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Category: Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhood: Ukrainian VillageMon., Wed-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
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Just finished brunch with a group of 5. I wouldn't recommend going in with more than 4 people, as it limits where you can sit. They told us 35-40 minutes, so we went next door for some coffee to this cute bakery while we waited. Came back 15 minutes later, and he had crossed off our name and said 'someone must have pretended to be you'. Seriously? there were NOT many people waiting at this time.
So when we were finally seated 45 minutes to an hour later, we were put at a 4 person table with a folding chair on the side. I guess that's fine, but it seems like they could have seated us sooner then.
once we were seated - the service was good. Water was refilled proptly, waitress friendly and helpful. We even got a cute little banana cupcake appetizer. As for the food, this place is FANCY-ish. Which is ok, but that just means ingredients you won't recognize, and small, overpriced portions. We ordered:
Chorizo omelet: they are sort of pushy on the anchovies, which he diceded NOT to get. 3.5/5. Decent portion, safe dish.
Egg Sandwich: 3.5/5: decent portion, not as amazing as the fancy description leads you to believe.
Pick 3 sides: egg, pancakes, toast. Can't really go wrong. 3/5 due to $9 price.
Eggs Benedict with Pork: 2/5. SHe didn't like it much, small portion, beet hollandaise. Nothing amazing.
Steak and eggs: 2/5. They cook it medium rare, fine i'll try it. It was super fatty. The poached eggs were a little undercooked with the egg whites still slimey. I don't like that...but maybe it's the norm? I substituted the pancakes for the rice grits..so no idea how those would have tasted, but pancakes were good and helped fill me due to the small portion.
I probably wouldn't go back. Super cute place, but a little fancier/pricier than i would like to fill me up on a sunday hangover brunch.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy my breakfast here. I went after hearing about this restaurant from a friend and I did not look up reviews before I went here. I asked the waitress for a suggestion and was told about the Panini Cristo. Bad idea, the prosciutto was SO salty it overwhelmed everything else.
I wasn't a fan of the coffee that much either.
I am glad I came here during a weekday because having to wait forever to eat what I did would have probably made me really grumpy.
I give this place 4 stars. I am subtracting one star because we had to wait a long time for our food (about 35 min). But when we did get it, the food was great.
I thought the service was decent. The water and coffee was re-poured regulary during our meal. Our server was nice and explained to us some of the popular items on the menu. I chose the savory crepes with braised lamb and pear sauce. My boyfriend chose the egg sandwich, also very tasty.
The food quality here is excellent. They definitely have a great presentation and use an awesome combinations for their menu items.
The place is cash only though. They do provide an ATM at the back to withdraw money. I just wish they had a bar so I could have mimosas or bloodies with my wonderful food!
While I will certainly come off as smarmy, I'm a little embarrassed to even be writing relative to you who are complaining about size!?, price?!, service/wait??!! This is Chicago, a major metropolitan city with sophisticated tastes. Have you people ever been to a resto (no, McDonalds and 7/11 don't count) before?
Bottom line for the rest of us...got to Jam, enjoy the superior quality, detail, and flavor combinations at prices that are insanely low. I'm not going to give away each and every aspect of our experience, details difficult to find even at the best, chef-driven dinner establishments in town... But for those who understand, you'll be beyond delighted.
I would definitely give Jam a solid 3.5 stars if possible, but alas, Yelp, it is not.
It's right around the corner, which is a plus, and the decor is darling. But let me tell you, this place is TINY. I would not attempt to go with a large party, which we did not, but still we waited thirty minutes for a table. They do share a patio with the bakery next door, which is nice, and they allow you to wait there and have coffee.
So once we were seated, our waiter was very prompt in getting us drinks and taking our order. The interior temperature is really warm in the front part of the restaurant, but it was pretty chilly in the back where we were seated because they had the back door of the prep kitchen propped open. I think this is an attempt to air out the greasy cooking smell, which is pretty prominent.
We did have to wait longer than average for our food, but if you look at the menu, you will see why. It's definitely not your average brunch spot.
I ordered the Jamburger, which was definitely the correct choice if you're feeling like lunch. In-credible. The quality of the beef was outstanding, and the bun was perfection. Add cheese and a fried egg on top, plus a little homemade ketchup and you have one tasty sandwich. At first I was a little weirded out that it did not come with lettuce, tomato, etc. but honestly, it was completely unnecessary. The fries are also good....we couldn't figure out what seasoning they put on them, and came up with sugar, salt, a hint of cinnamon and maybe fennel? Tasty dipped in ketchup for sure!
My sister had the chorizo omelet which was also quite good. The chorizo was great, and there was a LOT of it. Shockingly, the omelet was a bit too salty which is a ridiculous statement because we are salt-lovers....i mean, we LOVE salt. But regardless, it was a very nice menu item. It comes with breakfast potatoes which are also delicious.
Our friend had the savory crepes, which were good, but very meaty. They have braised lamb and some other stuff (sorry I wasn't paying much attention because of my JAMBURGER) and come pre-wrapped in two little burrito-like crepes. Then they are kind of swimming in some sort of sauce. The flavor is really gamey, as lamb is, but it feels like you're eating lamb brisket wrapped in a crepe. It's not bad, by any means! I just think he was expecting something different.
Overall, the food gets two thumbs up. The service was good, although the food prep was a bit slow, and the wait time is fairly long. The prices are reasonable, and what you would expect. We will definitely go back, but probably not regularly. Enjoy!
Here's why this place only gets 3 stars as opposed to the 4 stars I would've given it because my chorizo omlette was amazing:
I think that with a name like Jam, toast with their delicious flavored jams should come on the table, with every meal. I didn't feel like ordering a side of toast, but I did stare longingly at the table next to ours wishing I could stick my spoon in their mini jam dishes.
Also, as a pregnant lady who can't eat lots of different kinds of cheeses (soft cheeses are off limits when pregnant), and who already doesn't eat red meat, my menu options were limited. I asked the waitress if I could substitute the cheese that the dish came with for another cheese. She gave me a little bit of attitude and explained that the dishes were prepared so that the tastes would "balance". I totally get that, but I'd rather have an unbalanced meal that I can eat rather than a balanced one that I can't! Boo.
But as I said, my chorizo omlette was delicious (after she finally subbed out the cheeses), and my husband's chocolate french toast with banana milk jam was unbelievable.
Right around the corner from my bf's house and we finally got around to brunching here......
Food
Eggs Benedict w/ Pork Belly & Spinach Hollandaise: This was my dish.....and it was delicious!! Eggs were poached to perfection and when I cut them they caused a gooey little mess :) Pork belly was....well it was pork belly.....which is always good.....and I liked that they served it on the side so I could decide how much fatty goodness I wanted in each bite! The hollandaise sauce was also a hit for me.....the only thing I wish was that the english muffins were bigger or that they gave me more.....these were some saucy ass eggs and I wanted to clean up every last bite but in the end I had nothing to sop with.
Steak and Poached Eggs w/ Grits, Smoked Tomato Sauce & Truffled Pecorino: My bf's dish.....he only gave me 1 bite.....apparently he did not want to share his plate of delicious-ness : ) But that bite was perfect.....I would probably order this the next time I came in. Steak was as juicy as a skirt steak can be.....and the smoky tomato coupled with the truffled pecorino elevated this dish from good to excellent! Again though....this was a saucy dish....so def needed some extra bread for sopping.
Service
We came in on a Saturday....but towards the end of service....so we didn't have to wait......thank god! The host was friendly and our waiter was a doll.....attentive without being annoying....and genuine....love that!
Ambiance
It's a small space.....we didn't feel crowded but I could see that that could be a problem if it was uber busy. Open kitchen....which I like...but don't like that it left me smelling like food for the rest of the day.
Overall
I am so sick of run of the mill brunch places that serve the same tired old dishes......Jam is a little beacon of hope.....casual space with food that has interesting flavors, is well thought out and ups the ante on brunch.....makes me do my happy food dance.......yay!
I Came here with my sister and my BIL (bro in law) the morning after Thanksgiving....
Q: "Wait - you were still hungry??"
A: "Yes - I'm always hungry. Stop interrupting."
There was no wait, and were seated real quick, but I hear that is abnormal and it quickly got pretty packed. The atmosphere is pretty minimalist/modern, which is cool. I liked the juxtaposition of the concrete tables with plexiglass chairs.
The chef started us off with an amuse-bouche of a chocolate muffin with a raspberry jam. So soft and delicious. Rule # 14 - there are few things better than chocolate in the morning.
My sister ordered the french toast with lime-leaf cream (the cream was the best part). It was ALMOST as soft as the amuse bouche - I'd place it somewhere between a baby's bottom and a delicate earlobe. It was VERY sweet - maybe even too sweet.
I ordered the chocolate pancakes - (See Rule #14 above). They were not chocolate chip pancakes as I originally thought, but rather the batter was completely chocolate. I like the chip variety, so consider yourself warned. There was a roasted marshmallow on top which was nice. They came with graham, caramel butter and syrup. I added all of that on top. They were OK - and were kind of on the small side.
My BIL ordered the Eggs Benedict with pork belly. WHOA. Presentation was spot on. And it was cooked perfectly. It was my favorite dish of the 3.
We also ordered a side of the sausage and scrambled eggs...oh yeah - and fruit (gross), The sausage was a bit undercooked, the eggs were standard, and the fruit made nice bird feed for the pigeons outside...
All in all, I liked the place - 3.5 stars. I'd stick with the egg dishes as you might walk away hungry if you listen to your sweet-tooth.
Plus, the owners also run Chickpea - which is a chill Middle Eastern kitchen in the area that I really like (the food is great, but mostly because of the Middle Eastern posters of 80's classics such as First Blood part 2, and Commando).
This is 4 blocks from my apartment so the location is a huge plus. The patio waiting area is so perfect for a fall day, with unlimited coffee while you wait-very quaint and urban (we thought it was free, but they end up charging you when presenting your check.) There's this strange little oblong wood burning contraption that really fascinates me, and this little pig sculpture that hides I don't know what...anyways, I am rambling.
The only con here is the wait. I got the eggs benedict with pork belly and spinach hollandaise, but it took over 30 minutes for us to get our meals, I thought they were killing Wilbur outside in the little pig structure contraption and then firing him up in the oblong thing...I'm a huge fan of porkbelly and this was good, not great, but something different for brunch.
The hungover bubby had the biscuits & gravy which really had a fantastic shiitake mushroom glace, kind of vinegary, but paired with the dish very well.
I would come back here for the spanish omelet and add the white anchovy, which distracted me every time it was served out. I have food ADD and this one really caught my attention and made me mentally cheat on my pork belly. Sorry Wilbur.
Good solid brunch at very reasonable prices-we came out at about $25 with coffee, tax, and tip, and also came out with the kitchen stench of breakfast grease-it is an open kitchen which is cool, but not cool to my dry cleaner.
I really, really wanted to like Jam. After seeing so many neighborhood restaurants with grander intentions fail in that same spot, I was hoping Jam would join the legendary like of Ola's on that cozy block of Damen.
And I read so many good things I wanted to try, so I even gave it a second chance after my first bad experience.
In a nutshell, my main complaint both times is that Jam is basically just trying to riff off diner classics, make them sound more exotic, suck out the comfort and charm, and jack up the price per portion. Good strategy: serve less make more. Not to mention their outrageous drink prices: 3 dollars for a cup of coffee or small glass of orange juice? C'mon.
The first time I went on a quiet day for breakfast. The French toast enthusiastically ascribed as the best our waitress had ever had was lackluster at best. My wife felt the same way about her eggs benedict. Blah, blah, blah, riff on an old classic, but why isn't it satisfying?
Second time, we went to try lunch this past weekend. For the life of me, I can't understand why I paid $11 dollars for a Jamburger, or, something that tasted like nothing. My wife was goaded into adding briny anchovies onto an omelet by our saucy waiter. Then to top it all off, I saw the intolerant host actually yell at some guests standing by the door! Outrageous. I'm done.
Some new places just manage to generate a lot of press. As the place that replaces Jam probably will too.
No. That's the first word I can think of to describe my breakfast at Jam this morning. Here are some more words: flavorless, oddly-textured and unappetizing.
I ordered the oatmeal with a side of sausage. Because the oatmeal is stone ground, it has a gritty texture that is unappealing. Also unappealing was the lack of flavor, including salt. Grains need seasoning, too, Jam. The oatmeal could have also used the brown sugar promised on the menu, which I had to ask for to try to add some taste to the stuff. It was so awful that I had about four bites and gave up. Even whole cream did not save it.
Worse was the side of sausage that I ordered. First, it looked disgusting. I can't describe the appearance without being crass, so here it is: it looks like testicles. It, like the oatmeal, had little flavor and an unappetizing texture.
I left hungry. So hungry, that about two hours later I went to have a second breakfast at Julius Meinl, which tasted marvelous.
To her credit, the server noticed that I ate pretty much nothing and asked if it was ok. I told her I just did not like it. She asked if she could bring me something else, but after the atrocity of that food, I wanted nothing else to do with Jam. She did not, however, comp anything on my bill. I didn't ask, either, because I suppose it's not their fault that I found everything on my plate unbelievably foul and inedible...?
I only gave it two stars because I know how delicious the lamb crepes and the steak & eggs are. But honestly, after today, I am not sure I will ever go back to Jam.
I've been back already. I got the Spanish omelette, which they didn't have the first time I was… Read more »
Went on a weekday for breakfast to avoid the weekend brunch-sters crowd. Being a vegetarian my choices were limited - almost everything had pork in it. I had the Three-dom which consisted of (you get to pick) over medium eggs, potatoes and toast and jam. Presentation was great and I really dug their potatoes.
Overall decent, but I wasn't asking for much. The jam for my three slices of toast were great...although I wish they had given me that forth slice.
I first took notice Jam when their diners-in-waiting starting to take over the courtyard of my beloved Sweet Cakes; and, as a true breakfast devotee, I put it on my to-try list.
If I could rate my experience here in categories, it would be: aesthetics=4 stars, food=3(ish), service=1. It took the waitress a while to notice us, and we made a big mistake by not giving her our food orders when she asked what we wanted to drink. When we did finally place our order, the kitchen took so long that we started joking about the chef driving to Indiana to pluck the eggs from the hens. And all of this on a weekday, when the place was less than full.
The food itself, when it arrived, was passable but not great. My boy got the granola and yogurt, which was nothing more or less than what you'd expect. I got the Spanish omelette, which was okay, but not to my taste. I prefer the ingredients to be cooked in with the egg, and at Jam they're folded into the the middle wrap-style. It was kind of saucy and kind of salty and, truth be told, I didn't finish it.
All through the meal we had to get their attention to ask for things like drink refills, condiments, salt and pepper... Our needs were met, but not anticipated; and I felt like a high-maintenance diner when I asked for things that should be standard.
I have to say too, that I think it's ridiculous that it's a cash-only establishment. Not only are they cash-only, but they have an ATM next to the bathroom. Instead of being convenient, I think it's a huge disservice to their customers. They're not willing to shoulder the the transaction fee of a credit card machine, but they don't mind sticking their customers with much higher ATM service fees.
All in all, I wouldn't eat here twice. Sunrise Cafe, Flying Saucer, Old Oak Tap and Handle Bar are all within walking distance from Jam, and every one of them puts this place to shame.
Jam on it.
Some cities have a weekend breakfast culture. Some don't. In Chicago, we love our breakfast, so it's important to stand out in the crowd. Jam stands out in the crowd.
I could eat that egg sandwich all day. Home made ketchup, pig cheeks, fingerling potatoes on the side? If you're into that kinda thing, Hell, yeah.
The only problems were the long wait to get seated, the long wait to get served, and the noise level in the place. However, the kitchen show was great and the service was nice, so I'm not too upset.
Maybe they could put a jar of home made *jam* on the table too?
I went here for brunch and it was fun to try it out, but I probably won't come back.
The first thing I was turned off by, was I came with a group of four. A couple walked in befoe us, and they were quickly told that there was a 30 minute wait, while there were two empty tables right at the front. Then they sat our table of four right away, I guess since they have two person and four person tabes. Regardless, I thought it was weird and off that they would make couples stand outside for 30+ minutes while there were open tables inside and they were losing that business.
The food was good, although the boys I went with left hungry. The plates are very small, but the food was interersting and worth a try.
Better than the average brunch.
We are serial-brunchers and we came on a Saturday morning. My GF got the house specialty panini and my son got the chocolate pancakes (he's a chocolate pancake connoisseur) and I got the Spanish omelet.
The panini was well received, the chocolate pancakes got two thumbs-up, but the Spanish omelet blew me away. Maybe one of the best omelets I've ever had. I can't remember all the ingredients, but I do remember the chorizo because it was just perfect. I'd come back for that omelet alone.
It's pretty small (but not too loud) and they have a small kitchen. I imagine it wouldn't take much for them to get overwhelmed on a Sunday morning, but we got good service and the food didn't take too long to come. We were also pretty promptly seated, though shortly thereafter they had the dreaded bunch-of-people-standing-on-the-sidewalk.
Jam is charming. Jam is modern. Jam serves delicious Metropolis coffee. Jam has fun takes on traditional breakfast dishes. Jam is...jammed.
If you're looking to head to Jam for brunch be prepared to pack like some little sardines (not on their menu) in the entry way or wait outside (go on a nice day). Lucky for me, my friend and I got the 2 chairs in their entry way and after 25 minutes my name was gloriously called.
The menu has some neat items but after taking our drink order and asking a few questions our waiter informed us that the lamb crepes (the entree I'd been drooling over) were out. Big Boo. The blueberry pancakes were also out. Double boo. Aside from little things like having to flag down our server for a 2nd cup of coffee and remind him we wanted some delicious fresh squeezed juice, the food was really good. Exceptionally good. I was prepared not to like it after all these hurdles but you know what? Gosh darn it, I liked it.
I opted for the biscuits and gravy which were wonderfully untraditional - a homemade biscuit, gravy with mushrooms, haricot vert on the side, an egg over easy. I ate it all. I eyed the double chocolate pancakes and as much as I didn't want to do the half hour wait in the small little waiting area...I confirmed to myself that I would be back yet another time to try that dish. Looks like I'll be in a jam yet again.
Went here for brunch on Monday morning and the place was near empty. I like it because you can see the cooks from your seats, messing around in the "kitchen". I imagine it would be a pretty noisy room, when full, but on Monday morning we had the place to ourselves. Very fast service :)
We came because Stephanie Izard said this was the best French Toast she ever had, and certainly it did not dissapoint. It was light and fluffy, with amazing cream and, of course, Jam. I really enjoyed it. It filled me up without weighing me down. The pork and egg sandwich, I'm told, was also very good. This month they also had a pumpkin bread side which we ordered and loved.
I definitely recommend this place for a fun spin on breakfast food.
Two 5 star brunches in 2 weeks? With all these poached eggs, Chicago, you are spoiling me.
I do always fall for the poached eggs. Though at Jam, I think I seriously considered eating every dish on the menu one by one; every dish sounded delicious, and having now dined there I think they probably ARE delicious.
The 'amuse bouche' (ugh, sorry) was a nice little cheese scone thing, tasty enough. We were lucky enough to also get to try the custardy french toast and - wow. I need to go back for a full portion. The toast was fluffy and the fruit compote with it was delicious, sweet but with enough lime and flavour to make it very interesting to eat. Plus, anythng that comes with a glob of whipped cream wins, in my book.
When my main course was put down, I had a moment of 'uh-oh' - for brunch, nay, for any meal at all, this is fancy pants food. A smear of green sauce, hollandaise which was more like a quenelle of butter, and some scattered pieces of pork. Eggs Benedict has been messed with many times but I thought this might be taking it too far. Thankfully I was wrong. It was an artful dish and beautifully executed, also a perfect portion size.
Aside from the food, which everyone loved (kudos to the chef for cooking poached eggs exactly to order, soft and hard), the service was great. I may never have consumed as much coffee or water in an hour sitting before: refills frequent. Coffee - meh. The open kitchen does mean you may smell of food when you leave; but it does also mean you can get a live chefs' show (if you crane your neck).
Nursing a hangover so the lack of alcohol didn't bother me; the general atmosphere, decor, food and service more than made up for a lack of mimosas. And it really isn't any more expensive than other places - for the quality, well worth it.
"HEY BEHBEH! YOU CAN AMUSE MAH BOUCHE ANYTIME YOU WANT."
I went to Jam twice and both times the voice inside my head was screaming the above statement. Can't be helped though. I had a LOVELY (just lovely) view of the line when I came in and one of the chefs had me fantasizing about erotic dancing on the table tops singing La Bouche's "Be My Lover" while he flings mini cranberry muffins drizzled in honey into my mouth...naked? No not naked, "nude**."
My roommate and I came here twice in one week. The first time was on quieter Wednesday morning which was superior to bumpin' Saturday morning when sadly there was no mini treat from the kitchen (though the table next to us did receive one). Aw, poop. Next time I'll flash the chef to ensure proper goodies. It's a risk though, I might get banned for life... or arrested.
At the risk of not receiving even one "Useful" on this review, I'll take the ferry home from Whackjob Island for a minute here. Yes, yes the egg sammich with the pork cheeks is quite remarkable but I urge you to go for the less obvious choices. Try the savory buckwheat crepes with braised lamb. Total darkhorse of the brunch menu. Haven't had anything off the lunch menu yet but soon! My overly particular roommate greatly enjoyed his steak and eggs and also his Spanish Omelette with white anchovies. This is going to sound poncey as hell but I like that Jam cooks the steak THEIR way... not yours. Learn how to appreciate rare meat, dullards, before you foray into cultured society. Scoff.
Seriously though, they're taking some risks here and so far I'm down with that. They probably won't win over people who want to mod the hell out of everything they order and have it come with extra ketchup. Sometimes I think it's nice just to go to a place and have them be like "Eat this. I assure you, it will be tasty the way I make it." Maybe that makes me a Food Sheep but at least I'm a cannibalistic Food Sheep. Mmm, lamb, baaaahhhh.
I'll offer up the fifth star if I can still gape at the chef every time I come. I hope he reads this and gets thoroughly creeped out.
* http://www.youtube.com...
** http://www.youtube.com...
Not a bad experience. The food was good, and so was the service.
I just don't feel this is a great breakfast place. The portions were small and I left wanting more food. The eggs Benedict were nothing to rave about and the same with blueberry pancakes.
I left feeling okay about the meal, and no desire to rush back for more.
Upscale and Creative Brunch...
I thought this place was great. It's not overtly advertised that it's BYO (or at least it wasn't a month or so ago when I went), because they don't really have any mixers, but we brought our own bloody mary mix and vodka and had no problems. I had the steak and eggs...delicious and my BF had the pork cheek sandwich. The bun didn't really match the sandwich...I'm not sure what would've been better, but they have the right idea. The meat was nice and tender tho. Definitely give it a try!
I was excited to hear that another breakfast spot opened up in the neighborhood. Although I love Milk n' Honey, I wanted something a little different. The menu at Jam sounded similar to the Bristol's so I wanted to check it out.
Know the area pretty well, I decided to go during a week day because I just didn't feel like waiting 40 mins for breakfast. When we got there we were greeted. Those host was super nice.
Now the food. The food sounded so delicious and the ideas were there. The problem is the execution.
There were only 2 other tables that were seated. It took over 45 minutes for us to get our food. 45 minutes for breakfast!
So to start things off, our waitress seemed a little out of it. We placed our order, our soup came out, then she came with complementary chocolate muffins with spice caramel--we decided to save that for dessert (duh!).
I ordered the Eggs Benedict and my cousin order the Steak n' Eggs. To start things off, the portions are on the smaller side, but I guess they had to save room for all their pretty sauce splatters. I think it was a bit pricey for the portion. It would be one thing if it was amazing but it wasn't (believe me, I wanted this place to be m-f-ing amazing).
Both dishes came with poached eggs, which were extrememly over-cooked. I could have sworn that poached eggs are like the first test in culinary school. May be our meals would have came out in like 40 mins if they didn't overcook our poached eggs (just a thought). And it's not like they were slightly overcooked but they were almost hard boiled inside.
So moving beyond my OVERCOOKED POACHED egg, the Eggs Benedict were just OK. The hollandaise sauce was super rich, it taste like whipped butter, which in most cases I would like but I seriously felt like I was eating a stick of butter. The pork belly were measly little chunks. The homemade English muffins were the size of Triscuits (which by the time I got my food, wished I had some in my purse to satiate me). Eggs Benedict get a C-.
The Steak n' Eggs were not my cup of tea. The rice grits--blah. The sauce just not the right flavor. Steak n' Eggs get a C- to a D+
I ordered the Turkey Club to go for my boyfriend. His comment, it's like they had too many ideas and threw it in this sandwich. Cranberry and Guac? and Red Pepper? I just figured they would have made it work. It just was under par. The sandwich gets a C-.
So overall the place gets a C-...I guess it still passes. Not sure if I'll give it another shot considering how un-busy the place was when we were there.
I'll just get off my lazy butt and drive over to the Bristol. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Thoroughly mediocre.
As a huge brunch advocate (yes, I'm very official about my breakfast), I can honestly say I've had a lot of brunches that ooze fabulosity here in our fair city. The mascarpone french toast at Toast? Phenom! The trout benedict at Lula? Divine! The zephyr omelette at Tiztal? Got nothin' but love for you, Baby! I was hoping this would be right up there with my list of favs, but Jam? The wind was hardly knocked out of my brekkie sails. Le Sigh.
The Highlights
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+ Cute Décor - Fantastically hip and monochromatic with hints of lime green and those ubercute ghost chairs that I just adore! http://common.csnstore...
+ Eggs Benedict with crispy pork belly. Y U M M Y ! Artfully presented with a lovely brushstroke of mild spinach hollandaise and 100% irresistible. The crowing glory of Jam, indeed.
+ Really efficient coffee service. I've never had my cup refilled so frequently... like, literally in between sips frequently. Go Java Jam Go!
The Lowlights
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- No amuse bouche. I've heard Jam does a brunch service amuse which I was wholly looking forward to. Sounded unique and enticing, but alas, none for our table. No pre taste for this brunch fan makes Brett a sad girl.
- Jam is hotter than a whore bathing in habaneros in July. Seriously. No a/c? Not sure what was going on here but it's gross. Temps were probably close to mid-to-high 80's inside Jam this weekend. Sweaty brekkie? Eh, I'll pass.
- Odd service. When asked to omit an ingredient from the egg white omelette (comes with beets, goat cheese, macadamia nuts and watercress) due to a food allergy I was responded to by our server with a flat out 'No'... Not an "I'll ask the chef" or "Lemme see what I can do", just No. Hmmm. The necessity to instruct her on how to do her own job was frustrating and trying to say the least.
- Malted Custard French Toast. The self-proclaimed 'best french toast in Chicago' was the biggest disappointment of all. Odd sour taste, mushy texture, zero crispy, caramelized exterior. Aside from the 3 bites that were tested by myself, Hilary and Martha it went entirely uneaten. Wasted money, wasted precious stomach real estate. Brunch Fail.
- Cash Only. Bah! At a dive bar? Yes. For a (supposed to be) nice brunch? Confusing.
Oh Jam, you lured with me promises of french toast wishes and chorizo dreams but alas, I was unsated. I'd come back for your amazing benedict - on a cool day - and that alone... everything else, in my opinion, can Jam on along. Later Skater!
When an 'amuse bouche' arrives pre-brunch in the form of a delightfully petite cranberry muffin with real honey drizzle, I find this to be perhaps the best foodie foreplay...ever.
Not that I'm a foodie, but I can be warmed up just like 'em, mmmk?
Luckily, I have some likeminded co-workers...which means we always split something sinful with the entire table: *a plate of french toast with real maple syrup, berry compote and lemon fraiche. Mmmmm, i suggest splitting this and going for the savory buckwheat crepes or steak 'n eggs as the meal...
*This arrived "pre-split," onto four small plates, which was most appreciated. The service from start to finish was impeccable, as noted afterwards when I could barely type due to the 19 coffee refills I managed to consume in a 1.5 hour time period. Zingggggggggggg!
Main: Oatmeal with dried cranberries, nuts and brown sugar. (get the real honey!) There are a plethora of "mixings" to choose from, and all arrive beautifully in a teensy line of bowls. Adorable. Truly.
These guys have very adequately managed to replace the beloved Dodo, and are doing a splendid job of brunching this 'hood up, right quick. The understated sleek design (don't rock those plastic chairs, ma friends, oops) mixed with approachable 'foodie-friendly" items, and a commitment to culinary prowess at a decent price point will have you forgetting the minor flaws, I assure you.
minor flaws:
*cash only.
*no BYOB.
*no AC.
*You've been warned...but, in this ONE case, I'll take Jam anytime, no matter the obstacles. I hear they may be throwing around the idea of a late night menu...so stay tuned!
New breakfast place! New breakfast place! One of the benefits of working from home is that I get to try these places during the week and don't have to join the crowds of people waiting hours to be seated on the weekend.
My just as lucky work-from-home colleagues and I showed up around noon this past Friday and were immediately seated in this half empty restaurant. Your jealous, aren't you? If not, keep reading cause jealously will surely set in once I start describing my delicious meal.
First, a complimentary mini cranberry muffin. Mmmm...this is so much better than bread. Jam is on to something!
For an appetizer (yes, you can even have appetizers at brunch!) I made my 3 colleagues split the malted crusted French toast with me. Believe me,I heard no complaints about this...only murmurings for more. It was a bit rich to be my whole meal, but splitting it really was the perfect taste.
For my main entree I ordered the oatmeal. I've been a bit of an oatmeal fanatic as of recently. I even had the Starbucks oatmeal 3 times just this week, which actually happens to be quite good. But shame on me for comparing Jam's oatmeal to Starbucks because it really doesn't fit into the same category. Dare i say it...Jam served me one of the best bowls of oatmeal ever. I got to pick from a variety of sides and I went with brown sugar, honey, and fruit. I mixed it all up and was in oatmeal heaven...seriously.
Alas it was time to leave my lovely brunch and colleagues behind. The bill came and the all knowing Colleen C reminded me it was cash only. Oops...unfortunately the $8 in my wallet wouldn't cover much of this $50 brunch. Fortunately, Colleen saved the day with a few $20s, but next time I"ll remember to load up the wallet for an uhmazing brunch.
In an attempt to keep this review brief, I was just going to tell you all to take your money to Publican instead. But I feel that I should try to tell you why.
- The menu is very heavy on the heavy. As a bride to be (who ate her weight in deep dish pizza the night before) I'm trying to watch my girlish figure, and I just wasn't feeling the 'pork cheek breakfast sandwich' or whatever they had. I went with yogurt + granola, which was fine, but it would have been nice if they added some fruit, considering it was $7. Oh wait, there were 4 raspberries. Sorry, my bad.
- They are way overstaffed. We counted about 7 people behind the counter, and given that it was 10 am on a Monday, that seemed a bit much. In fact, our waitress wouldn't leave us alone. Every time we started to have a conversation, she popped up to ask us how things were or the busboy showed up to top off our coffee. I know the coffee was $3, but we each had about 14 cups, which is a lot of coffee.
- The waitress, while very nice, couldn't explain the different breakfast pastries to us. All that's listed on the menu is 'breakfast pastries' so obviously you need some explanation. She checked with the chef to see what they had, and came back with three different flavors. But when I asked her what they were, as in what kind of pastry, she just repeated the flavors. So at this point I'm assuming that they're all Danish-type things, just different flavors. We decided to get one of each to share. When they arrive at the table, we see that one is a muffin, one is a pound cake, and one is a scone. Those are very, very different. The waitress couldn't tell the difference? Maybe the chef didn't tell her, and just told her the flavors. I don't know. It was weird.
The total bill came to $75. For 4 people. For breakfast. For that price, you'd be better off at Publican, where the portions are hearty and the food is delicious. See, it all comes full circle.
Jam = not Jammin'
No offence to Jam, but great breakfast in this city, has been done again and again. Look in many of the great neighborhoods and you can find a place that is better then Jam. I don't know whats up with french toast, but so many other restaurants claim "the best in the city", so why wouldn't you want to differentiate from them? Jam, your sounding too much like Toast.........
Another issue I have with Jam is the serious lack of AC. I don't know any restaurant that claims greatness which doesn't have AC in this city. How can you expect people to sit next to a very hot grill and enjoy their food? At one point it was probably around 95 degrees in the room/resteraunt which totally killed my appetite. Not appealing!!!
Another beef I have with Jam is their inflexibility. If you don't like what they have on there menu, and instead want something removed, they say "NO". NO, NO, NO. I find this very annoying!!! Really, who says that?!
On a side note: I don't like to mention other restaurants in my reviews, but I find the similarity in names and type of food very interesting in this case.
Dang. I once heard someone say, "I was a vegetarian, until I tried pork cheek. I realized how very wrong being a vegetarian was in the natural order of things."
Try a pork cheek + egg sandwich with ricotta and pickled plums. Wtih fingerling potatoes. There's just no way you could ever go back. Welcome, carnivore.
We also tried a French Toast sandwich with prosciutto, sauteed greens and sweet mustard jam. This was also delectable although a little on the salty side. The arugula salad it came with was a perfect balance.
The whole menu was filled with interesting, irresistable options. There was nothing on there that sounded like something I've had before. The service was impeccable. There was a half hour wait at around noon on a Saturday, but we went next door to Sweet Cakes for some coffee and they came and got us from next door in about 15 minutes. Yes, it's cash only but our bill was like $22 dollars or something so not at all a big deal.
We got seated in the front of the restaurant which I highly recommend because I think the back of the restaurant was a lot hotter due to the open kitchen. The light coming in the through the windows was beautiful as well. I plan on making this a regular destination.
Viva, pork cheek!
Once a dump, always a dump.
This location used to be a real pig called Dodo. The lipstick they slathered on it to open Jam is already rubbed off on its teeth. Ridiculous wait times, shoddy service, and unpleasant flavors all make for a bad experience.
I had the turkey club and the predominant flavor wasn't creamy avocado or salty bacon, rather, the sizable sandwich was overpowered by a rancid note to the turkey. My companion had the amish chicken--a lackluster dish that required "an extra 25 minutes" to prepare. Do they coax the live chicken to walk itself onto the stove? What justifies the extra time? It certainly wasn't for the incorporation of flavor.
Here's my reco: hit up Jam on a weekday, get seated, thoroughly enjoy the amuse bouche, order the amish chicken so that they comp you a chive and bacon scone, enjoy, skip the entrees and leave.
Despite the evilest of all hangovers I met some friends here for a breakfast this Saturday. The 45 minute wait was in reality a quick half hour. However, for food this tasty I would be happy to wait the full 45 minutes.
Due to a pounding head and lurching tummy, I wasn't sure I would make it through the entire meal, but I did rally and was richly rewarded with yummerific (yes I did just invent that for Jam) tastes of my friends blueberry pancakes with lemon creme fraiche and blueberry compote.
I opted for the lightest and most flavorful egg white omelet layered with delicate beets and cheese. For my side dish I had the pork cheeks braised to perfection, tender and super tasty.
Nom nom nom
I needed lunch. I was famished. I was starving. I was bleary eyed and weak in the knees. I had been wanting to come here for a few weeks since it opened and now life had presented me with an opportunity. Opportunity, don't knock, I know you are there and I am coming for you.
Walking in around 11:30am, I was an eager beaver. I was excited to snag a spot for a quick solo lunch before heading on a multitude of errands. Being spotted by the lovely Amanda H, who was finishing up her lunch, I knew if she had been eating here I had made a wise decision. I savored the menu, breakfast on one side, brunch on the other, flip a coin which would win? Brunch it is. Hmmmm, simple yet tasty... okay that doesn't narrow it down. Nothing seems outrageously complicated, but all of it sounds tasty.... hmm turkey club. Nueske bacon? Someone hold me. I think I might cry out of happiness. Done.
As I wait and drink some water, an amuse bouche of a banana mocha muffin with a peach compote... one bite and done and the light and yet subtle flavors made me smile with a twinge of glee. Then as I look around at all the other dishes I begin to worry.
Wow. His biscuit and gravy looks great, did I make the right choice? Nah... my turkey club will be amazing. It has Nueske bacon in it. Ohhh but look at her chicken with the quinoa underneath, that chicken looks so perfectly cooked yet tender.... I wonder if I could snag a piece before she notices.... no... that wouldn't be right. Oh good, my sandwich is here.
Slapped within some slices of toasty multigrain bread, there is some tasty goodness going on. Guacamole and tomatoes and turkey and some tangy spread that whips this all together with that bacon. I'd like to say that I ate it calmly and quietly. I'd like to say I still savored that sandwich after the third bite. But I don't like to lie. Lying kills baby elves, and who likes to do that?
I would like to say the service is top notch, but to be honest, these people are moving at a fast and furious pace that would keep most marathon runners ready to call it quits after ten minutes so they may not be spending ten minutes of your time to answer questions, they were still friendly and quick. The managers were down to earth and happy to be there and happy to dish out the food in this modern sleek styled place.
The place is lovely, the food keeps calling me, I'm glad I will be answering that call sooner rather than later.
Pump up the Jam
Pump it up
While your feet are stompin'
And the Jam is pumpin'
Look at here the crowd is jumpin'
Sorry but somehow this tune kept popping in my head while I waited about 90 minutes to finally get fed at Jam. It was about a 45 minute wait to get in and then another 45 minutes for the food to arrive after ordering. This was only on the third day of opening and I certainly can be forgiving.
The wait aside, the food choices was mind bogglingly good. I usually crave the sweet side of breakfast and the malted custard french toast seemed my likely choice but then I was overwhelmed by many new and different savory choices. I needed to decide between the egg sandwich or the buckwheat crepes with lamb ... I chose the sandwich and I must say I was happy to scarf it down after a long wait. I enjoyed the pork cheeks even though it was just slightly overcooked and even better, I liked the pickled plum in the sandwich. Note one thing, the pork makes this sandwich a bit messy so I did see some eat it open face.
My friend got the eggs benedict and it was plated very nicely. The taste was there but I have no idea why my sandwich came hot and her dish felt like it was waiting on the counter. Perhaps is just one of the kinks they need to figure out.
I will happily come back and give this place another go at some point. Their menu is certainly interesting and worth a couple of looks for sure and I have to think they will be much more seasoned to handle the masses.
met some friends here b/c it was in his 'neck of the woods' & so glad I did! we shared the french toast & it was really good! I had the biscuits & (mushroom) gravy & gave the sausage to my friends since I don't eat pork & it was a really tasty gravy!!! I wish I could just have this as a cream of mushroom soup it was so yummy! My friends marveled at the beauty of their poached eggs! they seriously oohed & ahhed over it, but I do have to say, they were glistening! :P
The decor is cool too , especially for a brunch spot! our food did seem to take awhile to come out, but since we weren't in a hurry, we didn't mind, but hopefully this doesn't happen often.
First off, food was good, not great. Went with my sisters for brunch on the hottest day of the summer. Only waited 30 mins, which was fine. Inside it was extremely noisy (terrible acoustics) and the music was too loud. Most importantly, no A/C and the kitchen is basically in the middle of the tiny restaurant.
We sat down, ordered right away and the server ws nice enough to offer suggestions and answer questions. It took well over an hour to get our food. I looked over and barely any other table had their food. Something was amiss in the kitchen as I turned around and it looked frantic.
After a while the server offered us a piece of decent but dry coffee cake. It was needed and it was hot as hell and the three of us had not eaten yet.
The time to food delivery must be improved.
the food was good but not great. As did another reviewer, the server said flatly they could not subsitute or remove an ingrediant. Are you serious, what kind of BS is that? I understand trying to be different but this is ludicrous. We got the french toast whic was actually very good, the lamb braised crepes with pear and macadamian nuts...those were filled with plenty of meat that made up for the small portion. the crepes were good, but slightly bland. The third dish was the bisucuits and gravy. Definitely not the kind you are used to be good nonetheless. It was failry tasty but it seemed that more time was spent on the presentation of the food then actual flavor. The plating was fancy but the biscuits and gravy were lacking a real kick to them. We did get the fingerling potatoes as a side dish and they were probably the best part.
We did not try anything from the lunch menu. It was pretty underwhelming. I might go back once this place has some time to get their stuff togehter.
I never got to sample the food here, so I can't speak to that. What I do know is that the big guy who takes names at the counter is extremely unorganized. We came in after these two other guys, just steps behind them. Waited for them to give their names, then we gave ours. 30 minutes later, the counter guy sat those guys and then said we would be next. Then he sat two other tables. I asked the the heezy...he said we were way down on the list and it would be ANOTHER 45 minutes. I said we came in after those guys. He didn't remember. I couldn't read his writing on the list so I couldn't argue. They clearly weren't interested in our business since he said, oh well. Nice service.
Decided to make a trip over to this spot this morning since I took a day off of work and knowing on the weekend I probably would have to wait awhile for food.
As my pal and I walked in there were many seats available (weekday mornings are obviously the best times to go), but the place is small. They have those really cool see through, clear seats that I like a lot. We were greeted as soon as we walked inside by a cool guy and a very nice waitress.
The menu is pretty slick and I saw lots of things I wanted to try.They gave us a complimentary mini orange muffin to start, which was pretty good. I decided on the Egg Sandwich, which was very delicious, but it had more meat than expected (still very good). Pickled plum inside of the sandwich gave it a nice flavor. The sandwich came with some very nice potatoes that were out of this world. The sandwich was very filling, so if you choose it for your meal make sure you are hungry and can handle it.
Our server was spectacular!!! She helped my buddy figure out which dish he should choose and was very attentive. Make sure you bring cash as well because they don't take plastic yet. Very small spot and easy to miss. It is right next door to that Sweet Cakes joint on Damen. Just look for the sign that says Jam!
Damn, Second. The LOL guy is quite fleet-footed when it comes to brunch. May be the only race he beats me in. I'll review the food once I finish my beer @ whole foods.
Ok, that was good. They give you a mini cranberry muffin with creamy sage sauce on top to start. Pretty good, and i took a fork to the remnants of the sauce leftover on my plate. Yes, shameful.
With the "Three"dom of choice, i picked pancakes, bacon, sausage. There are so many choices (eggs, potatoes, etc.) I easily could've gone with a "five"dom. Bacon was very crispy and delicious and the pancakes were good. Apparently the syrup is $78 a gallon (wow, the cost of a city sticker), so they bring out a syrup dispenser that is 10% full. They were gracious to bring out a little more for free, but it'll cost $1 for extra syrrrrup in the future.
I tasted the buckwheat crepes with lamb and it was awesome. I'll throw up a pic of that dish soon. The eggs benedict with pork belly looks like it'll be the big winner at this place. My companions seemed to enjoy the panini. I will be back to try the other foods, as well as their lunch menu.
It did get a little hot by the end...we sat in the front and it was a little cooler. If we sat near the kitchen (in the middle or in the back), we may have had the first shirtless LOL brunch.
I wanted to love this place so much that I was willing to overlook the lack of air conditioning or them running out of ice (seriously though how the hell do you run out of ice?!?) because the menu sounded so inventive. The menu was chock full of crazy combination and fascinating ingredients that I found myself torn between a number of dishes.
The food itself was so terrible that I had to force myself to eat it (we're in a recession here and the food there is pricey). The eggs on both our dishes were way overcooked. The whole point of poached eggs and sunny side up eggs is the runny yoke. If you can't cook an egg and hold yourself out as a breakfast place you should be shot. Secondly, stop calling it pork belly when you are just giving me an overcooked piece of rib meat. It's not pork belly just because you call it that.
Overall, go here if you are a masochist/ bulimic who wants a guaranteed way to toss your cookies after a meal
First of all, they do not have a liquor license so no Bloody Marys and Mimosas for you! For some this may not matter, but for me it's kind of a big deal.
Second of all, the service is...bad. Our waiter seemed confused by not only his job, but maybe life itself. He was extremely disengaged and clearly had no serving experience.
Our orange juice was fresh squeezed, as in I could see someone squeezing it in the back, so that was a plus. However, since it was room temperature, that kind of ruined it for me. I really don't like hot juice, but maybe that's just me.
We ordered about the simplest thing on the menu (basically just eggs, toast and a plain pancake) because the savory dishes are pretty meat centric, and we do not eat meat. (I don't fault them for that) But, it took about 30 minutes to get our food, meanwhile the person next to us had been seated 10 minutes after us, and was already finished eating by the time we were served. Even in the face of this glaring evidence that something had gone wrong, our waiter made no apologies.
Keep in mind that all the while, we are sitting in a boiling room. I understand that it was a nice day so they had the windows open, but that doesn't eliminate the necessity for some A/C. That combined with the three drops of "real maple syrup" that we got with our pancakes leads me to believe that the owners of this establishment are...how should I put this....CHEAP.
But, that doesn't mean your bill will be cheap. $30 before tip with no alcohol. Oh, and don't even think of using plastic because of course, to add to the annoyance of it all, they only accept cash.
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