Breakfast at Orange: a slightly sour taste

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I had breakfast at Orange on Harrison. Service tends to be a little slow there, but I usually like the food.

This time, I ordered the jelly doughnut pancakes: 3 buttermilk pancakes "stuffed" with pear, mango, strawberry sauce. They interpret "stuffed" quite loosely however; the pancakes themselves were very dense and a little dry and there was just a dab of sauce in between each one. I asked the server for extra sauce (which was a delicious combination of fruits, btw) and he returned with packaged Smuckers grape jelly. He said he could give me extra pancake sauce but "they" would charge me extra for it. I didn't have time to argue with him and just said no thanks, but I really didn't think my request was unreasonable.

My boyfriend ordered Omelet #6, which has asparagus, forest mushrooms, aged jack cheese and is topped with almonds and balsamic vinegar. It had a nice full flavor. The side of seasoned potatoes was good also.

Orange is one of those places that I really, really want to like more than I do. I've tried both locations, sampled from both the breakfast and lunch portions of the menu, tried different fruits - hell, I even went for the frushi and 2 different pancake flights! - and I've yet to try anything that really makes me excited to return.

AnneVdV, I agree. I gave Orange on Clark a number of tries about a year and a half ago and finally decided it just wasn't worth the frustration of putting up with the slooooow service and then being less than impressed with what was served. It should be so much better than what it is. By the way, the servers were all very nice and pleasant, but they obviously couldn't serve more than what the kitchen provided. The whole operation seemed inept.

I ate at Orange on Clark quite a lot when it first opened, and really liked it. They had some really great, inventive stuff on the menu (the puff pastry,for example, was fantastic) and used to change their menu quite regularly.

For the last couple of years or so there seems to have been quite a drop in quality. Not that the food has been bad on my last few visits, just not very memorable. They also (except for the pancake flight) don't seem to change their menu much anymore, which is a shame. I used to like going there to see what was new. Now it's just the same old stuff.

I get the impression that there is just less creativity in the kitchen now. I remember reading that Dale Levitski (now head chef at Trio) used to chef at Orange, I wonder if it all went a bit downhill after he left?

I agree that the menu lacks innovation now (except for the pancake flights, I guess) but there are a few items I've consistently enjoyed: a couple of the omelets and the French toast skewers. Also, I had a tea-themed pancake flight about a year ago that was fantastic.

Maybe things have gotten so bad there that I can't even enjoy my old favorites...? It's a shame, though, since we need cool places in the south loop. (Whatever happened to Room 12?)

Interesting. The BF and I were just there late Sunday morning, and found everything to be very, very good. I had eggs Benedict, which was served with that mashed potato/herb timbale thing, a mix of fresh orange, grapefruit, and lime juices, a side of very good bacon, and a whole pot of nice, strong coffee. He had the Tribute to Johnny Carson pancake flight, and a wild mix of orange, kiwi, watermelon and canteloupe juices spiked with a banana. His favorite pancake was the Ed McMahon stack, served with a Scotch-laced butter and topped with a sunny-side-up quail egg. My Benedict, not tricked up in the slightest, was perfect, with wonderfully runny egg yolks and better Hollandaise than I make. The custom juice thing is fun. While mine was very good, the BF's combination was spectacular.

Also, the service was great, fast and friendly, and even though the place was full, we only had to wait maybe five minutes, if that. Best Sunday breakfast out experience I've had in a long, long time. I'd go back in a heartbeat. Wish there was one in Evanston.

sundevilpeg wrote: a side of very good bacon

a whole side? that's a lot of pork

Hey, I told you it was really good bacon!!!

Make that a rasher, then. Mea culpa.

My understanding re Room 12 is that there were severe water system problems in the building that emptied it of all its tenants.

A recent posting had them returning Feb. 1, but I haven't yet seen any action. Hopefully, they'll return soon. My cholesterol count has lowered sufficiently enough for another crack at the best Eggs Benedict in town.

jbw wrote: My cholesterol count has lowered sufficiently enough for another crack at the best Eggs Benedict in town.

Really? The best EB in town? Better than Ciello? I can't wait for them to open again!

Thanks for the Room 12 info; I'll be interested in trying it when they open again.

Where is/was/will be Room 12? My ears perked right up at the "best Eggs Benedict in town" assertation, too.

Thanks!

Room 12 is (or will be, I hope) on the NE corner of Roosevelt and Wabash. It is owned by the same management as The Bongo Room
(1470 N. Milwaukee Ave.), so you might be able to get a flavor of their menu there.

Hopefully, when they finally do open, they'll have the same fine quality of cuisine they've had in the past (I find that breakfast places underrgo frequent changes in the kitchen); moreover, since I limit may intake of Eggs Benedict to about a couple a year let me revise my initial comment to "IMO one of the best Eggs Benedict in town."