Restaurant Review: Southport Corridor’s Crosby’s Kitchen serves up creative dishes, family -friendly fun
It was the Monkey Bread that caught my attention at Southport Corridor’s Crosby’s Kitchen.
That gooey cinnamon treat was a highlight of my childhood, whether it was making it with my grandmother or fighting my brother and sister to pull off the sections!
At Crosby’s Kitchen, one of the few restaurants in Chicago that serves Monkey Bread, their recipe includes “Nana’s secret sweet dough recipe, cinnamon sugar, and cream cheese frosting.” The result: Ooey-gooey goodness!
But there’s lots of goodness in its Midwestern-influenced menu, centering, as they say on their website, around rotisserie and comfort food, featuring favorites such as Lobster Deviled Eggs, Crab Toast, Iron Skillet Cornbread and of course, Monkey Bread. They are open for lunch and dinner daily and offer brunch on Saturday and Sunday.
Kid-friendly!
Crosby’s Kitchen is also known as one of the area’s most kid-friendly spots, even offering a popular “kids eat free” daily special from 4pm to 6pm. For ages 12 and under, Kids Dinners include their choice of a Chicken Leg, Chicken Fingers, Peanut Butter & Jelly or Grilled Cheese Sandwich or Buttered Noodles, andserved with a drink and vanilla ice cream.
Kids Brunch options include Pancakes, French Toast or Cheesy Eggs served with a choice of bacon or sausage; Fruit and Yogurt, or a Peanut Butter & Jelly or Grilled Cheese Sandwich. All are served with a choice of milk or juice.
For Adults Only (Young Adults Too!)
Start with such tangy, spicy favorites as Jalapeno Beer Cheese, served with warm tortilla chips, or Iron Skillet Cornbread, served hot with maple butter. Or, Lobster Deviled Eggs, a specialty of the house, has three halves, loaded with lobster and sriracha mayo.
Entrees include a must-try Lumache con Pesto, combining shell pasta with pistachio pesto, marinated tomatoes, and stracciatella cheese. Rigatoni isn’t just any rigatoni…it’s Jumbo rigatoni with pomodoro, garlic cream, fennel sausage, and burrata. Pike Place BBQ Salmon has garlic and ginger soy glaze, smashed cucumbers, peanuts, and cilantro. (Note: smashed cucumbers is also available as a side). Bang Bang Steak Salad has a Hawaiian-marinated strip steak, arugula, mango, avocado, chow mein, peanuts, served with firecracker dressing. Rotisserie Chicken is a popular dish, and I can see why, serving a wood-roasted half chicken, coated with their signature spice blend, accompanied by mashed potatoes and chicken au jus.
Other options include their Nice Little House Salad, with mixed greens, tomatoes, bacon, cucumbers, and a deviled egg, served with a slice of cornbread and a citrus vinaigrette dressing. The Wrightwood is a sweet-savory tangy combination of rotisserie chicken, tomatoes, craisins, avocado, corn, almonds, cornbread croutons, roasted red peppers, scallions, goat cheese, topped with a citrus vinaigrette.
And where it’s appropriate, we say “leave room for dessert!” A light touch is their Peppermint Ice Cream with hot fudge. A perfect end to a Crosby’s Kitchen meal. The Skillet Cookie is “Better than mom’s!” Is it because it’s served with vanilla ice cream and caramel? Key Lime Pie has a crumbly, unusual graham cracker-pecan crust and is served with whipped cream.
Weekend Brunch
Brunch, served over the weekends, features Blueberry Cornbread, served hot with maple butter. Cornelia Omelette has mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, and mozzarella, served with hashbrowns or fruit, and choice of toast, while their Lakeview Omelette has pork shoulder bacon, cheddar, green bell peppers, onions, hashbrowns or fruit, with your choice of toast.Lots more options available!
Crosby’s Kitchen is located at 3455 N. Southport Avenue, They are open Monday – Wednesday: 11am – 9pm; Thursday – Friday: 11am – 10pm; Saturday: 8:30am – 10pm with Brunch is available 8:30am – 3pm, and Sunday: 8:30am – 9pm; Brunch is available 8:30am – 3pm. For reservations, click here.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
