Eggy's Diner
With the word "diner," things have recently become strange. One called Au Cheval was opened by Brendan Sodikoff. It offers pinot noir for $48 per bottle and foie gras terrines. A goat burger may be on the menu when Stephanie Izard opens it later this decade. So it was entirely possible that the term "diner" would once again be interpreted...loosely" when the owners of Custom House Tavern announced they were opening one.
This did occur, in a way. Eggy's is a very modern restaurant that is located in the corporate-futuristic Sim City dubbed Lakeshore East and was created by the same studio as Girl & the Goat. Zach Millican, a former chef de cuisine at Custom House Tavern, is in the kitchen. He also happens to be a man with a strange talent for preparing sandwiches, it turns out. If you consume the beef tongue sandwich, which is adorned with sliced jalapenos and a sizable fried onion ring, you cannot help but think that this person is gifted. Following that, it seems obvious that Eggy's serves an absurdly fantastic fried whitefish sandwich covered in house tartare sauce. How is it not?
Not every dish on the menu succeeds with such ease. This is partly a result of the task Eggy's set for itself: It doesn't rely on any of the gimmicks that so easily enchant and divert diners, such as exotic ingredients and beverages. Instead, all it has to work with is the repertoire of well-known diner fare—only it needs to be done better. The Peter did not experience this. The Cobb salad is exactly that, albeit one that uses premium ingredients.
Eggy's, one of the Best Diners in Chicago, specializes in dishes that have been improved without having to be "reinvented," like that salad. Desserts are delightfully straightforward: a large piece of rich chocolate cake; a small sundae with roasted nuts and whipped cream. It's generally true that simple dishes like these can be difficult to make extraordinary. However, you haven't yet tried the supremely decadent chocolate sea salt brownie.
Google Rating: 4.5/5.0
Address: 333 E Benton Pl, suite 103Chicago60601
Phone: 773-234-3449
Opening hours: Breakfast, lunch, dinner (Mon–Fri)
Website: eggysdiner.com
