Brunch at Turquoise

The scene: The promise of street fests, the lakefront and alfresco dining is the only thing that gets Chicagoans though brutal and lingering winters. We speak from experience. Restaurateurs also know this. Throw a few plastic chairs on a patio at the first hint of summer, and they’ll have an audience. We feel like suckers when we find ourselves on one of these patios.

Mike Guler is not one of these restaurateurs. His 5-year-old Roscoe Village Turkish spot, Turquoise Restaurant, has one of the most beautiful sidewalk cafes in town, complete with white tablecloths, hanging flower baskets and a canopied terrace. The icing on the cake: The patio is tucked along a tree-lined street.

Turkish-American families outnumbered the Roscoe Village thirtysomethings the morning we dined. Both groups seemed comfortable in their flip-flops.

The cuisine: If eggs are your Sunday morning hangover cure, Turquoise is your place. The $13.95 seven-course prix-fixe menu—the only brunch option—includes no fewer than three egg dishes and starts with a glass of sparkling wine to help with that headache. If you prefer options to volume, Turquoise might not be for you. That’s not to say you don’t get a range of entrees at Turquoise. It’s just that none was a homerun.

The cheesy scrambled eggs—with generous feta, parmesan, mozzarella and blue cheeses—was easily our favorite. The poached eggs with a borscht-like melange of tomatoes, parsley, garlic, and peppers, were less memorable. A crepe arrived with nothing more than a dusting of powdered sugar—luckily, the packet of honey that arrived with our bread was a quick fix. Entrees are served family style, and portions are generous. The pace is slow—who wouldn’t want to linger here on a beautiful summer morning?—so if you’re on a schedule, let your server know.

Loved it: Warm homemade Turkish white bread, placed on our table shortly after we arrived

Hated it: Cold, bland, kugel-like cheese pie

Brunch time: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays

Cost: $13.95 per person, plus tax and tip

Wait: None

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