June 30--The Belmont Cafe, at 930 W. Belmont Ave. where 24-hour diner Clarke's used to be, has a collection of red chairs with lines so fine I'd like to buy a couple for my kitchen. I also wish I could plate up, at my home table, an egg skillet dish as fun as the cafe's sassy mix of chorizo, sauteed onions, tomatoes, hot peppers and melted Jack cheese, all under fluffy scrambled eggs.
No hours were posted at the restaurant during my visit, but the new Lakeview spot is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, a server told me by phone. I found the cafe's telephone number only on the check, so take note: 773-394-4122.
The arrival of The Belmont Cafe caps a debate earlier this month on whether Clarke's on Belmont was closed for good or just shut for renovation.
Asked for details about the cafe via Facebook, owner Nick George demurred, saying he still was "getting a lot of things together." But the menu I saw promised casual comfort food. There are eggs galore, from two eggs served any style to eggs Benedict to that chorizo skillet I enjoyed so much to an interesting take on corned beef and eggs with thin strips of the beef tossed with cubes of fried potatoes. There are sandwiches (grilled cheese, BLT, pulled pork, chicken caprese, steak, etc.), burgers (including The Wrigley, billed as "the classic all-American cheeseburger;" a mac 'n' cheese burger with bacon; and a veggie burger with caramelized onions, chipotle mayonnaise and choice of cheese). There are salads, sides, soups and wraps.
Prices are moderate; for example, eggs range from $7 to $13, the skillets are $10 and come with choice of pancakes or toast, and burgers are $10 or $11.
It's a handsome space, with a high painted ceiling, huge windows, blond wood tables, cushy black booths and those wonderful red chairs. Seating choices range from eight chairs at a window counter facing bustling Belmont Avenue to tables for two, booths for four and a long communal table that can serve 12.
The Belmont Cafe, 930 W. Belmont Ave., 773-394-4122. Open Sunday to Wednesday, 9 a.m. to midnight; Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 a.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 a.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 a.m
wdaley@tribpub.com
