Bring on brunch!
BREAKFAST DISHES SURE TO GET YOU OUT OF BED By KELSEY O’CONNOR
O
n weekdays, most of us are lucky if we can wolf down a bite to eat before rushing out the door. Breakfast might be a banana in the car or a container of yogurt at your desk. But the weekends are a different story. That’s when breakfast turns into brunch.
Public House
Tony’s Cafe
Located in the historic downtown courthouse, this Woodstock staple is a popular spot for brunch on the patio. One house specialty is the schnitzel and waffles, topped with candied bacon and maple syrup. Another indulgent option is the crème brûlée French toast, made A proper brunch is a chance to catch up with with thick-cut brioche bread dipped in vanilla friends over a long, lingering meal of sweet and savory dishes (and maybe a cocktail or two). And custard and baked until caramelized, then finished off with whipped butter and warm as brunch has exploded in popularity in recent years, the number of places to enjoy it has risen maple syrup. along with it. BRUNCH HOURS: 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday Here are several local spots to hit up 101 N. Johnson. St., Woodstock 815-337-6060 as soon as you wake up: publichouseofwoodstock.com
Brunch Café The name tells you everything you need to know. Brunch Café serves up all of your favorite morning meals, including pancakes and waffles, scramblers and eggs benedicts, and everything in between. The Route 31 crepe is a twist on a French classic, stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, onions and cheddar cheese and topped with hollandaise sauce. Or dig into the decadent banana bread French toast, which is topped with slices of banana and pecans. Brunch Café also has locations in St. Charles, Roselle, Fox River Grove and Huntley. BRUNCH HOURS: 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily 414 S. Route 31, McHenry brunchcafe.com 815-344-4055
Bloody delicious! A bloody mary can be a wake-up call, a hangover cure and sometimes a meal in itself. Whatever you need, you can find it at these top spots to get your bloody fix:
This casual spot features a spacious patio and breakfast all day long. The Crystal Lake café has a wide-ranging menu of inventive breakfast creations and was voted “one of the best” breakfast places in McHenry County last year. Its best-selling dish is the stuffed potato pancake. It’s a crisp potato cake stacked with a sausage patty, bacon, eggs and cheddar cheese, and then topped with another potato cake and smothered in sausage gravy. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, try the pancake berry burrito, a large buttermilk pancake wrapped around yogurt and fruit then covered with yogurt, berries and granola. BRUNCH HOURS: 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday-Thursday; and 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday 1030 S. McHenry Ave., Crystal Lake tonyscafe.weebly.com 815-477-8118
The Little Chef With a menu of comfort-food staples, this familyowned joint serves up reliable, classic diner fare in tiny digs. A fan favorite is the Little Benny, which is two poached eggs and ham off the bone on an English muffin with hollandaise sauce. You can opt for a half order if you want to save room for a stack of blueberry pancakes or cinnamon French toast. BRUNCH HOURS: 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily 1332 N. Riverside Drive, McHenry 815-385-9752
Bulldog’s Alehouse
Ortmann’s Red Iron Tavern Route 12 Bar and Grill
1501 S. RT. 31, MCHENRY
101 E. CHURCH ST., WOODSTOCK
37540 N. US HWY. 12, FOX LAKE
The base of this restaurant’s bloody mary is Longbranch Bloody Mary mix, a splash of Guinness, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, as well as a dash of Tabasco. It’s finished off with a sprinkle of celery salt.
Ortmann’s bloody mary includes house-made vegetable-infused vodka with four types of bell peppers, jalapeños, onions and garlic, all mixed with tomato juice, horseradish, Worchester sauce, hot sauce and pickle juice. It comes served with a pickle, olives, lemon lime and a cheese stick. $6; or $7 (includes cheese stick).
The Mega Bloody Mary is made with house-made mix and a choice of vodka, and then it’s topped with a mini-burger, mini-brat, chicken wing, piece of shrimp, a beef straw, pepperoni slice, bacon, celery, green onion, cheese cube, a pickle, green olive, and more. It’s served Friday through Sunday before 4p.m. $13.
12 | SEPTEMBER 2017 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE
FOOD & WINE
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