Summer House Serves Up Brunch

A few weeks ago I dined at the newest Lettuce Entertain You restaurant to hit Chicago, Summer House Santa Monica. I had a fantastic dinner with a few of my girlfriends so when I was invited to come check out the new brunch menu I was ecstatic. Summer House began offering weekend brunch two weeks ago and their menu is quite extensive. Whether you're looking for lunch or breakfast items, there is something for everyone.

Yes, the ambiance at Summer House is amazing

My friend Jonathan joined me for brunch on a snowy Saturday. The beach house atmosphere at Summer House is the perfect winter escape, especially in these cold, snowy months we've had in Chicago. The afternoon we dined, the restaurant was bustling with fellow brunchers who had the same idea as us.

We started off with a couple of coffees and cocktails, including a bloody mary and mimosa. Mimosas are served tableside which adds a nice little touch. You can choose from a selection of fresh juices which are poured and topped with champagne at your table (no Andre here!). I selected the fruit consomme which featured fresh passion fruit juice.

Bloody Mary

Mimosa Cart

Gettin' Juicy

Topped Off with Some Bubbly

Summer House also has a decadent selection of baked goods which you can order during your meal, or take home to savor. One of the managers kindly brought over three breakfast pastries for us to try including a blackberry bran muffin, cream cheese coffee cake, and morning cinnamon bun.

Our favorite was definitely the morning bun which was extremely light and flaky. It reminded me of a beignet because it was so light and not too sweet. The blackberry bran muffin had an interesting texture and flavor and the coffee cake was good, but I think we were expecting it to be a little more dense. However, the bottom of the coffee cake had pockets of cream cheese that created that texture we were looking for.

Morning Bun, Bran Muffin & Coffee Cake

For my entree, I tried the breakfast tostadas topped with pulled chicken, sunny side up eggs, avocado, queso fresco and ranchero sauce. The housemade tortillas were super crispy and provided a fantastic balance to the rich and creamy eggs, chicken, and avocado. The dish was super flavorful and I was very happy with my selection.

Breakfast Tostadas with Pulled Chicken, Crispy Tortillas, Sunny Side Up Eggs, Avocado, Queso Fresco and Ranchero Sauce

Jonathan ordered the steak and eggs which included filet mignon medallions, hashbrowns and, of course, eggs! Although he ordered his steak medium rare, it arrived medium well. Fortunately, because it was filet mignon, it was still tender but definitely would have tasted better had it not been overcooked. Overall, he was hoping there would be something more out of the ordinary with this dish, but it was more similar to a classic steak and eggs entree you'd find in a diner.

Steak and Eggs

Lastly, we decided to split a sweet dish to contrast our savory entrees. The orange-chocolate chip pancakes were to. die. for. Each fluffy pancake was filled with a generous amount of mini chocolate chips and were topped with more chocolate chips and orange zest. I could have snacked on these pancakes all day and still not made a dent. It was a huge portion. Definitely a must try for brunch!

Orange-Chocolate Chip Pancakes

This new brunch offering is just another reason to stop by and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere at Summer House. Just make sure you've saved enough room for some of those sweet pastries and pancakes!

Note: my meal at Summer House was complimentary, however, opinions expressed here are my own.

Summer House Santa Monica
www.summerhousesm.com
1954 N. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60614
773.634.4100