Mini-review: The Eastman Egg Company
Rating: !!! (out of 4) Off to a good start
23 N. Wacker Drive 312-600-4814
Thanks to a combination of long nights out covering music—and the need for relief the next day after overindulging during those long nights—I’ve come to know my way around a good breakfast sandwich. In my opinion, Chicago suffers from a dearth of standouts, either making a poor attempt at a New York deli-style egg sandwich on a bagel or serving up some kind of overpriced, hoity-toity situation with arugula and aioli. All I want in this world is a good option to soak up the remnants of booze in my stomach. Is that too much to ask?
The folks behind The Eastman Egg Company apparently heard my prayers, and last week, they opened their first brick-and-mortar location, an offshoot of the food truck that launched last summer. I made my way to the Loop storefront to see if they could solve my morning hunger pangs once and for all.
The lineup: On my opening-day visit, Eastman featured seven sandwiches ($6-$9 each), including one slider-size option ($4.50), an egg with cheddar and salsa verde on ciabatta bread called The Rookie. The menu is rounded out with coffee from Sparrow Coffee Roasters, teas and juices. For those looking for something lighter (who are you, by the way?) there are also two yogurt parfaits ($5) available. Since it’s scientifically impossible to conquer a Level 4 hangover with a yogurt parfait, I chose to ignore them. Instead, I ordered four sandwiches and brought them back to the office to divide the spoils with my co-workers, because I’m a nice guy, that’s why.
The breads: For those who might scoff at the lack of traditional breakfast sandwich breads or bagels on the menu, general manager Drew Davis said that the choice of carbs (which come from La Farine Bakery in Logan Square) is deliberate. “We wanted to push the boundaries of what people considered a egg sandwich.” he said. That means airy ciabatta-style buns and—clutch your pearls and hold on tight—pretzel rolls. “Why not?” Davis said. I’m applauding the bravado; the ciabatta rolls have a great chew and softness and are perfect for the heartily topped sandwiches.
The fillings: All four sandwiches I tried featured scrambled eggs that were on point—dense enough, but not hard to chew. The bacon on The Doc sandwich (which also featured egg and white cheddar, $7) was thick and smoky without being tough. When it came to The Crown (egg, chorizo patty, avocado, salsa verde and Egmont, a cheddar-like cheese, $9) and The Captain (egg, pork sausage and pepper jack cheese, $6), both the chorizo patty and the sausage patty were devoid of spice. I’m not asking for Ass in the Tub-level heat, but a little bit would have given the sandwich a much-needed flavor boost. Luckily, I keep hot sauce in my desk. My favorite (and the overall winner among my co-workers) was the vegetarian-friendly Fairfax made with egg, Egmont cheese, bell pepper, spinach and Green Goddess sauce ($6). That sauce—which Davis said is Greek yogurt mixed with a puree of basil, cilantro, mint, extra-virgin olive oil and salt—had us raving and really tied the entire sandwich together. Add to that the fluffy egg, the crunch of the peppers and the slight bitterness of the sauteed spinach and you’ve got a meat-free option that’s as decadent as any pork-packed sandwich out there.
The bottom line: Eastman definitely made a good first impression. Here’s hoping that it will be a leader in the next wave of breakfast sandwich spots in Chicago. I’ll definitely be back.
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