Chapel Street Café brings Australian classics to Mag Mile
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Full milk pancakes from Chapel Street Cafe. Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios
A new spot in Streeterville is bringing Chicagoans a taste of down under.
What to expect: Calling itself "Chicago's first Australian all day café" Chapel Street Café at the Mag Mile Hilton has a large dine-in area, coffee and to-go pastries and a bar serving cocktails and Australian wines.
Context: Owner Shawn Uldridge is from Melbourne and named the restaurant after the famous shopping and cultural strip that runs through the city.
What they're saying: "This project means so much to me — not just because it reflects my roots, but because it's a chance to share the warmth and vibrant flavors of Australian hospitality with this city," Uldridge said.
The vibe: Tourists from the hotel mixed with locals enjoying brunch, plus bottomless coffee and WiFi.
Best bite: The full milk pancakes ($13.50) are sweet enough to skip the syrup, but do dab some of the vanilla mascarpone on top with a bite of the poached pear.
- For a savory option, The Chapel Street ($21) has eggs with a side of baked beans, avocado and roasted tomatoes. It's a hearty deconstructed brekkie sandwich, but heads up, the beans have pork.
- For pastries, the flaky chocolate morning bun ($4.50) is layered with chunks of orange and dark chocolate, making it more like dessert.
The intrigue: The vegemite sandwich wasn't on the breakfast menu but you can order it on a slice of toast with butter. For the uninitiated, as I was, it tastes like very salty butter.
If you go: Chapel Street Café is open daily from 6am to 11pm.