Jenny Urban, a Windy City Times 30 Under 30 honoree in 2007, has opened a hot new restaurant near El Gato Negro on Irving Park Road.
Urban Cafe, 1467 W. Irving Park ( just west of Southport ) , offers a delightful decor ( currently with art by Carol James ) and inexpensively priced meals. It's a small storefront, but hopefully Urban can expand.
They offer a great Intelligentsia coffee blend, plus friendly service ( order at the counter ) , a kids' menu ( and a kids' table ) and catering. The extended hours mean you can find them for coffee, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
Chefs Jenny and Fred served up a tasty brunch this past Sunday, including Brioche French toast for $5, a Southwest omelet for $6.50, blueberry pancakes for $5 and a traditional eggs Benedict for $6. Portions are small, but certainly adequate for most people. And the food is inexpensive enough that you won't feel bad for ordering extra sides or even an entree. Add a bagel and lox for $3.50, or tofu hash for $6, and sides are $2 extra, including maple sausage links, biscuit, hash browns or bacon.
The lunch and dinner menu offers interesting treats including appetizers such as Austin queso, beer-battered onion rings, and grilled Mediterranean flatbread. Salad choices include a harvest salad for $7.50, shrimp for $10.50, and pasta for $6. Sandwich selections include a roasted garlic burger for $7.75, grilled portabella burger for $7, pesto panini for $7.50 and ham-and-swiss panini for $7.50. Entrees run the range from Thai fusion steak tacos for $9.75, tofu stir-fry for $8.75, grilled steak chimichurri for $11 or bowtie pesto for $9.50.
Jenny and her cafe are off to a terrific start. Stop by any time for great atmosphere, service, and food.
Urban Cafe is located at 1467 W. Irving Park; the phone is 773-327-9427 and the Web site is www.urbancafechicago.com . The hours are: Tues.-Fri.: 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sat.-Sun.: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. ( brunch served Sat.Sun., 8 a.m.-2 p.m. ) ; and Monday: closed.
