Cherry Circle Room, Chicago Athletic Association Hotel

This blog has been neglected. I'm sorry, but not sorry, as life took me in a different direction for the last several years, and compounded with the global pandemic, I did not travel for about three years. Homemade sandwiches were made and enjoyed. Many a thick cut bacon and equally thick cut seasonal tomato sandwich on artisanal whole wheat was savoured with a cut of mayonnaise. I became my own favorite lunchtime deli counter, out of necessity. But of course, one tires of familiarity, and eventually, new flavours and textures are desired.

In my first 24 hours in Chicago, a night was spent at the redesigned Chicago Athletic Association, formerly a private gentlmen's club. A decadent steak dinner was enjoyed off premise, but breakfast was sampled in its distinctive Cherry Circle Room. As the original name for the private club's longstanding lounge, the redesign of room and menu plays off the old boys' vibe of exclusivity and Chicago's love for wood paneling, and to one one's surprise, this old grandpa enjoyed it.

Opting for their breakfast bagel sandwich, it came with two hashbrowns, which before table arrival, I had expected inside of the sandwich. However, I was and remain shocked at the size of the sandwich structure. The egg was thicker than the bagel itself. I thought my mind had exaggerated its proportions, but looking at the photo again, that was a giant egg souffle.

A hashbrown would not fit and neither should it. The bacon was good, and as a modern twist, they offered a simple white German cheese over the usual American orange. The sandwich was good, but those hashbrowns were the star. Thick bricks of fluffy potato on the inside, but a perfectly toasted crisp on all six sides. They sparked a conversation with my dining companion about whether one prefers the usual patty or the hash. We lamented how a crispy latke is harder to find than not, but if I had to choose, these little bricks would be my number one and two choice.

Coffee tip: get the drip.

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