After my Saturday morning ritual, ballet at Joffrey followed by a latte at intelligentsia, I had a little afternoon rendezvous with a fellow blogger friend and classmate. However, this was no ordinary brunch date: this was our very first bloggers’ brunch! I met up with my friend Addie, AKA Chickpea In The City, at a cute little spot she suggested called Range. I snuck a peak at the menu ahead of time, and knew I was going to have a difficult time deciding!
I have been lucking out on restaurants lately, because Range was a real winner. Winner, winner chicken dinner, might I add, since their entire menu totes farm to table ingredients and other local finds. I am all about the details when it comes to the dining experience. The innovative use of faux grass on the outside sign continued indoors to the ceiling where two repurposed chandeliers were hanging. The walls were adorned in cute paintings that played off the idea of everything being farm fresh. I especially loved the cozy nook in the front. I would not mind waiting for my table perched on the sun-soaked sofa!
Who really cares about the decor, right? Ultimately, we were here for the food! After painstakingly examining each and every menu item (orderer’s remorse is a real thing!), I decided on the eggs benedict served on sweet potato waffles in lieu of tradition English muffins. Unconventional variations on eggs benedict have become my recent brunch obsession, as if my love of brunch wasn’t already enough of an obsession!
The flavor combination of this was melt in your mouth amazing! Subtle hints of sweet potato in the waffle married nicely with the smokiness of the applewood bacon. The hollandaise sauce was not to heavy, like most are. There was a very airy quality to it, which I thoroughly enjoyed. And everything is better with an egg on it, of course. Let me tell you, these were some of the freshest eggs I have had in a long time: poached to absolute perfection.
The main event was served alongside Range’s lemon potatoes. They were slightly crisp on the outside, but gave way to a soft creamy center. The lemon was not over powering, and lent a citrusy freshness to otherwise starchy potatoes. My usual mantra is “ketchup is for kids,” but the 78 Red Spicy All Natural Ketchup is something I am going to have to seek out for my own kitchen! Oh, and it went perfectly with the little spuds.
My partner in crime got the root vegetable benedict, which she savored every bite of. It was refreshing and a relief to go out to eat with someone who takes as many pictures of their food as I do. With the both of us snapping pics, we evaded all the awkwardness of having to apologize to those around us that we were going to take yet another picture: it was like I had met my long lost blogger twin. Our lovely afternoon full of chatter about blogs, food, and the like, and ended with a stroll through the new Whole Foods Market off of Fullerton (those DePaul kids are lucky ducks!). Can’t wait to do it again!
Little Em Big City 
