The Friday Fix: An Exquisite Brunch in a Beautiful Setting

Aside from a few extra hours of sleep, what could be better on a Saturday morning than a homespun breakfast complete with all of your favorite fixings?  For me, practically nothing.  As a child the Saturday morning scent of my Mama's southern-home cooking, where everything - EVERYTHING - was crafted from scratch, seemed like an undeserved blessing.

These days though, most people (i.e. Americans) just go to a restaurant.  Yet the "spoiling" that I've received from a family of superb cooks (a skill that I've only partially inherited) makes it hard for me to really enjoy dining out.  My visit to the 676 Restaurant & Bar, located in Chicago's Omni Hotel was a gentle reminder that sometimes you just have to look in the right place to find what your soul craves.

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Don't get me wrong, I do on occasion enjoy a decent breakfast from the usual run of the mill places, or even at home.  But there are times when my taste buds crave something different.  And while my Mom can still "burn" with the best (a term that describes an exceptionally good cook), she has slowed down a bit.

Recently my husband and I enjoyed a stay at luxury hotel The Gwen.  So it only made sense to follow that up with an equally exquisite brunch, right?  Right.  There are a couple of problems with that though: 1) brunch in Downtown Chicago can be pricey since most restaurants are a la cart, and 2) the breakfast/brunch buffets that I've tried typically aren't that great.   But after reading the rave reviews online, we decided to try the buffet brunch at the elegantly appointed 676 Restaurant & Bar. 

Our cozy corner at 676 Restaurant and Bar

Let me tell YOU...this brunch was awesome!  Posh, beautiful, and fit for royalty is the best way to describe my brunch at the 676 Restaurant & Bar located in Chicago's Omni Hotel. The website description for this bistro reads: "comfort food with attitude."

Of course there were the usual staples of fruit and cereal.  But there were also other choices not usually found at a breakfast or brunch buffet.

The selection of different breads, salsas, cheeses and spreads was just mind-blowing. There was also a sous chef on hand to craft the perfect omelette for you.

There was thick cut hickory smoked natural bacon, blueberry maple sausage, green onion cilantro sausage, smothered potatoes and french toast.  And if this isn't enough for you, other items like buttermilk pancakes and Belgium waffles could be made to order.

I simply could NOT wrap my mind around how good the food was.  Although it may sound basic to some, the flavor profile of the food was just too insanely good for word.  Naturally I had to find out the reason behind all of this.   To my delight I learned that the restaurant has a scratch kitchen.  Yes, all of the ingredients are organically sourced fresh from  farms in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.  Other items are grown right on hotel's the fifth floor rooftop.  The cost for all of this yummy deliciousness?  Just $25 per person. Ah-mazing!

So whether you're a great cook in the kitchen or not, why not seek out some affordable farm-to-table restaurants in your area this weekend?  Then treat yourself or a loved one to some knee slappin', earth shaking darn good food!   And that's today's Friday Fix.

Tell me,

• Are there any memorable breakfast/brunch restaurants where you live?

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