Noyes Street Cafe.

Located at 828 W. Noyes Street.

What better way to start off one’s weekend than with brunch. Not just for the proverbial ladies-who-lunch and their designer bags anymore, the Noyes Street Cafe mixes high-brow aesthetics with the affordability of an IHop.

With its non-pretentious storefront, I honestly would have never suspected that such a laid back, and relaxing restaurant resided beyond the glass facade.

Other patrons may have been thinking the same thing as I, because a Saturday morning breakfast excurion rarely begins with a quick sitting in one of the restaurant’s best tables. Today it did.

The menu offers selections from brunch to a la carte. The brunch menu does not include the standard expectation of buffet style offerings, but rather a choice of delicious spreads of lox breakfast, to steak and eggs, to benedicts. The brunch comes with a choice of muffins and hash browns, and arrives fabulously with a mimosa.

Mimosas.

The brunch meals appeared to come with more than the lion’s share of food, and I was not entirely sure that I could stomach such a quantity. Therefore I decided that a la carte may be more my speed.

After careful inspection of the options, I decided on the Noyes Street Omelette, with hash browns (my favorite), and pancakes. A large meal in itself! And as I couldn’t resist the temptation of mimosas, I placed an order for one as well. I figured, when restaurants name an item on the menu after its location, it usually does not disappoint. Right again! The omelette came stuffed with spinach, ripe grape tomatoes, and cheese. It was golden brown on the outside, and soft and moist on the inside. Throughout the entire meal, the omelette remained piping hot, the cheese gooey and stringy.

Noyes Street Omelette.

Mimosas truly are the best part of any brunch. A refreshing reminder of the, hopefully, restful, relaxation yet to come during the weekend. It compliments any dish, and bestoys that healthy dose of Vitamin C. Couldn’t we all use a little more?

The pancakes were the perfect acompanyment to the meal. The sweet to satisfy the salty. They were served with a generous dollop of butter and a side of fresh maple syrup.

But just as I suspected, I was unable to finish the meal. Packed to the proverbial rim with carbs, the meal filled me up in no time. However I maintain that I made a sizeable dent!

I could not have been more pleased with my meal, and definitely have my hopes set on going back in the future for dinner… to feast on some of the Cafe’s drool-worthy pasta dishes, and fresh fish. Open typically from 11 a.m.-10 p.m., there’s always the opportunity to stop by.

Another interior view.

The waitstaff was prompt and polite, and I would be hardpressed to find anything worth complaining about at this delightful cafe. So head north into Evanston and be sure to check it out. (Purple line Noyes stop.) Just make sure you leave your Prada at home.

-Ileana