M. Herny - A Review - Three Stars

Now that it's that cozy, fall time of year I did one of my favorite things last Sunday, I went to brunch. Brunch is lovely all year round but you really don't want a big breakfast when it is 85 and 100% humidity so fall is the perfect time.
There's so many delicious places to go but for this trip I ventured to a new spot (new to me) called M. Henry in Andersonville. While not a locale I would typically venture to for brunch I recently had a friend move to the Ravenswood neighborhood or as she refers to it "the suburbs" so I thought I'd be nice and meet somewhere closer to her turf. We got there at 10 and I'm so glad we did because it was already packed although we were seated immediately (yay! bonus points for M. Henry right there!) but sadly that meant I was whisked away from the waiting area before I could peruse all the tantalizing baked goods on display - the smell of those alone is enough to make me want to come back.
A warm and welcoming spot, M. Henry is comfortable but a no-frills place, simple colors on the walls, minimal decoration and ample seating make for a snug but appealing spot for brunch. The menu isn't overly extensive but there were plenty of items to choose from, Benedicts w/out the egg, omelettes galore, quiche, pumpkin pancakes (they almost got me!), along with all your standards, egg/bacon, french toast, etc. My eye for some reason immediately went to the fried egg sandwich, (although to be fair you could put a fried egg on any type of sandwich and I would select it )and my brunching companion got the classic french toast with berries and whipped cream. M. Henry also has a full sandwich listing for those that interpret brunch with more emphasis on the the "unch" but that's not me - it's strictly breakfast all the way.
Both our dishes looked gorgeous and were quite tasty, the egg along with applewood bacon, goat cheese and sun dried tomato all served on a perfectly pressed pannini style sourdough baguette - can we say heaven? It was so good that I didn't even touch my side of potatoes - but to give them props they did appear to me perfectly crispy and delicious. The french toast was equally tasty per my brunching friend and from my perspective just plain pretty to look at - berries and whipped cream are beautiful! M. Henry was jammed but they didn't rush us out even after we had paid and lingered a bit at the table - a sign of a classy joint. So head out to M. Henry for a totally satisfying meal next time you are in the mood for brunch, just be sure to get there by 10 a.m. - the whole street was packed with would-be diners by the time we left.

Where I've Been Hiding

It's been an inexcusable three weeks since I've last posted but I was busy vacationing and the laptop just does not come with on vacation, that is a mandatory rule! I won't bore you with the details of my vacation, I know most people don't really care when they ask "how was your trip" but here it is in a nutshell. First went to Prague, gorgeous, colorful, classic European city - beautiful architecture, haunting setting, great local fare and beer - a must for anyone serious about seeing Europe. Next on to Vienna to visit friends, just the city you would envision it to be, lots of baroque, chandeliers, cafes, kuchen and more. I could easily envision Freud hanging out there in the day. If you visit definitely check out Schonnebruen (sp?) palace just outside of central Vienna, beautiful grounds and a zoo that will wow you! Finally, wrapped up the trip in Paso Robles, CA (can anyone say "jet lag"?) for a weekend celebrating the harvest in the Paso wine region. Lots of pinots, rhones and the like, while great, left me craving a beer by weekends end, a fun trip but I was ready to come home a nest a bit.
So now it's fall officially in Chicago after many weeks of glorious 70+ weather in October, I finally feel like cooking again and actually staying indoors during the weekend so I promise more faithful posting. I'll have a lot to discuss I'm sure, with half of my group of friends all being with child it provides for plenty of food for thought (and leaves me discussing breastfeeding far more often than I ever thought possible) .
That's all for now!