Restaurant Review – Grassroots

This week, I found a true gem! The best part? It’s across the street from my house! I visited Grassroots for the first time this week, located at 3747 N Southport Ave. I came in for an early Sunday brunch, at 10:30 am. We had a large party (6 people), so I had made a reservation, just in case. There was no need; we were one of two tables in the restaurant for the first hour we were there! It was lovely to have such a quiet, serene spot. The brunch menu is sizable! There were tons of options to choose from. After lots of debate, I finally decided on the Toast Combo, two breakfast toasts of your choosing. My first was the Salmon and Cream Cheese Toast: pumpernickel bread, house-made salmon spread with both fresh and smoked salmon, cream cheese, creme fraiche, dill, capers, and shallots; topped with chopped tomatoes and egg. This was fantastic! I love salmon and the flavor combinations were absolutely delicious. The pumpernickel bread was a perfect complement to the rich, creamy flavor of the salmon spread. I also loved the fresh chopped tomato on top; it added such a bright, zingy finish! My second toast was Butternut Squash & Apple Toast: sourdough, house-made ricotta, roasted butternut squash and apple, caramelized onions, maple drizzle, and toasted pepitas. This was my favorite of the two. The flavors were so unique! From reading the description, I expected the toast to be served warm, but it was more like room-temperature, which I thought was really interesting. The combination of the ricotta and roasted veggies just melted in my mouth! My mom ordered the Eggs in Purgatory: two eggs coddled in spicy tomato sauce with mozzarella and fresh herbs, served with sour dough. This was marvelous! The tomato sauce was rich and delicious. It was absolutely loaded with mozzarella, which really complemented the flavor of the sauce. The sour dough on the side was great for dipping! My dad ordered the Polenta Eggs Benedict: two poached eggs over crispy polenta cakes with hollandaise sauce, served with herbed potatoes. I had serious breakfast envy after a bite of this! I love polenta and using it as a cake for a benedict?! Genius! The herbed potatoes were delightful too; wonderfully crispy and seasoned.

Grassroots is open Mondays through Thursdays from 5 to 10 pm, Fridays from 5 to 11 pm, Saturdays from 10 am to 2:30 pm and 5 to 11 pm, and Sundays from 10 am to 2:30 pm and 5 to 9 pm. They take reservations, deliver with Grubhub and UberEats, host private parties, and offer catering services. Check out more information on their website.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO