Orange is Not Just a Color

So I started this post over a month ago and I figured it was about time I finished it...

For Monica B.'s birthday we decided to make a detour from our regular brunch spot of Yolk in the South Loop.  There are so many different brunch spots throughout Chicago, but Monica and I had heard great things about Orange (http://orangerestaurantchicago.com/Main.html) and so it was chosen.  We went on a Saturday morning, and like most brunch places, they do not take reservations, so we did have to wait a bit for our party of six to be seated.

I must admit that I'm not an adventurous bruncher.  I don't typically eat a traditonal breakfast of eggs & bacon in the mornings so when given the chance that is usually the option I choose.  Once, I did order an omlette and because I only wanted bacon and cheese in the omlette it contained an overwhelming amount of eggs.  So I reverted back to my typical bacon, eggs scrambled hard with potatoes and a side of pancakes.  But I figured new place, new meal so I tried their sandwich special.    It was a sandwich filled with egg, cheese, bacon, spinach, and a rasberry jam/jelly.  And I must admit I liked it very much, sometimes it pays to deviate from the norm.  Though I like to have potatoes with my breakfast, I must say I was quite surprised at the "mashed" form their breakfast potatoes come prepared in. It reminded me more of dinner potatoes, but it was still pretty good. 

So I must confess the reason it took me so long to do this post is because I didn't do my due dilligence and find out what everyone else ordered.  It appears when you ask someone what they ate a couple weeks ago at a particular restaurant, most people aren't able to recall.  Or maybe the food just wasn't that memorable to them.  Who knows?  Here's a brief recap of what the rest of the table ordered:


This is the meal that has me stumped.  I believe it's a French Toast of some sort, but I can't recall the name.  It was Erica's meal and she was unable to enlighten me on further details.



I adored Dr. Seuss books when I was a child and to see his "Green Eggs & Ham" come to life was a treat.  The eggs are mixed with pesto to give it the green appearance and it is topped with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.  



 

This is a slight variation of the green eggs & ham.  Instead of ham the dish is prepared with bacon.  And I have to admit if I would have ordered this meal, I don't really eat ham, so I would have also asked for the bacon substitution.



Now this I love.  It's the pancake flight.  If you suffer from an inability to make a decision as I sometimes do, this flight gives you the option of ordering four different types of pancakes.  Chocolate & powdered sugar covered, cantaloupe w/ whipped cream & granola,  blueberry panckaes, & I believe strawberry syrup covered pancakes.

I liked Orange and the fact that they have a byob option where you bring the champagne and they provide the orange juice gives them quite a few bonus points.  But as fancy as they try to make their dishes, the food just didn't live up to the hype of their above average names was the general consensus of the table.