The Real Chicago

Top Menu

  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

Main Menu

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login
  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

logo

Header Banner

The Real Chicago

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
  • Chicago’s hidden gems: Kiss Kiss Cabaret, Unabridged Bookstore, Lulu Belle’s Pancake House and TNT at The Annoyance

  • New on the scene: Recapping recent restaurant and bar openings in Chicago

  • The Big City Blog: A Chicago summer bucket list

  • Outdoor drinking: A guide to some of our favorite beer gardens and rooftops in Chicago

  • A day at the museum: Exploring the iconic Field Museum in Chicago

Signature Dishes
Home›Signature Dishes›Chicago’s Signature Dishes: Matilda and Kanela Breakfast Club

Chicago’s Signature Dishes: Matilda and Kanela Breakfast Club

By TheRealChicagoOnline
January 22, 2013
553
0
Share:

An inside look at a pair of standout dishes from two popular city establishments

Matilda
3101 N. Sheffield
www.Matilda-BabyAtlas.com

Matilda, perhaps near perfectly, was once described to me as having the best qualities of both your favorite dive bar and your favorite wine lounge. One thing it also has is a serious menu, courtesy of years of flavor experimentation by owner Kevin Abercrombie.

Delectable items abound, so make sure the taste buds are prepared for something well beyond the normal bar setting.

1.) The steak salad, for instance, is so far from run-of-the-mill that it’s hard to describe its impressive balance of flavors in one paragraph. Try freshly baked honey-rosemary toast topped with fresh mozzarella, sliced plum tomato and balsamic vinaigrette surrounding spring greens that topped with six ounces of filet mignon strips, all alongside Matilda’s house-made lime-cilantro-jalapeno paste that complements the steak oh so well.

2.) Preferring to stick with the non-vegetarian path, the stuffed and stacked filet boasts another fantastic assortment of tastes that seem to effortlessly blend so well together. It’s eight ounces of tender, hand-cut beef tenderloin stuffed with bleu cheese and stacked on top of a jalapeno potato pancake, grilled beefsteak tomato, and a grilled sweet onion slice. The stack’s appearance is something to behold, but just try keeping your fork at bay for more than a few seconds.

— Trent Modglin

Kanela Breakfast Club
3231 N. Clark
www.KanelaCafe.com

Kanela Breakfast Club, nestled on the south end of Wrigleyville, looks small on the outside, but it has a big, fat, Greek-inspired personality within. Its roots are inflected in the menu, as well as the name, which means “cinnamon” in Greek.

1.) Head chef Nick Curtis says the organic brunch joint likes to go for unique twists on old styles. Take, for example, their French toast flight. Instead of the conventional slices of bread dipped in egg batter, chef Nick uses red velvet, lemon poppyseed, orange and banana nut as his base breads. For parties of four or more, owner Peter Lardakis recommends this dish as a dessert. But if your sweet tooth is insatiable, the French toast flight is guaranteed to hit the spot as a main course.

2.) If you prefer savory over sweet, try Kanela’s signature eggs benedict, made with slow-roasted pork belly, brussel sprouts, poached eggs, dried cranberries, a house hollandaise sauce and an English muffin. The pork is cured in jalapenos and garlic for nearly a week before it’s slow cooked in duck fat. This process leaves you with something only reminiscent of bacon — a thick-cut, tender and juicy cousin of the typical Canadian slab you’re used to.

— Yelena Galstyan

TagsChicago breakfasteggs benedictfilet mignon ChicagoFrench toastKanela Breakfast ClubKanela ChicagoMatilda ChicagoNick CurtisPeter LardakisTrent ModglinWrigleyvilleYelena Galstyan
Previous Article

The Chicago Insider: Chad Kase on steaks ...

Next Article

Chicago’s hidden gems: Swim Cafe, Rudy’s Roundup ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

TheRealChicagoOnline

Related articles More from author

  • Chicago Insider

    Chicago Insider Shannon Boland on favorite Thai spots, secret bars like The Drifter, and shopping on State Street

    June 14, 2016
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • A Round of Drinks

    A Round of Drinks at Kingston Mines: Two stages of the blues, plenty of dancing and tasty Southern-style cooking

    January 9, 2013
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Good EatsOther Recent Articles

    Good eats at Chief O’Neill’s: A charming Irish pub with a hearty menu and beautiful beer garden

    April 23, 2013
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Around TownGeneral Features

    You can always have Paris: Breaking down Chicago’s French restaurant revolution

    April 12, 2012
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Hidden Gems

    Chicago’s hidden gems: Brunch at Endgrain, cocktails at Bar on Buena and shopping at Twosided

    February 15, 2014
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • The Big City Blog

    The Big City Blog: Reaching addiction status at Windy City Crossfit

    April 10, 2013
    By TheRealChicagoOnline

You might be interested

  • Around TownOldThe Big City Blog

    The Big City Blog: A Chicago summer bucket list

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    A very good year: Check out some of Chicago’s top new restaurants

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Funny people: Five spots to enjoy some classic Chicago comedy

Originally launched in 2006, The Real Chicago — as a glossy entertainment magazine, website and email newsletter — has consistently provided the very best insider information, features and reviews to help both tourists and active locals get the most out of exploring the greatest city on Earth.
© Copyright The Real Chicago. All rights reserved.