M. Henrietta: A Pancake Paradise

I never get to go to brunch as much as I'd like to, so when the opportunity to enjoy a leisurely Sunday brunch with the BF presented itself, I was excited to try a great local spot. I had heard wonderful things about M. Henrietta in Edgewater from friends and bloggers alike, and was eager to visit after skimming their inventive menu online.

Upon arriving, I quickly learned there is also a second location in Andersonville, called M. Henry. Apparently this location is smaller than the one we visited, and I was happy to hear that after being informed of our 25 minute wait. I didn't mind waiting for a table, and have almost come to expect it when heading out for brunch anywhere in the city on a Sunday.

We waited next to the takeout counter for our table and snooped around to see what the diners around us were ordering.

Take Away Counter

M. Henrietta's Dining Room

 The brunch menu at M. Henrietta is separated into a "Sweet" section and a "Savory" section on one side, and then a menu of breakfast items on the other side. The brunch items are only served on the weekend so I wanted to try something from that menu.

M. Henrietta's Brunch Menu

Metropolis Coffee

M. Henrietta features fresh brewed coffee from Metropolis Coffee which happens to be located just a few storefronts down from the restaurant. It was nice to enjoy local coffee at a local restaurant, not to mention the coffee was outstanding (and bottomless!).

Since I rarely order pancakes and I had read rave reviews about M. Henrietta's "bliss cakes," I ordered the special raspberry rhubarb version that was offered on the brunch menu. I was so happy I took our server's suggestion because these were probably some of the best pancakes I've ever had. The cakes themselves were light and fluffy and were layered between mascarpone cream, which, surprisingly, was not the slightest bit too rich.

The acidity of the raspberries and rhubarb was perfect with the creaminess of the mascarpone. The pancake tower was sprinkled with steel cut oats and brown sugar, adding the perfect amount of crunch to this already delicious pancake heaven. Needless to say, I finished (nearly) everything on my plate.

Raspberry Rhubarb Blisscakes
Two hotcakes layered with fresh rhubarb and raspberries, vanilla mascarpone and topped with brown sugar and oats

My BF and co-taste-tester chose Henrietta's chorizo scramble. This dish is available daily on the breakfast menu and consists of scrambled eggs with chorizo, corn, poblano peppers, and salsa and then served with plantains and house potatoes on the side. The BF kindly allowed me to try some of his dish and it was very flavorful and spicy! The queso fresco on top was a nice touch as well. He even let me have his plantains (score!).

Henrietta's Chorizo Scramble-- eggs scrambled with spicy chorizo, sweet corn, and poblano pepper, served with salsa verde, sweet plantains and house potatoes.

I was impressed with the presentation of both dishes, especially for brunch fare. It was clear the folks at M. Henrietta had gone the extra mile to ensure no detail was overlooked. I highly recommend Sunday brunch at M. Henrietta or M. Henry if you're looking for something beyond skillets and omelets. Both locations also serve lunch during the week and M. Henrietta also serves dinner Tuesday-Saturday. I give M. Henrietta 5 stars for its creative menu, beautiful presentation, and warm, family-like atmosphere. I'll be dreaming about those bliss cakes for awhile...


M. Henrietta
www.MHenrietta.com
1133 West Granville Ave.
Chicago, IL 60660
(773) 761-9700

M. Henry
www.MHenry.net
5707 N. Clark
Chicago IL 60660 
(773) 561-1600