Nosh and Booze - Brunch

Every month, I plan for a brunch outing.  I pick a place, invite friends, and make a reservation, if necessary.  I have a soft list in my head of places in which I might be interested that I generally choose from, but this month, a friend told me that she had a reservation for a place for brunch that I could use I wanted to.  Nosh and Booze was on my radar and it looked interesting, so I decided to take her up on that offer.  Located in the West Loop in the former Vivo space, it is a long term pop-up for the group that runs AMK in Bucktown.  The group bought the space and have plans for it that they have not yet talked a lot about.  These plans will take some time, so they decided to open something up quickly while they were planning the permanent space.  Presently the space is pretty raw, with graffiti (art) covered brick walls and unfinished ceilings.  The floor is cement and the furniture is made from steel piping and finished wood planks.  The menu is cheffy bar/comfort food with a good selection of beer, wine, and classic and original cocktails.  I started things off with an IPA Jackass, a beer cocktail based on a Moscow Mule.  Served in a metal mug (it was not obviously copper), it contained Hophead Vodka, Ginger, Lime, Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA, and a Mint Garnish.  It was both sweet and tart with a nice herbal flavor, floral hops, and a mint finish.  It was very refreshing and I really enjoyed it.

For my brunch, I had Chilaquiles.  Now, I will admit to being a little pedantic about Chilaquiles, because many people get it wrong.  At it's base, chilaquiles is simply fried tortilla chips cooked in red or green salsa.  Different things can be added, including, in this case, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Chorizo, White Cheddar, Pico de Gallo, and Two Eggs, Over Easy.  Tex-Mex Migas, while similar, are frequently confused with Chilaquiles.  Migas, while it also has tortilla strips in salsa with onions, and frequently, pico de gallo, it is also frequently served with refried beans and corn tortillas.  While this did have pico de gallo, which is unusual for chilaquiles, it did not have refried beans, and was not served with extra tortillas, so I would say that this was truly chilaquiles.  In any case it was meaty and spicy, with perfectly cooked eggs, and very good eggs. 

Besides the Chilaquiles, they had Chicken and Waffles, an Omelette, Frittata, Biscuits and Gravy, and a nice looking Hash.  Everything looked very good and seemed to be enjoyed by all.  I enjoyed brunch here and can hopefully make it here for dinner before they switch to their permanent concept.