Restaurant Review – Gather

This week took me to Gather, a charming farm to table restaurant in Lincoln Square. The website says “When you walk into Gather, you walk into our home. With our friendly and knowledgeable staff, open kitchen design, and approachable wine list, we’ve created an atmosphere perfect for celebrating every day.” If that didn’t get me excited, I don’t know what would! We came in for brunch on a Sunday morning. The restaurant is very intimate, with a limited number of tables, so we made a reservation ahead of time. The menu is small, but very diverse. I had such a hard time choosing what I wanted! I finally settled on the Skillet: creamy polenta topped with a fried egg, roasted pork shoulder, guajillo chili broth, blistered tomato salsa, jalapeño crema, pepper jack cheese, and crispy corn tortilla strips. This was absolutely fantastic. I love polenta and this was marvelous. It was creamy, hot, cheesy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. The pork shoulder was cooked perfectly- it just fell apart! I loved the guajillo chili broth as well-the dish had great heat without being too spicy. My boyfriend ordered the Chicken + Waffle: Belgian waffle topped with southern fried leg, maple syrup, daikon radish, cucumber, bean sprouts, cilantro, and sweet chili aioli. This was by far the most unusual chicken and waffles dish I’ve ever tasted. The spicy aioli and the sweet maple syrup made for a really interesting flavor combination. I didn’t love the veggies, they felt a little bit like an afterthought and didn’t really add to the rest of the dish. Finally, my friend ordered the Benedict: English muffin topped with poached eggs, Irish bacon, hollandaise, truffle essence, and bacon bits; served with home fries. I loved this too! I am a sucker for a Benedict and this was very well done. I also really enjoyed the home fries!

Gather is open daily at 5 pm. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm. Reservations are available. Find more information on their website.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO