Reader’s Choice
Golden Nugget on Lawrence
Standing in line for 45 minutes to eat overconceptualized, overpriced French toast with hungover hipsters is not my idea of a blissful weekend morning. Dinerphobes don’t know what they’re missing in the Golden Nugget on Lawrence, which serves reliably good, rib-sticking breakfasts around the clock. Plus the service is some of the city’s best—seriously. I favor the “all-fruit waffle,” which comes divided into apple, blueberry, strawberry, and banana quadrants, but there are endless combinations of bacon, toast, biscuits, eggs, sausage, pancakes, and even fried chicken to be had. Plus the coffee never stops coming, the waitresses call you “hon,” and the 24-hour dinner menu means you can follow your hash browns with a milkshake chaser if you like. Now that’s bliss.  1765 W. Lawrence, 773-769-6700. —Anne Ford
Readers’ Choice
Lula Cafe
2537 N. Kedzie, 773-489-9554, lulacafe.com.
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Jared K at 9:58 PM on 6/29/2008
You're joking, right? Right? Please tell me this is a gag.
Has the Reader reviewer even eaten here in the last year, since the menu changed? My wife and I visited a few weeks ago and every single thing we ordered was awful. Watery coffee. Rubbery eggs. "Cheese product" in my omelette. Spongy pancakes with "blueberry" topping that was PURE FRICKEN' KARO SYRUP. Swear to god, the toast was the only edible item at our table. On top of it, the price wasn't very different from M. Henry or Tre Kronor.
I'm always happy to find an honest to goodness diner that makes the classics hot, fresh and at an honest price. (I'd be happy to refer some to Anne Ford.) The GN on Clark has rarely failed me in this regard, though I haven't been there since '06. Maybe it's a mockery of its former self too.
To one degree or another, at one time or another I've been disappointed by many of Chicago's brunch stalwarts. Especially commom is the failure to master the essential practice of delivering hot food to the customer's table. That said, almost all of them are aiming to prepare more complicated dishes which require greater skill and are therefore easier to botch. More importantly, the best of them succeed marvelously at producing new flavors and textures. What excuse is there for messing up scrambled eggs, pancakes and coffee? God I am sick of contrarian hipsters.
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Ron636843 at 10:26 AM on 11/30/2008
This reviewer is a greater dooooochebagger than the hipsters he refers to. Why? Because he's recommending that you put sh** food in you in a sh** environment. The other persons comments are spot on. Fake food products, dishwater coffee, etc. I would add that are so many excellent brunches in this city.... Too many to list. Natural ingredients, pleasant surroundings, and hey some interesting French toast sometimes ttoo....
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Sharlie Sanchez at 7:38 PM on 5/21/2009
Wow, Golden Nugget huh? That is the best that you can come up with for brunch? Maybe if your taste buds lean towards hangover food, then maybe I can see this as being a choice, but this is fakery food at its best. It is everything that is wrong with food, or let me rephrase, it is all the wrongs that people do to food. If you want a heart attack and diabetes this is the place for you.
Victory's Banner is my favorite choice for brunch. It is pleasant, the staff is friendly and the food is always made with respect and care for the ingredients.
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