Brunch at Rustico Grill

Photo tour: Rustico Grill

The scene: When trying a new brunch for the first time, we go out of our way to check preconceptions at the door. At Rustico Grill, a Mexican spot that slipped into the former Rustik space in Logan Square about a month ago, it was harder than usual. We've never had a bad meal--let alone a misstep of any kind--at Raul Arreola's original restaurant, Lakeview BYOB Mixteco. So it was tough not to build up brunch at Rustico, where he's now in the kitchen.

It didn't help that Rustico's menu doesn't do much to distinguish itself--the brunch lineup is nearly a duplicate of Mixteco's, save for a few dishes (notably huevos Oaxaquenos and huevos capitalinos) and the addition of cocktails. But once you step into the place, it's easy to shake off comparisons to the more humble Mixteco. The old Rustik space got a striking Mexican makeover, the crown jewel of which is an 8-foot chandelier made with carved gourds. Stacked stone and earthy green hues occupy the walls, while throw pillows scattered along wooden benches create living room-level comfort.

There's also no comparison to Mixteco in terms of crowd. While you can almost always count on a wait at Mixteco, brunch here is quiet, though perhaps only because Rustico is still finding its feet and the neighborhood doesn't yet know what it has.

The cuisine: Arreola's menu reads much as you might expect a Mexican brunch menu to read, listing classic egg dishes such as chilaquiles ($9) and huevos divorciados ($9) alongside more lunch-appropriate fare, including tacos ($13-$15) and enchiladas ($12-$15).

But not everything is as it seems. Arreola's version of huevos Oaxaquenos ($12) is not the scrambled, tomato- and chile-dependent take you sometimes see elsewhere, but rather a fantastic mushroom-and-Oaxacan cheese omelet smothered in dark mole. We weren't sure how we'd use the soft house-made tortillas that landed on the table with our entrees until the omelet was nearly gone. Then it became abundantly clear: We'd be using them to sop up every last drop of that rich, smoky mole.

The tortillas also came in handy as we neared the end of our huevos capitalinos ($12), a dish of poached eggs over crunchy, black-bean-filled masa cups with juicy strips of grilled skirt steak on the side. The plate came doused in a tangy, slow-burning habanero-tomatillo salsa that begged to be savored.

Rustico's bar was mostly a disappointment. The Pique ($7), an OJ-tequila-hot sauce concoction, was too pulpy and not at all spicy; the Flor de Jamaica ($7), a hot-pink blend of hibiscus syrup, lime juice, tequila and club soda, was overwhelmingly tart. The simplest of the cocktails we tried, the bloody maria (basically a bloody mary, sub tequila for vodka), turned out to be the best.

***

Loved it: The complimentary salsa verde that came with our tortilla chips

Hated it: The avocado-tomatillo salsa that arrived with our empanadas and tasting of under-ripe avocados

Brunch time: 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

Cost: About $25 per person, with cocktail, tax, tip

Wait: None

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

Updated Oct. 9, 2009

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