2sparrows cafe

st patties' day weekend.  the one time every year when chicago river turns green and i really wanted to see it for myself. yes, yes.. almost eight years here and this was my first time! there was also a sea of people, all dressed in some kind of green out to "observe" the celebration and not to mention, the copious amount of alcohol consumption, true to the spirit of the irish. now, if you were here in united states in time for st patrick's day - if you're not wearing green, they might just pinch you. the celebration here is loud and pretty interesting but the situation could get pretty ugly if you add people who are wasted into the equation.

regardless, it was cool under the shade but warm under the sun, the weather was perfect for a brunch date with my food buddies, xy and tw :) actually, i've not heard of 2sparrows cafe until xy told me of its existence. the first thing that popped into mind was.. what a cute but odd name for a cafe.. but that was all i knew about the place. so i had to do a bit of digging up about 2sparrows before deciding to try it out. i was half expecting it to be uber busy since i assumed everyone was out partying and feasting in conjunction with st patrick's day but we managed to get a table almost immediately. 

the restaurant was tastefully decorate. in fact, it was reminiscent of the style avec adopted - half of the restaurant was clad in wooden slabs from the walls to the ceilings and the other half was covered with art pieces. i liked the coziness of it and i especially love the cashier station where the light fixture mimics a bird's nest - 2sparrows.

the menu had quite an interesting range of selections - a lot of the southern comfort choices with a couple of other usual brunch suspects. there were also a few surprise guests on the menu like the maple bacon donut and unique pop tarts (which i don't see very often served at restaurants)

doughnuts :: maple & bacon ($4.50)

this wasn't my first savory donut (refer to sf's dynamo donuts for its maple glazed bacon apple donut). when i first saw it on the menu, i asked xy and tw if they wanted to split this donut with me. i actually almost regretted that i asked - because it was so damned good that i wish i had one all to myself!

i love bacon and yeast donut is the only way to go for me! (no cake donuts, please) the salty chunks of bacon sharply contrasted by the sweetness of the bacon. but what makes it was the texture of the donut itself - it was crispy on the outside with a pillow-y soft inside. great balance of sweet and salty and terrific donut. LOVE! i was considering ordering another, a whole one, all for yours truly but managed to refrain myself.. i might go as far to say that it might be the best donut i've had thus far!

one thing that irked me was that the donut is small for the price.. well also i wish it was bigger because it was very delicious but it was literally smaller than the usual donut. so much so that i have think twice if it is worth paying $4.50 no matter how amazing it is :/

breakfast :: shrimp & grits etouffee | grilled shrimp, creamy grits, etouffee sauce, braised green ($12)

i'm a shrimp&grits virgin and thought this would be a great opportunity to try my first. grits were creamy but i'd say a tad too salty for my liking - probably from the etouffee sauce. shrimp was cooked tender and seasoned beautifully. i loved the contrast of slight burst of tartness from the braised greens to cut on the richness of the grits (which after a few bites became a bit heavy for me) so i wished there were more of it. i'd say it was a pretty yummy and good first shrimp&grits experience for me.

lunch :: noodle bowl | noodles, pork belly, bok choy, poached egg ($11)

i've noticed a pattern that whenever i go try a new restaurant with xy we seem to gravitate towards pork belly. this was xy's choice of the day. i tried a spoonful of the soup and some noodles - thought the soup had good flavors but a tad heavy on the salt. not the best bowl of noodles but it was alright. xy loved the pork belly the most on this dish and thought it was a good bowl of noodles.

lunch :: chicken sandwich | potato roll, grilled chicken breast, rosemary squash butter, crispy onions, fresh greens ($10)

tw comment was - everything is alright on this plate but the chicken. (/facepalm) the chicken was dry and burnt on one side which is disappointing considering it is supposed to be the main ingredient. did i mention under seasoned too? tw had to dredge the sandwich with ketchup to make it better and that barely helped. yeah, he was really disappointed with his lunch. :( he was happier with the tots than he was with the sandwich >.<

2sparrows cafe shows some promise of great flavors but the price is a tad steep for the portions they serve. 2sparrows cafe gets a "i kinda like it but don't love it except for its maple bacon donut" - pretty much mixed reviews all around with the food.

i hate to admit this.. although i think the maple bacon donut is more than how much i'd pay for a donut, i'd probably find myself getting me another one of those if i happen to be in the neighborhood. i blame this on my addiction to bacon >.<

disclaimer this is written based on my personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.