Sunday, March 27, 2011

Dining Out in Chicago: Victory's Banner

Reasons Victory's Banner is my favorite place for brunch (in no particular order):

1.) The Sunny, Uplifting environment: In the heart of Roscoe Village, the space has cheerful baby-blue and white walls, lots of windows, and (when the weather warms up) side-walk seating. Cheerful art with themes of peace decorate the walls and tables. The wait-staff, wearing colorful saris, remain calm and joyful no matter how packed the restaurant (their calmness likely due to the fact that all employees are meditation students of the spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy, whose face is prominently featured throughout the restaurant).


Cheerful, original art by Sri Chinmoy decorates the restaurant









2.) Out of this World French Toast: I declare that their French Toast is the best in the city, and I'm not alone in thinking that, as reviews from the Chicago Reader and other publications agree. For no extra charge it is served with peach-butter and real maple syrup, but I recommend paying the extra $2 for a puree of real raspberries which elevates the dish to a whole new level.

They also have a Vegan version of French Toast made with coconut milk and chai-inspired spices.


REAL maple syrup on every table.

Order a cup of chai, and for an extra $1 make it bottomless!







3.) Delicious, unique menu items: My favorite is their "Eggless Wonder #2", a sautee of marinated tofu, vegetables, potatoes, brown rice, feta and pesto (Eggless Wonder #1 is the same, but with goat cheese instead of feta and pesto). It's a delicious, savory breakfast that leaves me feeling energized, not weighed down like traditional brunch foods.

On my next visit, I plan to try their Uppama "India’s answer to cream of wheat - a savory hot cereal with peas, tomatoes and onions, served with a sweet coconut chutney and yogurt".

They also have a full lunch menu available with soups, salads, wraps, and burgers.



Eggless Wonder #2, served with a crusty slice of hearth bread.







"Satisfaction Promise", their most popular egg-dish, a scramble of two eggs with spinach, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and feta.






4.) Did I mention the restaurant is 100% Vegetarian? And with such a wide selection of omelets, scrambles, pancakes, and french toast, the absence of meat could easily go unnoticed. Order a burger or side of bacon or sausage and rest easy knowing that it's vegetarian!

The completely vegetarian 'Sausage' and Gouda omelet.







Victory's Banner
www.victorysbanner.com
2100 W Roscoe (2 blocks West of Damen)
Closed on Tuesdays. Open 8am-3pm all other days.

Important Note: the restaurant closes twice a year and will be closed from April 9th - 19th.

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