Brunch comes to the new fourteensixteen in LaGrange

LaGrange’s newest restaurant, fourteensixteen, opened on September 6 to rave reviews. Now, the restaurant has expanded its offerings to include weekend brunch. Chef Bret Bohning has crafted a new menu fit for brunch lovers of all ages and taste buds. The brunch menu includes homemade donuts, specialty Benedicts, and intriguing items such as the following:

• Carrot Cake Pancake with orange cream cheese icing, walnuts and micro shiso
• Millers Chicken Sandwich with hazelnut pesto and fresh mozzarella on a multigrain bun
• Pork Shoulder Hash with 8-hour braised pork served with two eggs any style

On a recent visit, I took a friend along to help sample a number of the offerings on the new brunch menu. We started with the Lobster Deviled Eggs (poached lobster, black truffle caviar, lemon essence). The flavor combinations were superb, combining the creamy whipped egg with the tart citrus and the salty caviar. I loved the little “pop” of the caviar that added a wonderful texture to this relatively simple dish. We also sampled the Chicken Waffle Slider (fried chicken, waffle, jalapeño pork gravy, Dijon mustard spread, maple syrup). Once again, Chef Bohning has created a unique combination of flavors – savory, slightly spicy, and sweet. The waffles were just crisp enough to give a nice texture, but were soft enough to cut easily with a fork.

For our main courses, we opted to try the following:

• Cheese Omelet which featured smoked Gouda and cheddar. The cheese selections will vary depending on chef’s choice. It was served with a side of loaded hash browns. First of all, the omelet was cooked to perfection. The edges were lightly browned and crunchy and the center was still light and fluffy. The stand-out on this dish was the side of loaded hash browns. I am unsure just what they put in them, but they were good enough that I would have ordered just a side of those if I weren’t absolutely satiated at the end of the meal.
• Fig & Duck Salad (poached figs, duck prosciutto, baby frisee, roasted pumpkin, pear vinaigrette, pepitas, sorel). Read that ingredient list and you will know that this was a delightful autumn salad. The house-made duck prosciutto was my favorite part of this excellent salad. The pear vinaigrette was a superb sweet complement to the slightly bitter greens, and the roasted pumpkin added both a seasonal touch and a wonderful hint of savory/umami to the salad.

Fourteensixteen is located at 14 W. Calendar Ave. in downtown LaGrange. The restaurant combines urban flavors and décor matched with the suburb’s only wine cave and a rooftop dining space.  The stand out dinner menu is as good as anything you will find in the city and far surpasses many menus I have sampled recently.

On my recent brunch visit, there were no specific “brunch” cocktails listed on the menu. I hope they take the time to concoct some specialty cocktails specifically geared towards the excellent new brunch menu. For me, nothing tops off a great brunch better than a unique (and boozy) cocktail.

The new brunch hours are Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (dinner 4-11 p.m.) and Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The lovely rooftop terrace will be open through the fall season. fourteensixteen is also open Monday-Thursday 4-10 p.m.; Friday 3-11 p.m. for dinner. More information is available by calling 708-469-7896 or on their website. fourteensixteen can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.