Eastman Egg Company – Fresh and Local Redefines Breakfast

On a Friday afternoon, my foodie sidekick, Tim, and I took a trip to the Eastman Egg Company on North Wacker Drive in Chicago. I was happy to see such a cozy storefront in the late afternoon, especially since the Chicago weather has already begun to drop to winter chills! The black wood-paneled walls and soft lighting made me feel at ease, and the décor gave the whole space a modern-rustic charm. The single, long buffet-style table filling the dining area made the experience inviting and convenient for the flow of the restaurant.

Opened two years ago, the Eastman Egg Company prides itself in the freshness and quality of its breakfast foods, sandwiches, sides and coffee. The company’s meats, eggs and cheeses are all hormone-free, and the meats and eggs come from Slagel Family Farm in Illinois. The artisan bread is baked daily at La Farine Bakery in Logan Square of Chicago. Focusing on local and natural ingredients has allowed The Eastman Egg Company to keep a short and sweet menu, needing only the ingredients to expertly describe each item. The Eastman Egg Company has recently joined forces with the Irving Farm Coffee Roasters, who will help create the restaurant’s personal coffee program by 2017. They also have a food truck which travels around Chicago Wednesdays through Sundays. You can check for its location through the company’s Twitter account.

Tim and I ordered coffees, first. I ordered a simple Iced Coffee; no cream, no sugar. I was impressed right away. I tasted no bitterness, and the coffee was pleasantly mild. Tim chose the Mocha, which was very rich and had a strong chocolate flavor. Tim is a Mocha connoisseur, and we both gave our coffees a “thumbs up”. When we visited, Eastman Egg was providing specially roasted coffee through a different company; however, if their coffee was as good as it was before, then I expect their new business ventures to bring in only higher praise.

We chose The Scoundrel for our breakfast sandwich: a Pretzel Roll loaded with Farm Egg, Smoked Turkey, White Cheddar Cheese, Wilted Spinach and a hearty smear of house-made Spiced Mustard. I hope you like big breakfasts because there is no way you could go hungry after chowing down on this guy. The house-made mustard added a powerful punch to this sandwich, but huge mouthfuls of turkey, cheese and spinach balanced things out nicely.

The Scoundrel and Iced Coffee

I ordered the Bacon Gingersnap Cookie to accompany my sandwich- a sweet end to a meal. Without trying to sound corny, the cookie’s strong ginger taste totally put me in the holiday spirit.

We also ordered The Matador sandwich: French Bread filled with Pulled Chicken, house-made Chipotle Romesco Sauce, Tomatillo and Egmont Cheese. For some reason, the list of ingredients doesn’t do justice to all the flavors I could taste in this sandwich. The pulled chicken was far from dry, and there was plenty of it. Our sandwich had large slices of green tomatillo, and the Egmont cheese was thick and melty. Eastman Egg Company’s house-made chipotle romesco sauce pulled all of these flavors together and added a strong but manageable kick of spiciness. This was definitely an A+ sandwich.

The Matador, Griddled Potatoes, Mocha Coffee

My favorite item we ordered was a side of Griddled Potatoes. We received a cup of Diced Potatoes seasoned with Garlic, Rosemary, Coriander and Thyme. The seasonings were perfect for that holiday feeling I was mentioning, and the rosemary particularly stood out while I was eating. The potatoes tasted like they had been marinating in beef au jus- a big win for me and a big win for potatoes, everywhere. Completely perfect for warming your tummy in chilly Chicago; I highly suggest ordering this side.

It’s clear the makers of Eastman Egg Company have put careful thought and consideration into what their guests order, and it’s easy to feel that as soon as you take a bite from one of their quality menu items. The restaurant is fast and conveniently modeled to run in and out on your morning commute, but it’s also quiet and cozy enough in the afternoon to relax with a hot cup of coffee. They have two locations: one on Wacker Drive and one on Madison Avenue. Of course, the staff is pleasant and friendly. You may just have to part ways with your regular breakfast place after checking out the Eastman Egg Company.

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