Brunch With Bridey: Longman & Eagle

Longman & Eagle doesn't take reservations, but we waited only 10 minutes for a table of four for Saturday brunch. Lucky us! It's not often that a Michelin-starred restaurant is open during the day, so we felt lucky about that, too.

Another stroke of luck was being able to share this meal with my friend brideymcbriderson and her husband. They were in Chicago for their anniversary and were so kind to include us in their weekend plans!

Potted duck rillettes, apricot mostarda, tartines, grain mustard ($8).

A nice salty start for all of us. The combination of a bit of everything on this plate in one bite? Big yum.

Slagel Family Farms burger, aged Widmer's cheddar, Nueske's bacon, brioche bun ($12).

groomy ordered this. Seeing as how this was the first time I met him, I didn't ask him for a bite. Taking a photo of his meal before he dug in was weird enough. groomy said the burger was a tad rare for his liking.

Swan Creek pork belly BLT, arugula, tomato, fennel jam, pickled red onion, secret sauce, egg ($11).

bridey enjoyed this greatly. The bite I had was superb. Juicy, rich, with a touch of tartness and sweetness and a tasty crunch. And, really, doesn't an egg on top make everything better?

Wild boar sloppy joe, crispy sage and onion, pickled jalapeño ($10).

Mr. Monkey won the best dish of the day in my opinion. So glad that we traded halfway! Smoky and sweet with a kick. Lunch lady slop? No way. This is a Michelin-starred sandwich.

Peekytoe crab benedict with one-hour eggs, Old Bay-infused Hollandaise, dehydrated bacon, mixed greens ($13).

My beautiful dish was our one true brunch offering, and it was glorious. Pretty good second fiddle to my husband's gourmet sloppy joe.

Longman & Eagle uses only the finest ingredients, and it showed during our simple brunch. I can only imagine how fantastic dinner is.