Review: Longman & Eagle

2657 North Kedzie Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647, 773-276-7110
(No Reservations)

Like so many of Chicago's hip eateries, Longman & Eagle has become a hotspot for brunch. But unlike so many of Chicago's hipster-ridden brunch spots, this Logan Square gastropub/ whiskey bar does not disappoint. I'll admit that my expectations were low - dining out on a late Sunday morning while the Yankees are in town to play the Cubs, not to mention being Father's Day, is usually a recipe for disaster, but my wife and I decided to brave the amateur dining crowd. Like Anthony Bourdain says in his book, Kitchen Confidential, "Good food and good eating are about risk". And while there were plenty of dads donning Cubs jerseys, our journey through the north side went without incident.

We arrived and were greeted by a smiling hostess who informed us there was a fifteen minute wait. I was skeptical as there were a lot of people waiting inside as well as a crowd waiting outside. We agreed to wait, and joined the outdoor crowd since it was a pleasant morning. To my surprise, exactly fifteen minutes later, the hostess came outside to let us know there was a table ready for us on the patio. Great!

Immediately upon being seated we were provided with two glasses of water, as well as a carafe for the table. This scored big points with my wife. "I love a place that leaves extra water on the table," she said. I usually take it as a sign of lazy service, but to each his own. We were also each presented with a brunch menu as well as a whiskey menu for the table. Our server arrived to greet us a minute later, and was excited to hear it was our first time there for dining (we informed her that we had been there only once before for a cocktail with some friends). She let us know about a change on the menu - the mushrooms in the omelet were porcini instead of the morel, and asked if we had any questions yet. We didn't, so we placed our drink order. My wife ordered a fresh squeezed grapefruit juice ($3), and I ordered a PBR ($2) and a shot of simple Ancient Age bourbon ($3) from the whiskey menu ("When in Rome," right?).

Our drinks arrived, and we were both pleased with our choices. Our server returned shortly, and we placed our orders. To start we ordered the golden raisin and apricot scone ($5) to be shared. It arrived warm, drizzled with honey, and topped with a dollop of creamed butter. I have had some boring, dry scones in my time, but this one was perfect. There was a slight crispiness to the outside, and the inside was just right. We wasted no time eating our pastry, and fought over the last bite.

While we waited on our next course we were presented with a (free) sample of freshly baked glazed rhubarb spice cake. What a sweet surprise!

For the next course, I ordered the pork belly blt ($11). This monster of a sandwich was constructed of two Swan Creek pork belly medallions, arugula, tomato fennel jam, pickled red onion, "secret sauce," and topped with a sunny side up egg on a bun, and served with a side of beef fat fries. I wasn't sure how I was going to eat this without creating a giant mess, but I went for it. I put the top bun on, gave it a little press to break the egg yolk, and took a bite. The pork belly literally melted in my mouth, and went beautifully with the peppery arugula, the sweetness of the jam, the crunch of the pickled onion, and smoothness of the secret sauce. The fries were great as well - they arrived warm, slightly crisp, and very flavorful from the beef fat preparation. With this course I went with another PBR and a shot of mellow Benchmark bourbon ($3).

My wife went with the crab benedict ($13), which was as beautiful as it was delicious. Two English muffin halves, each topped with peekytoe crabmeat, a one hour egg, Old Bay infused hollandaise, and dehydrated bacon with a side of mixed greens. There was however a bit of a snafu regarding the bacon. Upon serving the dish, the food runner realized the bacon was missing, and said she would be right back with it. A couple of minutes passed, and there was still no sign of the missing bacon. We were able to flag our server down, and explained the situation to her. She apologized, and acted quickly to resolve the issue - within 30 seconds she reappeared, bacon in hand. Phew! In the bite I had to beg for, the fresh crabmeat stood out wonderfully, and was perfectly balanced with the crunch of the English muffin, the delicate egg, the perfectly seasoned hollandaise, and the crisp bacon.

At the end of the meal, I decided I was ready to try one more beer-and-a-shot. This time, at the suggestion of our server, I went with the Weller Special Reserve bourbon ($3) to ride sidecar to my PBR. She informed me this was her favorite, and the smooth taste with a peppery finish did not disappoint. Upon finishing my last drink, we cashed out, and each visited our respective restrooms. Both were extremely clean, well-stocked with soap and hand lotion, and had functioning hand dryers. Check, check and check!

While Bourdain warns that brunch menus are, "a dumping ground for the odd bits left over from Friday and Saturday nights," I feel that this could not be further from Longman & Eagle's modus operandi - the folks here seem to take pride in what they are doing. From the cheerful staff, to the amazing food, to the clean and comfortable environment -- everything came together beautifully, and we will absolutely be back to indulge in more gastronomy (and whiskey!).

P.S. The bottom of the inside page of the menu had the Oscar Wilde quote, "Work is the curse of the drinking class." These are my people.