venue Bongo Room
Bongo Room has been a Wicker Park staple for more than a decade, and while the South Loop location is newer, it’s easy to see it why it could become just as popular as its twin (especially with the area’s booming real-estate development). With exposed brick walls and pastel-colored chairs, the interior is as eclectic as the menu. It serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch, though Bongo Room’s real specialty is any pancake or egg dish on the breakfast (served every day until closing) or brunch (only on the weekend) menus. The Oreo-banana pancakes sound more like dessert, and the lump crab benedict tops crab, poached eggs, and red pepper/garlic/basil hollandaise sauce on two toasted English muffins. The lunch menu has a variety of standard salads and sandwiches, from a smoked-chicken-and-apple club to a lunch burrito with grilled chicken, guacamole, and white-and-black-bean relish. To keep it fresh, owners Derrick Robles and John Latino change the menu twice a year.
