaff: for a busy Sunday brunch to rival any diner in Chicago I think Pauline's would do well to take on some more people, waitresses and busboys both. It has been a long time since I've been forced to wait for water and I'm thirsty. Food came quickly and was hot so that's a plus. I appreciate our waitresses efforts but she was simply overwhelmed. Be prepared to be low on the list of priorities no matter how badly you need that bowl of butter refilled.
The food was good and there was a lot of it. I ordered a 5 egg omelet (it's their speciality) with broccoli, bell pepper, cheddar and swiss. It has a name on the menu but I can't recall it. I added some ham for some extra breakfastness. I was a little dissapointed with the ham. I was hoping for thin slices not big hearty cubes. Plus it was a little over-salty. The lengthy stalks of broccoli were delish, and the cheese was spot on with the stringy. Oooh, I do love the stringy. I had an omelet recently that just had a slab of swiss cheese tucked into it and it was the worst way to do it. The cheese must be mixed in with the egg so it can create a ribbon of delishous gooosity in the heart of the omelette (omelet? oh who cares). I topped off some final pieces of egg with black pepper and hot sauce making for a delicious spicy treat.
The highlight of the meal was most defenitely the signature O'Brien style hash brown potatoes. The combination of onion, green bell pepper and chunks of potatoes (rather than shredded) has been a favorite since childhood. It's a no brainer, just don't let it get cold while you're waiting for the staff to bring you hot sauce and ketchup.
I had to try one of their luscious fruit smoothees made from fresh fruit and yogurt. My pineapple smoothee was very refreshing and was served in a classic tall cool glass with some whipped cream to top it off. I will have to make that a regular part of my meal whenever I stop into Pauline's.
I had a great time brunching with my friends, scoping out the copious gay men, and trying the delicious breakfast fare of Pauline's. I was forced to wait for Greek toast, which is mildly annoying if I'd really wanted it badly, but I think our waitress did me a favor and saved me from some carb overload. I ended up sharing it with Sean anyways, so at least we got a good story out of it. I want to go back more and more and try all kinds of things. The fries which were brought accidentally promised their lunch menu would be just as tantalizing! I give it 4 out of 5 iPods.
4.07.2008
i never liked the word 'brunch'
I had a delicious omelet with toast and some french fries. There were parrots there but we didn't order any. It was nice inside but they should have hired one more waitress. The owner lied to us about comping our check. It was nice outside. I'd go there again because the place seemed humble.
Pauline's: Worth the Wait, but Beware of Waitress Woes
Even though we had to wait a while to be seated, Pauline's host did his darndest to make that wait pleasant. There was OJ and coffee to be had, plus an entertaining local man, who apparently just hangs around with a modified stroller bearing his two charming parrots, Sam and Beauford. They posed for camera-phone pictures. The coffee, by the way, was notably phenomenal: strong and not at all watery.
I had the Alaskan salmon omelette. Five eggs sounded like a lot more than I could eat; however, I was able to not only finish the omelette, but also two pieces of "Gonnella" thick toast (well worth the 60-cent upgrade). The decadent ingredients - salmon, goat cheese and two types of asparagus - were all present in generous proportions. The salmon/egg combo worked well because Pauline's cook used a drier, flaky salmon fillet. While I love lox, I suspect something that salty and slippery may have created a salt overload in tandem with toothy yellow blanket of eggs.
The signature side dish - Pauline's potatos - were awesome. I like a firm, well-seasoned and crispy potato chunk: These were just that. The onion and green pepper snippets added some extra crunch and bursts of flavor.
The only blemish on the whole experience was how busy the place was. The wait staff seemed over-extended and distracted. Our table lacked basic supplies: pepper, ketchup, cream, etc. Our coffees were only refilled for the first time after our meal was over and Gavin didn't get his toast until his main course was long gone. I could go on.
But I won't. Overall: The food was excellent and any shortcomings in service can be easily overcome if you have good company along to weather the bumps, which I did.
Hmm, we need some sort of rating system. Any ideas? For lack of a better measure, on a scale of one to five parrots, I'd give Pauline's a four.
I had the Alaskan salmon omelette. Five eggs sounded like a lot more than I could eat; however, I was able to not only finish the omelette, but also two pieces of "Gonnella" thick toast (well worth the 60-cent upgrade). The decadent ingredients - salmon, goat cheese and two types of asparagus - were all present in generous proportions. The salmon/egg combo worked well because Pauline's cook used a drier, flaky salmon fillet. While I love lox, I suspect something that salty and slippery may have created a salt overload in tandem with toothy yellow blanket of eggs.
The signature side dish - Pauline's potatos - were awesome. I like a firm, well-seasoned and crispy potato chunk: These were just that. The onion and green pepper snippets added some extra crunch and bursts of flavor.
The only blemish on the whole experience was how busy the place was. The wait staff seemed over-extended and distracted. Our table lacked basic supplies: pepper, ketchup, cream, etc. Our coffees were only refilled for the first time after our meal was over and Gavin didn't get his toast until his main course was long gone. I could go on.
But I won't. Overall: The food was excellent and any shortcomings in service can be easily overcome if you have good company along to weather the bumps, which I did.
Hmm, we need some sort of rating system. Any ideas? For lack of a better measure, on a scale of one to five parrots, I'd give Pauline's a four.
We like to eat food and write about it.
We eat and write so you can read and eat.
The first restaurant we decided to write about:
Pauline's
http://www.paulinesbreakfast.com/
Located at 1754 W. Balmoral, which is the corner of Ravenswood and Balmoral.
The first restaurant we decided to write about:
Pauline's
http://www.paulinesbreakfast.com/
Located at 1754 W. Balmoral, which is the corner of Ravenswood and Balmoral.
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