Restaurant Rave: Orange

I picked the title of my blog for a specific reason, because I didn't want to only focus on the food in my own kitchen. Chicago is full of amazing places to eat out, and I want to tell you about them every once in a while. A lot of the amazing places cost more then I can regularly spend, though, so I have to limit my eating out. We try to spend our eat-out money wisely, though, instead of going to lower quality places more often.

This Saturday my husband and I decided to treat ourselves to some brunch down in the South Loop, a great area of Chicago that we don't visit very often. We happened to be down at my husband's office in the loop, and I remembered a breakfast place that I've wanted to try for a long time. It's called Orange, and it's a juice bar and brunch restaurant. I first saw it on Giada's Weekend Getaway about 8 or 9 months ago, and I knew I would have to get there at some point. This was the perfect opportunity.

As soon as we walked in, I knew this was my type of place. Bright colors, young crowd, and great smells. Even though it was prime time for brunch, we got a table immediately. The menu had a lot of tempting choices, including "frushi" (fruit sushi), fresh squeezed juices, creative omelets, and tempting baked items. I had to try the pan-seared oatmeal, which they're known for. It was steel-cut oats cooked into a solid patty... hard to describe, but really interesting and satisfying. It could have been a little sweeter, but really felt hardy and healthy. I had to add some fat to the meal, though, because the rosemary sausage was just calling out to me. Joe had Chai french toast, and it was freaking amazing. It was ricotta stuffed, with a chai tea reduction. They also had pancake flights, with four servings of different flavored pancakes. I was jealous when I saw them brought to the table next to us, and will have to go back to Orange again to try a flight.

My only regret: I didn't have my camera with me! If you're in Chicago, check Orange out. Turns out there are two other locations, too, in Roscoe Village and Lakeview. You won't regret it!