New Year's Day is a time of hope, of college football, and, usually, massive hangovers (this year's addition to the list:
Blair Waldorf). The last thing you want to do on this day off is scrounge up something to eat in the fridge. Instead, continue your celebration of the fact that the "aughts" are over with a meal out at one of these spots.
Still haven't figured out what you're doing for the Eve? Head here.
10pin Bowling Lounge
2 p.m.-2 a.m.
Watch the bowl games on a 128-foot hi-def video wall as you enjoy $5 Van Gogh vodka cocktails, $5 pints and $5 bowling at this River North lounge.
33 Club
noon-4 p.m.
Smoked salmon, whole wheat banana pancakes, challah french toast and more will highlight the brunch menu at this new Old Town spot, which will also be open for dinner after 4 p.m.
Jake Melnick's Corner Tap
Enjoy brunch specials such as the Hair of the Hog breakfast sandwich (sausage patty topped with a green chili omelet and chorizo-pepper jack cheese sauce on toasted Jalapeno ciabatta bread), a "rehydration station" and $5 bloody marys and mimosas.
Ann Sather (Belmont) 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
Happy New Year! You can get cinnamon rolls (and the rest of the breakfast menu) all day long at the Belmont location of this Swedish classic, so put the diet off 'til the 2nd. The regular lunch menu will be available beginning at 11 a.m.
Dunlays on the Square and Dunlays on Clark
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Fight that foggy feeling with fried egg sandwiches, oatmeal pancakes with maple butter and, of course, a bloody mary made with Stoli vodka and served with a shot of Guinness.
Durty Nellie's
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Wear your pajamas (or bring your ticket stub from the NYE party) to get complimentary access to the Svedka vodka bloody mary bar here. You'll also enjoy $5 pitchers of Bud and Bud Light, $2.50 Budweiser Select and Select 55 and $4.50 Stella Artois.
John Barleycorn
The bar offers the regular weekend a la carte brunch menu from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and also offers the full dinner menu from 10 a.m.-1:30 a.m. The brunch lineup lists selections such as corned beef hash, chilaquiles, cinnamon French toast and a breakfast burrito. If you need a cocktail to cure the hangover, Barleycorn has $4 drinks (excludes shots), including bloody marys and mimosas. Friday food specials include a full slab of baby back ribs with French fries and a choice of bourbon baked beans or a house salad for $12.95.
John Barleycorn (Schaumburg)
The $12.95 all-you-can-eat buffet (10 a.m.-4 p.m.), which is featured in the main floor restaurant, includes breakfast fare, made-to-order omelets, hand-carved prime rib, an interactive pasta station and more. Barleycorn also offers $5 bloody marys, $6 mimosas and $6 Cosmic Dragons all day. The restaurant also offers a $15.95 three-course dinner, which includes choice of soup or salad, featured entree, choice of dessert and a glass of house wine. Additionally, the concert venue features cover band Mike and Joe starting at 9 p.m. Cover charge is $10.
Frasca Pizzeria & Wine Bar
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
You'll find a variety of sweet and savory brunch items here, including the breakfast pizza (three over-easy eggs, sausage and cheese atop housemade crust, $10), plus bottomless mimosas ($13). The lunch menu will also be available.
Goose Island Brewery
10 a.m.
You can get chef Andrew Hroza's brunch specials all day long, with items like French toast and cheesy breakfast skillets as well as enchiladas, house-cured bacon and housemade sausages.
HUB 51
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Enjoy items like short rib eggs benedict, smoked salmon, buttermilk pancakes, brioche french toast, mimosas and bloody marys at this River North bar and restaurant. If you partied here the night before, you'll get a discounted ticket ($25). Later in the evening, the "After After After" party features DJ Alex Rage, half-price bottles, $5 Belvedere cocktails and $7 Belvedere martinis 'til 2 a.m.
Italiasia
11 a.m.-3 p.m.; $17.95 adults, $10.95 kids 12 and under
Staying at Holiday Inn? Make sure to stop by the 15th-floor restaurant for a brunch buffet including everything from omelettes and french toast to Asian slaw and seafood risotto.
Division Ale House
The Ale House serves the weekend brunch menu from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in addition to the regular menu. There's also a $7 build-your-own bloody mary bar with a twist – try it with the house-made banana pepper-and-Serrano chile-infused vodka. The Ale House encourages you to come in your pajamas for its holiday brunch.
Joey's Brickhouse
The boys at Joey's offer a $12 all-you-can-eat brunch, along with $2 drinks if you need a little hair of the dog.
Grand Central
A $10 all-you-can-handle brunch (offered from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.) includes selections such as pancakes, fried chicken and waffles, omelets, baked mac and cheese and biscuits and gravy. All day drink deals include $3 domestic drafts and bottles; $3 mimosas; $7 32-ounce Ohio State University souvenir mugs with $5 refills (applies to Miller Lite, Bud Light, Coors Light, Amstel Light and Shiner Bock) and a $5 bloody mary bar.
LaSalle Power Co.
LPC features a $10 all you-can-eat brunch buffet (11 a.m.-4 p.m.), a $5 bloody mary bar, plus all the bowl games on the bar's 170-inch plasma video wall and 10 50-inch flat-screen TVs. The spread features fried chicken, French toast, mac and cheese, biscuits and gravy, eggs three ways, breakfast potatoes, mini cheeseburgers and more.
Kitsch'n on Roscoe
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
The 12th-annual hangover brunch here includes chipotle bloody marys, deluxe mimosas, Hangover Burritos and more from the popular brunch menu.
Navy Pier
If you're taking the kids to the Winter WonderFest, stop into the Flo TV Sports Lounge, which boasts eight 46-inch plasma screens showing all the bowl-game action.
Rock Bottom Brewery 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Watch all the games at this River North spot with some burgers, soft pretzels, wings and, of course, some of Rock Bottom's signature brews.
RB Grille
11 a.m.-4 p.m.
The newly opened sister spot to Rock Bottom (it's under the same roof) offers a variety of entrees like bacon-wrapped scallops with spicy aioli and Thai chili sauce, along with more than 150 wine selections.
Smoke Daddy
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Start the year off right with some pulled pork nachos, chili, smoked BBQ wings and more at this Wicker Park hangout.
Stretch Run
11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Need an extra bit of good luck for 2010? Savor some sauerkraut and ribs with black-eyed peas on the first ($7.95). Also available will be Stretch Run's "Best of the Bowls" specials, available at every bowl game: the Nacho Bowl (nachos in a tortilla bowl) and the Chili Bowl (large bowl of chili).
The Loco Moco.
photo: courtesy of Sunda
The Food Buddha's Loco Moco should cure what ails you - it's hamburger steak topped with brown gravy and fried eggs on a bed of steamed rice, $14. That's just one of many sumptuous brunch specials on offer here, including tempura french toast batons with caramel-glazed bananas and brown sugar and braised pork belly on crispy rice patties with scallion hollandaise.
Timothy O'Toole's
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Stop down into this subterranean Streeterville hangout for classic choices like Irish Benedict, breakfast nachos and Belgian waffles, along with the popular bloody mary, mimosa and bellini bars. At the Gurnee location (open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for brunch), you'll find items like steak and eggs and a breakfast burrito.
Mac's American Pub
Mac's features the regular American menu all-day and also serves the weekend brunch menu from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Brunch fare includes eggs Florentine, potato pancakes topped with sautéed spinach, poached eggs and Mornay sauce; a Chevre Omelet with applewood-smoked bacon, onions, chevre (goat cheese) and avocado mousse; and a Breakfast Burrito, a flour tortilla stuffed with scrambled eggs, avocado, Cheddar cheese, onions and salsa. All-day drink deals include $8 PBR pitchers and $6 bloody mary pints. Friday food specials include $8 fish and chips (after 5 p.m.).
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