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Benedict's Eggs and More, 8 South River Street, East Dundee, Illinois

Just off the north section of the Fox River Bike Trail and a block south of Route 72 in East Dundee sits Benedict's Eggs and More in a former residence, I believe, that has been on that spot since 1892. There is a sister restaurant in Crystal Lake, Benedict's La Strata. Benedict's in East Dundee is cozy and inviting.

The walk from the hostess station just inside the front door to our table in what looks like the former home's parlor gave us a tour of the dining rooms. Even though the parking lot was three-quarters full, there was plenty of room at every table. Most surprising was the story that our server told us about the tree that grows through the dining room where we ate. With a little coaxing from me, she told us that the owners left the tree standing when they built an addition onto the restaurant around the tree, and sure enough, you can see it in the pictures below.

A Tree Grows Through It

Shelby and I sat at a small corner table next to a window that looked out on the front lawn of the former home. Very picturesque. The Benedict's menu is a book, and it took us awhile to browse through the choices. Since we got out of the house very late for breakfast, we had our choice of the most important meal of the day or the best meal of the day. Shelby chose lunch, and I chose breakfast.

When I said to our server, "I suppose in a place named Benedict's, I have to order Eggs Benedict," she confirmed my intuition. The best part was that she had difficulty choosing the one she liked best. I settled on the Breakfast Benedict from a section of the menu suggestively called Benedict's and Those that Think They're Benedicts. Country sausage served on English muffin halves, topped with two poached eggs and cheddar cheese sauce ($7.95).

 I should probably explain that I'm not from the Chicago area. I was raised much farther south, so I'm not really accustomed to cheddar cheese sauce. I understand that good people from all over the place love it on beef steaks, French fries, and all kinds of other stuff, including those dishes that think they're Eggs Benedict. Even though all the signs were there--the clever heading on the menu, the major ingredients--I was expecting Hollandaise sauce. It's not that I don't like cheddar cheese sauce, which I affectionately call cheese wax. I love the guilty pleasure of Cheese Fries or a Chili-Cheese Dog, but I have to prepare myself for it. And, as I said, I was prepared for Hollandaise sauce. Even though I feel guilty saying it, it was great, and the breakfast potatoes were a good complement.

Benedict's serves Intelligensia brand coffee, and mine was hot and fresh. I easily turned it into the sugary, coffee-flavored, warm milk I drink. Perhaps the company was right or the Cheddar Cheese Sauce went to my head, but I enjoyed my early afternoon breakfast at Benedict's Eggs and More. I suspect I'm not the only one to like Benedict's.

I'm awarding $2.00 in Perk Pennies for good service, the Benedict's community atmosphere, and the tree, of course.

The Bottom Line: $7.95 - 2.00 = $5.95



Brunch Cafe, 935 Rt. 22, Fox River Grove, Illinois

Friday night tailgate on the South Side and White Sox baseball has to be followed by late Saturday morning breakfast. Close by. Hearty. Not too heavy. This is when I like coffee--well, slightly less sweet, slightly more coffee-flavored, slightly warmer milk.

The Brunch Cafe is within walking distance of my house. The skillet I ordered was generous, and the coffee was mood-altering. I'm sure anyone who is a coffee aficion would say this was pretty good stuff. Most of all, Shelby was with me. Any breakfast with great company is better than every one without. Lots of chuckles about funny things said and done the night before. Inside jokes.

Along with foggy-headed snickering, I needed needed the taste of comfort, so I order the Meat and Potatoes Skillet from the Eggsquisite Skillets section of the menu--simple, hearty, and hot. Not much need for elaboration here--ham, bacon, sausage, and cheddar cheese with two eggs, served over what the Brunch Cafe calls brunch potatoes with either toast or pancakes. I ordered the eggs over easy and wheat toast. Coffee, of course. The skillet was $8.99.

The restaurant has only been open a couple of years, and it has become a popular place. Lines out the door on many Sunday mornings. The dining room is spacious, comfortable, clean, and very simply and tastefully decorated. I enjoy eating here two or three times a year.

For me, the Brunch Cafe misses, however, on a very important detail--community. That's what great breakfast places have, regardless of the decor or the cleverness of the menu. That sense of community is created by the people, and even though I'm not awarding any Penalty Points, I'm also not awarding any Perk Points for some very simple reasons. I had to wait for coffee. I had to ask for butter. Our server said when she handed us the bill, "Well, that's it for you boys," never pausing to ask if we needed anything else.

The Bottom Line: $8.99

Not a particularly good score for a good restaurant. The Brunch Cafe does many things well and has expanded to two new locations. I wish them well. I also wish they had the human touch.