Brunch at District

The scene: During happy hour, fans file into classy River North sports bar District to watch games on TVs set into a circular sofit surrounding the main bar. Come for the 6-week-old Sunday brunch, and you'll have an entirely different experience.

The dining room is sunken below the main bar and bordered by a glass facade that opens onto the street. Sit toward the back of the dining room to get the alfresco vibe without having to squint, or bring your sunglasses and sit at a table bordering the sidewalk.

District is located kitty-corner from the Rock 'N' Roll McDonald's, smack-dab in the middle of River North, so a smattering of tourists staying at nearby hotels supplement a relatively small field of casually dressed couples and groups. You'll have your pick of tables if you arrive before noon, but expect late-day crowds to pick up as football season kicks into high gear.

The cuisine: District's bar menu sports plenty of tweaked classics (crab rangoon reborn as wonton chips and dip, for example), so it's fitting that the brunch menu follows suit.

Steak and eggs ($10) is a juicy seared hangar steak served with two fried eggs and chili fries, made even better by sweet-and-spicy seasoning that reminded us of barbecue-flavored potato chips. And we loved the biscuits and gravy ($10, left), a quartet of flaky mini-biscuits resting on sauteed spinach, topped with creamy gravy and tender chunks of rich duck confit.

Omelets ($8) with choose-your-own fillings (the usual suspects, plus upgrades such as smoked trout and rock shrimp) are generous and fluffy. Potato-lovers be warned: egg dishes come with greens unless you choose to add fries ($2). Slightly less indulgent (or slightly more heart-healthy, depending on your perspective) options include a Greek yogurt parfait with berries, granola and honey, and an egg-white frittata with spinach and goat cheese.

On the sweet side, banana bread French toast gets a boost from maple-chocolate sauce, walnuts and vanilla whipped cream ($8). To drink, the $30 tabletop bellini bar is a festive splurge for a group of three or four. The setup includes a bottle of bubbly and fruit purees: raspberry, peach and blueberry, though the latter was too chunky to play well with the champagne.

Lisa Arnett is the Metromix nightlife and shopping producer. lmarnett@tribune.com

***

Loved it: Comfy high-backed leather chairs

Hated it: Slow service

Brunch time: 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Sunday

Wait: None

Cost: $16-$18 per person with tax and tip

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