Kanela Breakfast Club – Dreamy French Toast & Bloody Mary Galore
Written and Photos by Jessica Lewandowski
On a gorgeous, weekday afternoon, myself and my brunch date hit up Kanela Breakfast Club’s newest location in Andersonville of Chicago for some over-the-top drinks and eats. If you’re an avid Chicago foodie, you know this iconic brunch spot as much as anybody else. If you’ve never heard of Kanela before, then trust the foodies! The location is perfectly “Chicago”: brick interior, chalkboard art and an open fourth wall for fresh-air-breathing and people-watching.
As any brunch should, we started with drinks! I chose the Eye-Opener, which was Bourbon, Espresso, Sugar, Angostura Bitters, served on the rocks with a Cherry and Orange Twist. I was advised to have this drink with espresso on the side. It was absolutely a good idea to pour in the espresso at my own pace, so I could really taste all of the flavor in this serious waker-upper of a drink. My brunch date ordered the Kanela Bloody Mary. Get the Blood Mary! Truly one of the best I’ve had, the Kanela Bloody Mary was made with a House Mix, Worcestershire, Lemon and Lime, Celery Bitters, and a large garnish of Olives, Pickle, Celery, Pepperoncini, and a Mini Grilled Cheese. Mini. Grilled. Cheese. I’ll say no more on this.
We slurped down half our drinks and got on to our starter: Loukoumades. The Loukoumades were a Greek Donut; like little puffed pastries. Drizzled with Lemon Honey and sprinkled with Toasted Walnut, these little guys can totally prep you for a hangover-curing brunch at Kanela Breakfast Club.
Somehow, our brunch booze magically disappeared from our glasses, so the only feasible solution was to order two more drinks. I ordered the Chai Hard 2: Chai Harder, which was a tall glass of Chai Tea, Almond Milk and Bourbon. I must’ve had a craving for bourbon that morning, because this drink went down just as easy as the first. My date ordered the Perks of Being an Elderflower: Russian Standard Vodka, St. Germaine, Muddled Cucumber and Lemon-Lime Soda. This drink makes a brilliant pallet cleanser or a great refresher to perk you up.
On to the entrees! Our first entrée was the Red Velvet French Toast. To ease you in on how mind-blowingly delicious this French toast was: I cried. I ate the Red Velvet French Toast and cried. Rolled Red Velvet fluffiness was oozing with Cream Cheese Frosting, Strawberries and Crème Anglaise. Please get the Red Velvet French Toast if you want something sweet, and bring tissues.
We also had the California Benedict, which was an English Muffin with a tower of Avocado, Sautéed Spinach and Tomato, topped, of course, with two eggs and Sriracha Hollandaise Sauce. Our final entrée was on special that day – an Open-Faced Fried Chicken Sandwich. Two gigantic pieces of French Toast were stacked with an even larger hunk of Fried Chicken. Everything was smothered in a thick, white Gravy, and a Runny Egg was the cherry atop this cake. Finger-licking good!
Obviously, I recommend checking out the foodie-iconic Kanela Breakfast Club. I mean, if the food made me cry, it must be pretty good, right? Chicago is in a perfect weather transition to enjoy some scratch-made, beautifully plated breakfast foods on a patio or open dining area. We’re all in luck, too, because Kanela Breakfast Club has four other locations throughout the city’s neighborhoods.
Kanela Breakfast Club is open Monday to Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Their Streeterville location has special hours: Monday through Friday from 6a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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