I got invited to a media preview of La Stanza's brunch menu, which was damn delicious. This place is located in the back of Labriola off of Michigan Avenue, so it has a bit of a speakeasy vibe. The live jazz music and classic Italian decor only augments it. I tasted almost all the highlights on the menu, but what sets this place apart is a do it yourself donut bar featuring plain Stan's donuts which you can adorn with all your favorite fixins'. And adorn I did. Is there such a thing as too much topping?
In this particular preview, we dined family style so we could all sample the sweet and savory sides of the menu. I generally trend sweet for breakfast - I love ordering pancakes at restaurants because I'm not so great at making them at home. I was surprised that my favorite items on the menu were more savory. The chicken and biscuit combo was a standout from the rest of the offerings. The fried chicken was tender and well-seasoned, which paired nicely with the fluffy homemade biscuits and sweet balsamic vinegar reduction.
I also loved the breakfast pizza (I'm a sucker for runny egg yolks) as well as the potato salad that accompanied the homemade bacon platter. It was so different from what I expected. The fresh seasoning made this otherwise heavy and filling dish quite bright.
Also, the bagel and lox was top-notch. The salmon was plentiful, and the cream cheese freshly whipped. They were served up with whole-grain bagels, which were a nice contrast to the creaminess of the rest of the offering. The shrimp and polenta was also a great addition to the menu. The shrimp was crispy on the outside without being over cooked, and the polenta went well with the yolk from the poached egg.
This is a super cute place to meet a friend or celebrate the holidays over mimosas and eggs. I'm looking forward to taking out of towners here for brunch before shopping!
No comments:
Post a Comment