What’s better than dining on a boat? Not dining on one! Rather than worrying about chasing after glassware and place settings on the open water, the Marine Room offers just about everything a boat dining experience would, except it’s on dry land.

Never could you ever build a restaurant like this one with today’s building standards.

While the Marine Room’s reputation precedes the place itself, its High Tide Breakfast, which kicks into gear once each month at said high tide time, was news to me.

The food features a full breakfast buffet with all the smoked salmon, Belgian waffles, made-to-order omeletes and chocolate mousse cake a girl’s heart desires for a grand total of $35/person—but the view is the thing to write home about.

I think I actually gasped upon being startled at one point by a huge wave crashing into the window about four feet from me and my coffee.

Go here for the people watching and the coolest seaside dining experience you’ll ever have on dry land. Just make sure you get up early for this one and make a reservation!

The Marine Room

La Jolla, Ca 92037

Well, I stand corrected. I previously wrote after a trip to California that acai bowls were nowhere to be found in Chicago. Little did I know, they are here, they’re just DIY.

Full disclosure, Amafruits sent me some of their awesome frozen acai samples and I fashioned them into what I like to think of as a Chicago-style acai bowl (see below). Like the Chicago-style hot dog, this bowl has a special Chicago twist: Julius Meinl granola.

I also learned from Amafruits that sometimes acai served in restaurants is not fresh. This antioxident-rich fruit has a shelf life and since it grows in the Amazon, it’s shipped frozen to preserve its natural benefits.

The acai (Amafruits sells through Treasure Island, Potash and some other locations downtown or order online) comes in single-serve packets that blend extremely well. It doesn’t take a super-blender to smooth it out, when mixed with a little orange juice, or even water.

If you haven’t had acai, it’s a fruit, but it blends smoothly when frozen without separating into fruit versus water. The consistency is almost creamy, but it’s just pure fruit.

Here’s how I assembled my bowls:

-Blend four packets of frozen acai puree with orange juice to desired consistency.

-Pour blended acai over Julius Meinl granola

-Top with sliced bananas, shredded coconut and fresh raspberries

Enjoy!

Even though this makes for a great breakfast or snack, we actually enjoyed acai bowls for dinner. Who knew?

Trenchermen is a strange and wonderful hybrid kind of restaurant. The location is completely misleading as it is tucked into the six corners of Damen/Milwaukee/North Ave. in Bucktown/Wicker Park. But don’t hold that against this place. Once you step down into the cozy, wood-beamed bar and enter the fatigued-oriental-rug-clad dining room, you will forget all about neighbors Flash Taco and Starbucks.

Not to go totally overboard on the scene, but I did melt nicely into one of the big, leather booths with a “Baby Mama” cocktail in hand, and I could have spent hours and hours if not days sampling from the hot, cold, spicy and crunchy menu.

What you will find is a lot of texture and a playful take on old staples, as well as new ones.

Take, for example, an heirloom tomato salad: warm, sweet, cooked tomatoes (skin off) anchored this dish, followed by a layer of sweet and colorful heirlooms, topped with a balsamic vinegar savory ice cream scoop that melted nicely over the few minutes it lasted into a delicious dressing at room temp.

The warm and cold mixed with sweet, salty vinegar umami really was genius.

But it didn’t end there.

The menu is spotted with small plates as well as larger, entree-style dishes, making it an OK choice for a shared plates experience or an every-man-for-himself one.

Expect to find crunch everywhere: Garlic crisps, tater tots flecked with dill pickle pieces, toasted pistachios and encrusted fresh fish were a few applications. And everything came out as art on the plate.

But if you don’t eat a single bite at Trenchermen (yes, it’s good for girls too, although the decor does say more to old boys than a ladies’ night on the town), go for the cocktails. They were good enough to eat, and don’t require a reservation.

Trenchermen

2039 W. North Ave. / Bucktown / Chicago

Each time I visit California, I become a little more infatuated with the ubiquitous “acai bowl.” Yes, there are a few acai applications here (Protein Bar includes the berries in some of its blended drinks, for example), but for a breakfast/lunch/snack staple so simple, it’s shocking we don’t have something that resembles the goodness of Swami’s Cafe’s very own (Encinitas, Calif.).

Whether or not you believe in the acai’s antioxident benefits, the bowl is made from frozen acai berries, blended like a thick, still frozen smoothie, covered in sliced banana, granola, shredded coconut, frozen raspberries and bee pollen. (Bee pollen is another thing Chicago hasn’t quite caught on to, unless I’ve missed something.)

Does anyone know where to find an acai bowl in Chicago? Why are we so behind on this?

Swami’s

1163 S Coast Hwy 101 / Encinitas, Calif.

This weekend, my friend Robin and I ran the CARA FirstMerit Bank Lakefront 10-Miler. We did the run as a fundraising effort for EGBOK Mission—an organization that is important to us both. EGBOK is devoted to connecting young adults with their potential as hospitality professionals. Currently, the organization is working with students in several countries in Asia, and we decided to run for their education.

We are happy to say we reached—and surpassed—our fundraising goal of $2,000.

What does this have to do with food? you might ask. Well second to our EGBOK contribution, the best thing about race day is the glorious post-run brunch that follows. I wanted to pick a place that is tried and true, and since we were already up at Montrose Harbor, we decided to go the extra mile (literally) and make it an M. Henry morning.

If you don’t know if, M. Henry is a brunch spot in Andersonville. It is reasonable, delicious and byob. I could eat M.Henry’s black bean cakes every morning. I might even try it, if it weren’t for the sometimes long-ish wait that can happen outside of M.Henry. Luckily, we arrived by 10 am and our party of six sat right down.

My recommendations: bring champagne if you are in the mood for a mimosa. M.Henry has big carafes of OJ that are great for mixing. You can never go wrong with the Latina Omeleta or Black Bean Cakes. The breakfast sandwich is another highlight.

However, word to the wise: if they are serving breakfast bread pudding (shown with berries) that is a must. Get it for the table, or for yourself. It is worth the “extra mile.”

Also, I am happy to hear that M.Henry has opened a sister spot. M. Henrietta! Located at Granville and Broadway, I’m thinking this might have had something to do with our minimal wait time…

M. Henry

5707 N. Clark / Andersonville / Chicago

No reservations / BYOB

Not sure why it took me this long to try Sprout, but it happened this Sunday morning for brunch.

Things I like about Sprout:

-They take reservations! (Contrary to many of my usual brunch spots)

-Atmosphere is pleasant, upscale, and there is a ton of natural light

-Menu is creative, inspired and varied; there are so many interesting takes on classics (some are “deconstructed,” such as the lox platter I ordered)

-Top notch service

Things to know:

-It’s a bit off the beaten path, between Clyborn and Southport on Fullerton

-There is a really cute and cozy table for two that might be worth requesting for a special occasion/date

-It’s not cheap; tax and tip included (with coffee) brunch for two was about $50

-The rabbit waffle comes with fried pickles. (Who doesn’t love fried pickles?)

Given the price range, it is more a special occasion spot than a regular, and it’s not a packed kind of place. However, if you are looking to make a reservation for a Sunday brunch, Sprout might be just what you are looking for. I will be interested to go back for dinner. The lox plate, featuring caviar, a truffle-y cream and crumbled, hard boiled egg, had all of the classic elements, but also touches of inspiration. And it looked like art on the plate. The rabbit waffle was served with a Dijon sauce and the aforementioned pickles. Southern, sweet and saucy.

Sprout

1417 W. Fullerton / Lincoln Park / Chicago

…because the Big Star patio is blowing up. Bucktown/Wicker Parkers took the opportunity to get outside on this wonderful weather weekend in Chicago to peruse the few outdoor patios that have reemerged post-winter sting (for now).

Also spotted enjoying outdoor seating in Bucktown… patrons of The Southern, which had all windows open downstairs as well as its patio in full force.

Sadly, my favorite outdoor seating area—Birchwood Kitchen—is not yet open. But after enjoying brunch there Sunday, I was told the porch will be back soon.

Meanwhile, the apple/berry cobbler was the brunch treat of choice. Even sans porch seating, Birchwood continues to deliver.

Banana bread french toast, of course.

Equipment needed: George Foreman Grill.

Who knew?

I made a loaf on Thursday night from a recipe I found on the world wide web; it was a cake-y recipe and I substituted whole wheat flour for the white flour for an extra crispy crust. It worked perfectly.

Saturday morning, I sliced it up and dunked it in an egg/milk mixture until it was adequately soaked. Then loaded up the GF Grill with four slices and cooked it until it was slightly brown on both sides.

I think I might be onto something. For one thing, the clean up was extremely minimal compared to the traditional stove-greased pan cooking method. For another, it was the quickest cooking French toast ever since both sides cook at the exact same time. Add the no-stick factor and it was genius.

Slather with 100% maple syrup and it was just what the dessert-for-breakfast doctor ordered. Next time, I might add a splash of vanilla to the egg mixture. (Always room for improvement.)

Aside from the fact that the waitress spilled an entire tray of bloody marys onto my two white shirts, all over my coat, pants and bag, Bucktown’s LOKaL has a decent brunch, and as we found out for Brian’s birthday gathering, it is a good spot for a Saturday or Sunday group outing (for a casual 15 or so).

**Update: Thanks, LOKaL for picking up my dry cleaning tab!

Menu items skew pretty Euro with potato pancakes, big slices of polish breakfast sausage, Nutella-stuffed french toast and cheese & pickles (not sure about that last one). The food is good (although not really special), reasonable and eating here entitles all brunch-goers to a $7 bottomless mimosa or $9 bottomless bloody mary while dining—that is this place’s selling point.

It won’t be making my regular brunch circuit, but it was a good spot that isn’t daunted by a big group on the weekend. (The main eating area also doubles as a dance floor full with DJ spinning for late night carousing if brunch isn’t your thing.)

LOKal

1904 W. North Ave. / Bucktown / Chicago

Let’s just say I was extremely skeptical when Jam moved to Logan Square. First, they said at the old Ukrainian Village location it was uncertain as to whether they’d continue offering dinner (never happened). Then, it seemed before our eyes, it was just gone. Well, moved.

Huge bummer for me, because Logan Square is a bit of a hike from where I live. Also, because the old Jam patio had to be one of my favorite patios in the entire city (aside from Birchwood Kitchen, which technically has a back porch, but that is another story entirely).

The good news is, the new Jam is almost exactly like the old Jam, in most ways. Same bright and airy space, same lime green accents and sleek-but-comfortable interior, beautiful plating, yummy little amuse bouche muffins, even lots of the same staff…and now with even more menu offerings.

(The bad news? No more Spanish omelete. I guess it could have left the menu regardless of the location, but I am still very sad to see it go.)

Even though I’m fine with this move and I know Jam did what Jam had to do, two other quick downsides aside from the aforementioned patio travesty: no more proximity to Black Dog Gelato (and most certainly too much of a trek for my old favorite Jam-BDG alley-oop) and so many other options in Logan Square that could be potential competitors for me. With Longman and Eagle, Lula Cafe and the new Telegraph (which I have yet to try but my next Logan Square adventure will feature a stop), I have just a 1/4 chance of hitting up Jam, all other things being equal. Which, I’m not necessarily saying they are, but this is some serious competition, people. Maybe Jam was thinking the same thing…

Jam

3057 W. Logan Blvd. / Logan Square / Chicago