Tweet Your Heart Out.

There’s nothing quite like a leisurely winter weekend brunch, and it was with this aim I first sought Tweet. Though I foolishly remain a stickler for prompt and friendly customer service, I was delighted that our breakfasts arrived within what seemed to be ten minutes, and our cups of fair-trade coffee were constantly topped off. I advise caution around the tea selection, however. I don’t think Earl Grey should be available in a green. My palate w(h)et, I enjoyed the homey scrambled organic eggs with goat cheese…a little bland perhaps, but nothing that couldn’t be jazzed up with a mere dash of salt and pepper or one of the various hot sauce bottles decorating our table, and for more texture I might advise ordering an omelet anyway. Dave enjoyed the French toast and found it to hit the spot.

While lacto-ovo vegetarian options abound for brunch, vegan ones are considerably more scarce. You would do well to order the fruit plate with baguette or green salad and omit the cheese. Otherwise, it’s bread: toast, crumpet, English muffin, bagel…true doom if you’re an Atkins vegan (does such a creature exist?) Or else there’s granola minus the yogurt. Even the oatmeal is thickened with half-and-half, though a special request of soytmeal might be met. Dinner is another story. I would advise checking the seasonal menu in advance, as the current winter options include only one that’s meat-free: wild mushroom and Damafro goat cheese crepes with port, insufficient for fungiphobes like myself. Perhaps summer’s bounty will expand these options a bit. If your preferences tend toward the carnivorous, not only will you find such exotica as rabbit and venison, but you can be sure that the dear animals happily dined upon daisies and ambrosia during their jubilant and closely-monitored lives, because that’s the kind of attention to detail and culinary quality that seems to define Tweet.

The renowned brunchery is a popular one of the Uptown set and is easily accessible by public transportation for those who live elsewhere (Argyle Street on the red line…walk half a block east to Sheridan). Owned by Michelle Fire of the popular gay bar Big Chicks, Tweet has only recently taken on dinner to complement their known brunch reputation by adding Chef Janice L. Martin (formerly of Charlie Trotter’s) to their staff.

Tweet is cash only, so make sure you bring some. Breakfasts are $5-10, dinner entrees $12-20. BYOB is necessary for dinner while Tweet is working out their liquor license. In the meantime, bottles of decent wines can be procured at Big Chicks right next door. Reservations are available for dinner only.

Tweet: 5020 North Sheridan Road•Chicago, IL 60640•773-728-5576. Breakfast and brunch: Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner: Wednesday and Thursday, 5:30-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 5:30-10:30 p.m.