Chicago brunch can and does match up with Manhattan. And no, I’m not delusional, here’s why:

1. Goat Cheese Baked in Tomato Sauce with Garlic bread @ Cafe Ba-ba-reeba 

Café ba-ba-reeba is the right place for a group brunch, a date brunch, a brunch. food in general. And the name is just hysterical to say out loud. If you say the name out loud very fast 10 times, you’ll be smiling, and then when you get the food, you’re grinning.

2. Local burrata & marinated tomatoes – housemade bread, fennel, red onion @ Summer House Santa Monica

Summer house is a brunch place where people from Manhattan will feel at home. You get to play dress-up for brunch, glass roof for bright sunlight, and satisfying plates of food.

The marinated tomatoes added a distinct tangy flavor to the lightly salty burrata.

3. Cinnamon Rolls @ Ann Sather

The cinnamon rolls here are meant to be legendary, loved by the locals, and an attraction for tourists who have local friends that know the right restaurants in Chicago. These are heavy. These are sweet. These make you question your desire for dieting. These make you want to go on a diet 30 minutes after.

Add some hash browns to the cinnamon buns, and that’s what diet regrets are made of: