Eggy's: Brunch Review

Something about the location (residential Lakeshore East) and the name (recalls Egg Harbor) sets expectations low, very low, especially for Opening Week. This is not to say the neighborhood is bad, it's quiet, lovely, and I know it well, but the name gives off the whiff of suburban brunch chain fare: over-dense pancakes with sugar bombs, stiff omelettes, ham-fisted ham dishes. But the thoughtful, playful menu boasts twisty takes on "Green Eggs and Ham", pork reubens, and "Peter and the Wolf" hash, and the trendy interior suggests more some sort of foodie hipster haven on the Northside.

Thankfully, there is only one table that is communal, though the setup is a bit strange. Still, despite the unusual combination of black and white photo banners, the giant kitschy lit arrow, and the lack of reservations, things remain figuratively accessible and inviting, the staff pleasant. Right away, from the golden brown texture of my companion's fries, it's clear these people can cook. They're crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and have that dastardly effect where they don't seem overly salty until you eat a generous tin of them and find your mouth burning. The red curry chicken salad on his plate is also a kick. This is not a shy sandwich but something that packs a tremendous oomph of cool chicken and sharp, sharp curry heat. Beware in the best possible way.

My own eggs benedict arrives on toast with brown butter hollandaise and maple-glazed pork belly. Suspicious of sweet entrees and salad on my meat and eggs extravaganza, I tentatively dig in and am quickly proven wrong by the airy lightness of the hollandaise, the way the greens cut brightly through the fat, and an egg poached so perfectly that when I split its white vestments, the yolk remains a whole golden bubble on my bread. And somehow, with the brown butter and the pork's maple glaze, it is like I am simultaneously eating a savory benedict and mapled pancakes, and for some reason, the combination is delicious. I have eaten more benedicts than Gaston, and this may be my favorite one.

The smoked salmon omelette is the only thing that is unexciting, and even this is an inoffensive dish. The salmon is a tad sparse and lacks the cured silkiness of the best kind, and the addition of gruyere fails to spice up the party. But it is also hard to make smoked salmon and eggs taste bad (though Ann Sather's has succeeded in this regard) and they don't. Looking back broadly, things aren't perfect: the lack of reservations, the touch-higher price points, the tendency of the kitchen to run out of dishes. But when you find a place that can mix and match precision with whimsy, you come back, and you come back fast.

4.5/5 stars (Opening Week)