Brunching at The Monarch

Brunch is that magical time of day that merges breakfast and lunch and is usually paired with an adult beverage meant to boost the spirits. Thankfully, there are loads of places in Chicago serving up excellent brunch food for those of us who can't decide between these two meals. The Monarch, located on North Avenue in Wicker Park, is one such establishment that takes brunch seriously. When I found a deal for a brunch meal for two, I jumped at the chance to get out of the house and begin to enjoy the spring weather that has finally come to Chicago.

The Vibe

The Monarch has both a bar area and dining area for patrons. At the bar, customers can sit on tall chair-backed stools to enjoy a cocktail or food. Keep an eye out for the candelabra that sits at one end of the bar and has accumulated quite a collection of wax over time. The dining area is not large, with a few tables in the back and some in the front by the large glass windows that open onto the street. In the warmer months, they open up their back patio to allow customers to enjoy their meals outside at cute white metal tables.

The atmosphere of The Monarch is relaxed and casual; the dark tables and exposed brick give off an upscale pub vibe, without seeming pretentious. The staff is friendly and attentive, without being overbearing, and made sure our glasses were never empty throughout the meal. Music videos play on the large TVs over the bar to accompany the tunes pumping out of the speakers. I caught myself singing along to more than one song as I ate.

The Monarch is a popular location for brunch on the weekends, so a reservation in advance is recommended.

The Food & Drinks

The brunch menu at The Monarch is not large, but the options all sound enticing and delicious. I prefer sweet brunch foods over savory, but going off the recommendation of a friend, I ordered the Confit Pork Shoulder Sandwich on my most recent visit. I had tried the Challah Bread French Toast with maple-infused marscapone and blueberry compote on a pervious visit (it was divine) and thought it best to try something new. The sandwich was served with a sunnyside up egg, kimchi, mornay sauce, and came with hash browns on the side. I wasn't sure how I would feel about kimchi on a pork sandwich, but it actually worked very well together. The tender pork meat paired perfectly with the crunch of the carrot and cabbage in the kimchi. The egg on top was the proverbial icing not he cake of an excellent morning sandwich.

My boyfriend ordered the Scrambled Egg Wrap, which came with bacon, cheddar, and pico de gallo wrapped in a tortilla with hash browns on the side. He thought it was quite tasty and appreciated the twist on the classic bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich.

We washed down our food with bottomless mimosas, which are available for just $10.50 on the weekends! Our server agreed to upgrade our deal to include the bottomless drinks for only $7 more. Yayy!

This was not my first visit to The Monarch, and it shall not be my last! I look forward to trying more of their interesting creations on the menu (I'm looking at you Fried Green Tomato Sandwich). And of course, who could say no to bottomless mimosas? Not I.