Middle Brow Bungalow

-Grubbing in Chicago

New to the 'Scene'

One of the years best openings came along right at the start of 2019. Middle Brow's journey to Logan Square took close to a decade. Bungalow is their first brick and mortar space as they'd used many other breweries to brew their beer along the way. It's the latest hot spot on a part of Armitage one can easily argue is the city's best stretch of dining. It's part brewery, part bakery, and all good. The bakery aspect allows them to be an all day operation. A huge outdoor patio is coming this summer.

 Newly Opened in Logan Square

As delicious as the beer is it's kind of took a backseat with me. That's bc you can make the case that Middle Brow Bungalow is home to the city's best bread baker. That program is helmed by a baking vet who came back to Chicago from San Francisco. The Northern Cali city is considered the baking hub of America. Well thanks for teaching some Chicago folks the ropes. The bread program here is fantastic. One of my best bites of the year thus far came from a simple little dish consisting of house made cream cheese spread on a piece of toasted sprouted rye bread. Drizzled with some oil and sprinkled with chives this was outstanding. I am very happy to have them the neighborhood.

Sprouted Rye with House Cream Cheese at Middle Brow Bungalow

Breads and spreads are available up until 2p and then they switch over to an evening menu at 4p. There's pizza available pretty much all day but more on that in a minute. The bread program doesn't end midday it just switches over to a different menu featuring what they call table bread. It's kind of like a charcuterie board but the bread is the main act. There's a few different options and one of the more interesting ones to me is a whipped mortadella spread served with pistachios and pickles.

Table Bread with Mortadella spread at Middle Brow Bungalow

For most the biggest draw to the Bungalow has been their pizza. Which is saying alot bc this town is saturated with pizza places and many of us already have our spots we like. Well you can make room for Middle Brow Bungalow on your list. Because if you don't you'll be missing out on what's some of the best pizza being made in the city at the moment. It's pretty unique in that I don't have any other spots to compare it to. The dough is made in-house and might be the best part of this artisan pizza. It's soft but also crisp and extra chewy. It's almost like the really high quality toppings get overshadowed. But perhaps the most praiseworthy part of this place is their philanthropy in giving back half of their profits to various organizations around town. Between the brewer, the baker, the chef, and the rest of the staff at Bungalow you'll be hard pressed to find a better restaurant team.

Pizza at Middle Brow Bungalow

Middle Brow Bungalow
2840 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 687-9076
Website

Frunchroom

-Grubbing in Chicago

New to the 'Scene'

Portage Park wasn't a spot I expected to find one of my favorite openings in 2018. Logan Square? West Loop? Sure. But Portage Park would never have been a guess. Well things change and ever so slowly this neighborhood is becoming somewhat of a dining destination. Frunchroom is at the forefront of this. Opened in the beginning of the year by Chef/owner Matt Saccaro this is his ode to both Italian and Jewish Deli's of yesteryear. That said the only traditions they really harp on are that of making damn bear everything in house. While the menu has classics most all of them are amped up.

 Newly Opened in Portage Park 

One of the most buzzed about practices at Frunchroom is the charcuterie program. It features a menu with both fish and meats, and there's a board with fresh local cheeses too. These are a good way to start a meal. So far we've tried a handful of the offerings and none have disappointed. I would say the chicken liver mousse is a must. We also loved the finocchiona and the trout salad. If you see the pimento cheese it's perfect for being North of the Mason Dixon line. When I say damn near everything is homemade look no further than the assortment of pickled veggies and grilled sourdough.

Charcuterie Boards at frunchroom 

Frunchroom does breakfast, lunch, brunch, and pizza nights (Thursday). Many of the items overlap such as the house made bagels which are always available. They make an everything bagel as well as a sesame seed one and offer your choice of bagel and any of the fish selections on the chalkboard for  $10. On my most recent visit I tried the bagel with some housemade lox which absolutely rocked. I don't recall any lox I've ever had being as firm and flavorful as Frunchroom's. While I would've preferred the bagel come un-toasted it was the lox that was front and center and delicious either way.

Bagel and Lox at the Frunchroom 

There's a nice healthy selection of sandwich classics such as grilled cheese, chicken schnitzels, and BLT's. The last of which was really good this past summer. All of the sandwiches include the option to add fries and the answer is an enthusiastic YES! After a few visits I put these in my Top 5 in the city.

BLT Sandwich at Frunchroom 

Since everything at Frunchroom is delicious I feel like the namesake burger has flown under the radar of many. Locally sourced beef with pickles, onions, special sauce, and cheese on a sesame seed bun. Along with the fries I thought this was the type of meal I'd be satisfied with if it was my last meal in America or even my first meal back after being gone for a long time. It definitely scratches that itch. The only thing I haven't been able to try is Pizza Night which is Thursday's. I'm hoping to put the BYOB option to use one of these upcoming Thursday's. I already know the pizza will be money.

Cheeseburger at Frunchroom 

Frunchroom
4042 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60641
(773) 853-2160
Website