By chinbeardI love Breakfast. I will have breakfast at anytime of the day, anywhere, and in most circumstances, cooked by anyone. From greasy spoons after the bar, to champagne brunches on Sunday, breakfast is everyone’s friend. Bongo Room lies somewhere between the two poles of greasy spoon and white table cloth brunch, but they do not disappoint. I cheer them on their pursuit of breakfast bliss, but in reflection I wish I was forewarned about the things that make this place great in my mind. This place can be a double edge sword for all you non-gluttons. So three words of wisdom I will try to impart:
#1 The Portions are Big
Call your congressmen and senators; I need them to pass that health care reform bill soon. Cause if I am going to continue eating breakfast items bigger than my head on a regular basis, I am pretty sure I need someone to pay for my coronary bypass. On first glance, the portions appeared to be bigger than the already large Chicago style plate sizes. If breakfast is the most important meal of the day you sure get a whole lot of it at Bongo Room. McDonalds might have a big breakfast, but Bongo Room’s portions are breakfast on steroids a la Barry Bonds circa 1980’s versus 2000.
#2 The food is rich and delicious
If a hearty portion is all that gets you out to place then I believe you should be sold, but this aint no IHOP. Even if you can handle the gluttonous portions sizes, the catch deuce deuce here is that these creative dishes are rich and fucking tasty as hell, so you can’t stop eating. Three times I put my fork down and waved the white napkin of surrender. And three times I went back for another bite. Bongo Room takes pride in a crafted menu that you just can’t pass up. I ordered the apple Carmel pancakes with vanilla crème. Three huge monsters of pancakes, flapjacks, stackers, whatever the fuck you want to call it…I call it delicious. It had me mopping up like a porn star during the money shot.
Then Cranberry French Toast with brown butter and some sort of crème fresh. They had the balls to top an already decadent slice of egg batter French toast with more butter, cream, and brown sugar. This has to be applauded in any dining circle. Their slogan has to be: Bongo Room “We aim to kill you by lunchtime!”
#3 The Itis
The itis goes by many names, the it is characterized by heavy eyelids, a general lackadaisical apathy toward motion and is and always accompanied by a full stomach. Don’t think you can eat here and have an semblance of productivity anytime soon; definitely give yourself a few hours of cushion. My itis took me on 3 hour trip consiting of TV with pre and post nap.
These warnings are by no means to detour you from getting into the breakfast nirvana that is available at Bong Room, this is just a cautionary tale of the aftermath it may create if not forewarned. Eat well and get gorging.
Their 5oz mimosas are great, but a buzz kill when you get the bill… $7.50+ a pop! And what’s a good breakfast without a good mimosa?
Bongo Room is a problem for me because I live literally a block away and therefore take all my ChiTown guests to this mecca of glory and doom. I suffer from the Itis each and every time but I must love the challenge because I keep coming back for more.
The red velvet pancakes with vanilla creme crushed walnuts are bomb, however, I don’t think are on the menu at present. However, I bet they’ll make a comeback soon enough.