Breakfast at State and Lake

The scene: Hotel breakfast. Words that once put fear in the hearts of discerning diners. But at some point, connotations of inflated prices and sub-par execution of perfunctory dishes like eggs Benedict and blueberry pancakes faded. These days, there are plenty of hotel spots that serve something more than three-cheese omelets and yogurt parfaits. State and Lake, the new restaurant inside Loop boutique hotel The Wit, aspires to be among them.

With lots of swanky leather seating, cork floors and tabletops, and a separate street entrance in addition to the standard off-lobby entry, the dining room doesn’t have a typical hotel look. But it does have an eerily polished hotel air, punctuated by service that feels painfully rehearsed.

If you’re looking for a convenient place to meet for a morning meal in the Loop, however, it’s hard to think of a better place than the easy-to-find, “L”-accessible intersection of State and Lake. Got out-of-towners coming in this summer? When they ask where to meet for breakfast in the city, point them here.

The cuisine: Chef Bradley Manchester (pictured), who oversees all of State and Lake’s menus as well as room service and banquet facilities for The Wit, admirably balances necessary convention and welcome innovation. There are certainly nods to trained hotel guests—witness the steel-cut oats ($6), the fruit parfait ($9) and the build-your-own omelet ($14). But there are also more creative dishes that make State and Lake worth a stop even if you’re not entertaining out-of-towners or holding an early-morning meeting.

A short rib omelet ($13) reinvents a dish from the dinner menu, putting melt-in-your-mouth red and white wine-braised short ribs into a thick omelet with melty cambozola cheese and shiitakes. Pecan- and banana-topped Guinness pancakes ($13) are dense and ever-so-slightly malty with crisp brown edges, thanks to the hit of Irish stout in the batter. And then there are the State and Lake Bennies ($14), two country biscuits topped with poached eggs, braised pork shoulder and smoked garlic hollandaise. Of course, if you seek the familiar safety of eggs Benedict ($13), State and Lake’s got you covered there too.

***

Loved it: Uber-efficient coffee service

Hated it: A wobbly table

Breakfast time: 6-11 a.m. daily
 
Cost: About $18 per person

Wait: None

M. Kathleen Pratt is the Metromix dining producer. kpratt@tribune.com

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