Brunch Restaurant Brûlée Shines in Chicago

Brûlée, a brunch restaurant inspired by traditional American Southern cuisine, is becoming a culinary highlight in Chicago. Chef Emani Roberts founded the eatery with her mother, Shronda Dunn, serving as the general manager. The restaurant initially opened its doors in the South Loop last November.

In March, Executive Chef Nia Nunn, who had previously worked as a sous chef at Mahari, joined the team. Brûlée recently won the Readers’ Choice Award for New Restaurant of the Year.

The restaurant’s top-selling dish is its fried catfish and grits. This meal offers perfectly cooked fillets on smoked Gouda grits, covered in a rich Cajun crawfish cream sauce. “Since day one, this has been on the menu,” Roberts noted, describing the restaurant’s approach as luxurious and high-end.

The restaurant is also known for the Virgil Special, which features catfish or fried wings alongside collard greens and candied yams. Roberts learned the recipe for collard greens from her mentor, Atlanta chef Virgil Harper, and she has shared her grandmother Pamela Simmons’s candied yams recipe with him.

The Virgil Special includes a house-made hot honey sauce that was originally tossed with wings. “Now, we keep it on the side as some diners prefer it separate,” Roberts explained.

An eye-catching lobster and sweet potato waffle dish also stands out, using her grandmother’s sweet potato recipe. The waffle is served with cinnamon streusel, vanilla cream, salted caramel sauce, and topped with a deep-fried lobster tail.

The restaurant’s Le Brûlée, a banana foam-topped espresso martini, offers a twist on a classic cocktail. This drink, crafted by Floyd Dismuke, draws inspiration from tropical flavors. Nonetheless, the brûléed banana garnish tends to sink before reaching the diners’ tables.

The Brûlée French toast, originally meant to mimic crème brûlée, has undergone changes. Customers did not appreciate the caramelized touch, so the dish’s name and recipe were altered for clarity. Roberts explained that adapting to customer feedback while maintaining creativity is part of their mission to provide an excellent guest experience.

Pastries like the avocado Croast also offer a unique experience. The dish includes a croissant topped with Calabrian chile, avocado spread, red onions, tomatoes, arugula, Parmesan cheese, and white truffle oil. However, the chile paste can be overwhelming.

The restaurant also offers a non-alcoholic drink named The Blossom, created with cherry compound, sparkling water, and lemon juice. This refreshing beverage is garnished with an edible marigold.

Customer service stands out at Brûlée. During a busy fundraiser event, server Noel Thomas managed the crowd skillfully, while the ambiance is enhanced by floor-to-ceiling windows that fill the space with natural light.

The restaurant, located at 2036 S. Michigan Ave., is open Thursday through Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Offers include fried catfish and grits for $27 and Lobster with sweet potato waffle for $42.

Overall, the Tribune has rated Brûlée as very good to excellent.