Restaurant Review – Uncommon Ground

This week took me to a charming new spot: Uncommon Ground. Uncommon Ground is a huge, multi-facetted space, located at 3800 N Clark St. in Lakeview. Not only are they a restaurant; this location also houses Greenstar Brewing, the first certified organic brewery in the state of Illinois. Their Edgewater location, 1401 W. Devon Ave., features an organic rooftop farm. 100% of the produce is utilized in both restaurants. The farm also hosts annual urban agriculture internship opportunities each summer, as well as educational and private tours by appointment. Additionally, both locations feature live music and events every night! After reading all of this on their website, I was even more excited to go! We popped into the Lakeview location on a Friday afternoon around 2 pm. There were just a few tables occupied, so we were seated right away. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that brunch is served until 3 pm! The brunch/lunch menu is sizable, but not overwhelmingly so. I love fall brunch foods, so I decided to order the Autumn Vegan Vegetable Hash: carrots, onion, mushrooms, delicata squash, kale, sweet and russet potatoes, vegan chorizo, piperade, and an egg. Piperade is a typically Basque dish from Spain prepared with sautéed onions, tomatoes, green peppers, and red Espelette pepper. This was absolutely fantastic! The vegetables were perfectly sautéed and each bite was more succulent than the last. I’ve never had vegan chorizo before, but it was pretty darn good! I loved the rich and spicy flavor of the piperade as well. My mom decided to order the Uncommon Huevos: black bean cakes, eggs over easy, ancho chili sauce, chihuahua cheese, cilantro, lime, and tortilla chips. She also ordered a half Greens + Grain Salad to share: roasted apples, winter squash, arugula, kale, quinoa, toasted pepitas, and fried rosemary tahini dressing. The Uncommon Huevos were marvelous! The black bean cakes were crispy and flavorful. And smothered in cheese, eggs, and chili sauce— how could it get better?! I loved the salad as well. All the ingredients were super fresh and it was a great compliment to the warm brunch dishes.

The Lakeview location is open for brunch, lunch, and dinner every day. Brunch is Monday through Friday from 11 am to 3 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm. Lunch is Monday through Friday from 11 am to 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm. Dinner is Sunday through Thursday from 5 pm to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday from 5 pm to 11 pm. For more information, check out their website.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO