Cheeky's: Brunch in the desert

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Yesterday we made the drive from Santa Monica out to Palm Springs for a little extra heat and relaxation. Most of the day was spent poolside pretending to be in a Mad Men episode. No, really. The whole town is still decorated in a "modernist" theme circa the 1960s. It's pretty cool to see that era preserved.

Downtown Palm Springs has a couple of streets with restaurants and artsy shops.

On our way to our hotel, we checked Yelp for a good suggestion.  We were lucky to find a little outside cafe called Cheeky's. Apparently everyone else in Palm Springs had the same idea. 

We were seated after 20 minutes in a really pleasant garden. 

We first ordered fresh pressed blood orange juice to refresh us from the desert heat. 

The offerings all sounded amazing, but finally I settled on the Huevos Rancheros.

These were some of the best I've had. The were two tostadas toasted to a crisp. 

Underneath and between the two tostadas was layered a white bean purée. On top were two fried eggs, melted cheese, and a scoop of guacamole. The whole thing was drizzled with a garlic tomato sauce that was more of a purée than a chunky salsa consistency. I tried to get a little of each ingredient in each bite, and it was total perfection. 

Martie ordered eggs poached in artichoke heart cups. They were nestled on a bed of creamed kale and topped with hollandaise like a traditional benedict. The artichoke cups were freshly steamed and added a nice change from the traditional English muffin.  

The rest of our day didn't involve too much interesting food, so I will update you next on our Saturday brunch in Malibu. 

Liz

worlDCrave: Little Goat Chicago

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This post is long (read: 6 months) overdue, but my mom always said, 'better late than never'. So, here goes! My girlfriends and I decided to meet for a weekend getaway in Chicago. It was my first time, and I was so excited to check out the major sites, and of course, the food scene. Knowing me all too well, my friends left weekend reservations up to me. Since we got in on a Thursday afternoon, I was able to score Friday brunch reservations at The Little Goat.

Head chef Stephanie Izard owns both The Little Goat, and upscale Girl and the Goat across the street (note: Liz recently visited The Girl and the Goat and swears it is heaven for brave carnivores). She was on the fourth season of Top Chef, and was the first female winner of the show. I'd heard nothing but great things about this place, and was psyched to check it out. We strolled up on an unusually gorgeous  April morning for Chicago and quickly decided to sit outside.

Our waiter was wonderful and played along in our fun as we explained the purpose of the trip. We knew this was going to be a leisurely and boozy brunch. For cocktails we sampled a variety of beverages. I, of course, went with the bloody. It was refreshing, spicy, and definitely house made. A few of the girls tried the Rosemary Daly, which was basically an Arnold Palmer with vodka and St. Germain. Mollie kept it casual with a grapefruit juice and vodka. 

Once we had our drinks, we relaxed and enjoyed the sun. Mollie had recently gotten engaged and at that point pulled out cards and asked all of us to be her bridesmaids. This was now a celebratory brunch as well!

The food options were so amazing that many of us had trouble deciding. Jackie had the Spanish omelet. Cooked to perfection, sizable, and with delicious toppings, she was beyond satisfied.

Although Mollie's the tiniest one amongst our group, she definitely has a big time inner fat kid. She immediately decided on the Fat Elvis Waffles. This dish was traditional waffles topped in bananas, bacon maple syrup, and peanut butter. We all had to steal a bite based on her reaction. She loved the dish and said the waffles were perfectly fluffy.

Meredith kept it traditional with chocolate chip pancakes. The moist and gooey chocolate kept her coming back for more. She wasn't able to polish off this enormous portion, but enjoyed it.

Ali decided to try to omelet of the day. Again, this was a more traditional dish, and featured ham and cheese. She thought it was good, but definitely was not as exciting as some of the other dishes on the table.

I went all out and chose the Bull's Eye French Toast. Essentially, french toast with a sunny side up egg in the middle, fried chicken, strawberries, and maple syrup. It might sound like a strange combination but it was perfection. The fried chicken was cooked wonderfully. The egg added another level of flavor to the dish. The strawberries balanced out the saltiness. I wish I could splurge on this dish more often in DC!

We ordered a number of sides for the table including the biscuit, home fries, bacon, and sausage. Traditional brunch sides, they did not disappoint. 

Overall, the amazing food, delicious drinks, and awesome service made our first meal together in Chicago one for the books! The amazing weather didn't hurt either. If you're in Chicago, I highly recommend snagging a reservation. You won't be disappointed.