Analogue - Brunch

There are a lot of places to brunch in Logan Square.  There are several that are very well known and popular, like Lula Cafe, Jam, and Longman & Eagle, but there are also those like Analogue, where we went recently, that are both under the radar and, actually, a little hard to find if you don't know what to look for.  There is a sign out front, but it is abstract and doesn't obviously say anything.  If you look at it though, you can work out Analogue (Photo courtesy of my friend, Rich Frachey).  We waited out front, because several people had not been here and the sign is not obvious.  In the main dining room, there is a long bar and some tables.  Because we were a large party, we were seated in the private dining room in the back of the restaurant.    The room had hardwood floors, plank walls, wood tables, and a wood banquette.  At the front of the room was what looked like a DJ booth, although the DJ was operating in the front room on one side of the bar with two turntables playing a lot of old soul music.  There was also a painting/wall hanging in our dining area that played on the same theme as the Analogue sign.

As is typical the waitress took our drink order before our food order.  They actually have a pretty extensive brunch cocktail selection.  Because we were a large party, there were a large number of drinks to be made and somehow my drink got lost in the shuffle.  When I pointed this out, they were quick to recover and brought my drink free of charge.  I had an Over and Over which consisted of  Cocchi Americano, Lime, Campari, Grapefruit Juice, and a salted rim.  As might be expected of a drink consisting of a couple of Amaro and grapefruit juice, it was pretty bitter.  The salted rim served the same purpose as salting a grapefruit, it moderates the bitter and brings out the sweetness.  It was a very good cocktail and appropriate for brunch.

While we were drinking, our food orders were taken.  In addition to the main courses, there were several items ordered for the table for sharing, Beignets covered in Powdered Sugar, and Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits with Jam and Butter.  Unfortunately, no one thought to take pictures of these dishes.  As for my main dish, I ordered what seemed to be the most incongruous item on the menu, something called Yaka Mein.  While it sounded like an Asian dish and was served with Chopsticks, it is actually a Cajun street food and hangover cure.  Despite being a Cajun dish though, I have to imagine that it has an Asian origin as Ramen.  It had a rich Beef Broth, with Braised Beef, Spaghetti, Peppers, both Bell and Hot, and a Hard Boiled Egg.  It was rich, flavorful, and spicy and I really liked it. 

Brunch was a success.  Everyone enjoyed their food and the service was prompt and attentive for our large party.  I knew that they have a good dinner service with good cocktails, brunch is just as good.