Maison Marcel (on Broadway), Chicago, IL

["Can you give me a hand?"]

[Who doesn't love a plethora of spider plants cleaning your air?]

We might as well get this out of the way now - this place is French. Which means French-style drinks, sandwiches, breads, and best of all - pastries!!!

I've already been in 3 times and will be going back as able. Why? Well, they check off a few boxes for me when thinking about a midday break, like - 1. Coffee drinks 2. Wi-Fi 3. Actual food available 4. Music not too loud 5. Seating is generally plentiful (on weekdays) and 6. Did I mention pastries!!!

The folks behind the counter are also French. They speak it to each other. I presume that's what makes the food so good! And how about some more of that...

How about an Apple Danish? (But French-style, not American-style)...

Or maybe you have an affinity for the cocoa bean? Let's try the Chocolate-Almond Croissant...

Or if you're real fancy before 12noon, why not try a macaron?

Ok fine, I have to eat "real food" before my desserts... just grab a nice breakfast offering or even this simple baguette sandwich (but be ready to gnaw through all that crusty bread!)...

...and then have your macarons!!! (Raspberry, Pistachio, and Hazelnut (aka, "Nutella"))

They have a rather robust hot breakfast menu, including a simple egg plate that includes a selection of their breads. When I ordered it I received half slices of four breads with my eggs - Sourdough, Baguette, Croissant, and Chocolate Croissant. You also get butter and jam. It was a good sample of most things, and then you can just take some macarons home.

This is also a breakfast / brunch-only spot. It closes each day in the late afternoon - don't plan on going after work, for dinner, or late-night pastries. It is all wrapped in a very cozy French-styled space, with enough room to find a nook and hunker down for the winter - the entire Chicago winter! I just might. 

If you don't already want to go from the images above, there's not much else I could say to convince you. But, I know I enjoy the experience here and will be going back.

Marigold Kitchen, Madison, WI

So, you know brunch is a pretty awesome part of the weekend, right? And you NEED to have a solid, go-to brunch spot where you live. Well, I think I've found mine in Madison. It's not exactly close to home, but not really far either. It's downtown, off the Capitol Square, a little out of the way, but also centrally located if any out-of-towners care to take in a Capitol tour after brunch or walk all the way down State Street. So, I probably won't walk to this place, but it's a short drive or ride away and a good location, imo.

Not only that, but once you're inside (or seated outside), this place brings it. To be clear, they're only open for breakfast and lunch, so they don't get distracted by dinner malarkey. This is also not a full wait-staffed set-up - rather, you place your order at the counter, receive a number for your table, then go hunt for a spot to sit. They bring your selections out to you as they're made. I think it's a fine system for brunch and seems to fit this place well. I've sat at a table and at the bar, with really no trouble getting a seat. It is busy on the weekends, and by no means a secret spot, but I think they do well at getting people in and out, in my experience.

 

They have a varied, American brunch menu, with some hearty, South-Central WI staples and offerings for the experimental college crowd too. They have great pastries & coffee drinks available, so sit down, grab a paper, sip on something -  don't rush the meal, take your time.

There's no question that it's a bustling place on the weekend, but isn't that part of the fun of brunch on the weekend? See some oddballs, eat some good food, have a drink at breakfast (they have that too).

This visit was in the fall, so they had some great fall decor and Pumpkin Pancakes on the menu. I can't say no to these, so I didn't this time. I did get a short-stack though (2 instead of 5), and a side order of a local breakfast sausage (which was very good).

To be clear, those a hearty Pumpkin Pancakes with Whipped Cinnamon Butter and local maple syrup on the side (soon to be on-my-pancakes).

When you're in town, we'll go, you'll love it.