The Peasantry

Location: 2723 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614

A Quick Word:

I would consider this a place that focuses on everyday food but gives it a huge culinary twist.  The menu reminds me of a gourmet country style restaurant.  I came for brunch because it seemed more upscale than some of the other places in the city and had unique choices like a pork belly sandwich and duck biscuits and gravy.  The atmosphere of this restaurant is very welcoming with huge open air windows on beautiful days and plenty of light throughout the place.  They have a huge bar with reasonably priced beers and cocktails.  It is located in the middle of busy Clark Street so there are tons of people walking around.  The food wasn't perfect and the overall service was just OK.  It is a newer restaurant so maybe time will help it out.  For those reasons, I gave it an average rating with room for improvement!

What We Ate:

Short Rib Pastrami Hash

One of my friends was craving a short rib hash and I immediately remembered this restaurant.  They offer a short rib pastrami hash which is a little different, but it definitely hit the spot.  The short rib pastrami was tender and was well-spiced.  Every bite reminded me of slow cooked delicatessen pastrami.  It had a nice crust and was cooked with roasted fingerling potatoes, onions, bell peppers, and my favorite... a whole grain mustard!  It was topped with two eggs over easy.  Pop the yolks on top of all the hash and it makes for an extremely rich breakfast.  I will say though... after the 8th bite or so, the spices get a little overwhelming and it just isn't as good as it was on the first bite.

Pork Belly Breakfast Sandwich

Whenever I see pork belly on a menu I always want to try it.  This time we didn't give in and we went ahead and ordered the breakfast sandwich.  Unfortunately, I was immediately disappointed when the sandwich arrived on a ciabatta like bread as opposed to the advertised brioche bun.  A brioche bun would have been much fluffier and easier to eat... the ciabatta was almost too crispy and tough to enjoy.  Now, for the pork belly, it was thick cut and seasoned with lots of rosemary.  The thick cut made it not feel like a bacon sandwich, which was great.  It was also topped with a sunny-side up egg, a kimchee aoili, and lastly a brussels sprout slaw.  Overall, the kimchee aoili was nearly non-existent and the slaw was a little bitter for my taste.  There were too many flaws for me to give it a great review, but it is definitely a different breakfast sandwich to try.

The DOs/DON'Ts:

DO:

- Definitely come for Brunch... They have a new menu and they are usually not packed so it is a great place to come by with a large group or just a significant other.

DON'T:

- Parking is tough around this area, especially on the weekends. 

How far would I walk for this food?