With its cacophonous citrus-green dining room and strong Metropolis brew, bustling Violet rubs the sleep from your eyes on a weekend morning. This breakfast and lunch spot at the northern end of the Southport corridor provides tasty, creative fare without the long waits and trendy prices of some of the more chi-chi brunch spots on the North Side.
If you're in the mood for eggs, try the Mediterranean omelet, made with ricotta salata, basil chiffonade and kalamata olives. I went with the bread pudding French toast which, while delicious, proved to be too much of a good thing about two-thirds in. For something heartier, opt for the Chicken Lollipop (if only to hear yourself order it)—a whimsical concoction of chicken, spinach, tomatoes and goat cheese cooked in a puff pastry. Bring a bottle of champagne to mix your own mimosas or a couple beers to wash down the sweetbreads sandwich on brioche.
All the attractive pies, cakes and pastries in the bakery case near the door are made in-house and may be enjoyed by the glow of the fireplace (or your laptop, sipping on the free wi-fi) in the side room, should the din of the main dining room become over-stimulating.
Centerstage Reviewer: Sharon Hoyer
