Fried Egg Cafe

1260 South Milwaukee Avenue, Vernon Hills, IL 60061

You say you want a revolution? Well, you know.

By this time or maybe in a few weeks—most, if not all of us—will have broken our New Year’s resolutions.

I have a secret that’s not so secret: I never make any New Year’s resolutions. Every morning is the best time to start anew. And the best start is with a good breakfast for your soul.

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“The Fluffy Garden Omelet is light and fluffy with fresh, crispy vegetables! The Hash Browns are nice and crisp, but not greasy. The English Muffin goes nicely with the marmalade.”

Earlier this month, Lisa, my mom and I celebrated my mom’s birthday with…breakfast! One might have thought dinner. There would be dinner as well. It was, after all, my mom’s birthDAY.

All of us had tired of the usual breakfast places. Their menus are standard and dull. When the food arrives, the portions are massive and the blandness signals that today is not the best time to start anew.

Let’s start again. All of us had been to one special place that served reasonably healthy and magically delicious breakfasts in portions that were good for the soul and wallet. The food looked and tasted like the breakfasts of our fond distant memories, so unattainable to realize today—until we arrived at Fried Egg Cafe.

I am a French toast perfectionist/snob/headless toastman. I can never seem to find good French toast. I almost tease and torture myself by ordering French toast every time I see it on a menu in hopes that it might make me drop everything and move into the nearest available room adjacent to the restaurant if it’s that good. But the reality is too eggy, too soggy, too dry, too thin, too thick, too sweet, too plain—too bad.

Except the French toast at Fried Egg Cafe, where it’s a completely fresh take: Blueberry Muffin French Toast. A trio of muffin tops…well, you’ll get the picture.

Lisa ordered the Fluffy Garden Omelet with Hash Browns. She also had an English muffin. French toast and English muffin. All I needed was someone to ask me if I had any Grey Poupon. But of course!

My mom went straight for the best dish at Fried Egg Cafe as voted on by Chicago’s Best. Does my vote count? I enjoyed this dish my first time at Fried Egg Cafe. My mom ordered Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. She was going to be in for a special treat. Those usual breakfast places seem so far away and long ago.

“The Fried Egg Cafe menu has a touch of chef’s quality and coffee table magazine cover beauty.”

The environment at Fried Egg Cafe was lively, not too loud, a good mix of people, and the service was prompt and friendly. We never felt pressured to flip the table or pad the orders. Our conversations were relaxed and spoken at a normal volume. The interior was full but not crowded. The atmosphere was open and bright with plentiful natural light.

Just like that, our orders arrived. I quickly took a few photos and we settled in to take our first bites. It’s funny, but I believe that Lisa has ordered the Fluffy Garden Omelet with Hash Browns at least twice. This appears to be her favorite. We are creatures of habit and like to go to the well when we find something good.

I didn’t want to intrude for a quote because it looked like Lisa was in Zazen with her breakfast. She was there physically but looked like she was on another plain spiritually, and with the aura of her omelet.

Lisa clicked on when I asked her how it was. She said, “The Fluffy Garden Omelet is light and fluffy with fresh, crispy vegetables! The Hash Browns are nice and crisp, but not greasy. The English Muffin goes nicely with the marmalade.”

This was my mom’s first time with the Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. She had seen me order this dish on a previous visit and decided this time that it would be hers. A very photogenic dish, and since we eat first with our eyes, the Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes is always a dazzling experience before the first bite.

After a few bites, I asked my mom how she liked the best dish at Fried Egg Cafe. My mom said, “The Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are very soft and light! The compote on top is very nice. The blueberries are very plump and fresh.”

My Blueberry Muffin French Toast was next. I usually alternate between this breakfast and my mom’s choice. The Blueberry Muffin French Toast shares some overlap with the Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes: fresh, plump blueberries, maple syrup on the side and a garnish of fresh mint. But the trio of blueberry muffin tops is what makes this dish so fresh and exciting! It’s not classic French toast; instead, it’s different and better because it’s so good and it’s here now. Be here now!

“The Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are very soft and light! The compote on top is very nice. The blueberries are very plump and fresh.”

Fried Egg Cafe offers a truly diverse menu. The Fried Egg Cafe menu has a touch of chef’s quality and coffee table magazine cover beauty. Everything gravitates toward healthy while still spoiling everyone with colorful spectrums of flavors.

Of course, we will return to Fried Egg Cafe soon. And next time I will order again the Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. They look and taste like the breakfasts of our fond distant memories—only better.

To see the full menu at Fried Egg Cafe, visit Fried Egg Cafe

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