Brunch at Pannenkoeken Cafe

Brunch time: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day

Cost: About $10 per person

The scene: Who knew there was such a demand for Dutch pancakes in Lincoln Square? The first weekend at Pannenkoeken Cafe, a little storefront cafe opened its doors, the wait for a table exceeded one hour at times. We'll chalk up some of the spot's popularity up to the fact that the tiny, green-walled dining room only holds about 20 people, and there's no standing room inside if you're waiting for one of the seven tables. Call it the Bongo Room Theory: If there's a line outside, there must be something good inside. With so many folks milling about out front, passersby couldn't help but peer through the windows to see what this cheery little cafe with the funny name was all about.

The cuisine: No surprise here: Pannenkoeken Cafe specializes in pannenkoeken. But just what the heck is that? It's a Dutch specialty (literally, "pancake") made from a batter of flour, eggs and milk, and cooked in a special pannenkoeken pan until golden brown. The result is a bit thicker than a crepe and about 11 inches in diameter. It's also really fun to say. (It's pronounced pahn-neck-coe-ken.) At Pannenkoeken Cafe, you could go for the decadent chocolate-banana pannenkoeken ($7.75), which comes topped with toasted hazelnuts, chocolate syrup and cocoa that mother-daughter co-owners Linda Ellis and Gina Salgado import from Europe; but we liked the lighter ginger-raisin version ($6.75) with plump golden raisins cooked right into the cake. As big as our plate, it arrived topped with a bold ginger marmalade. The menu also offers traditional American breakfast items like buttermilk pancakes and omelets--but we're not sure why anyone would stand in line for an hour for a Denver omelet. If you're really torn between savory and sweet, just go for the bacon-cheese pannenkoeken ($6.75), which comes topped with five strips of crispy bacon and melted havarti cheese.

The wait: Up to one hour during peak brunch times. If you've just got to have a Dutch pancake but can't handle the lines, stop by on a weekday, when the cafe opens its doors at 6 a.m.

Loved it: Special discounts on select menu items nearly every day of the week--even Saturday!

Hated it: Service issues on opening weekend exceeded the usual new-restaurant kinks. Sure, it was busy, but we couldn't figure out why it took 20 minutes to bus an empty table.

M. Kathleen Pratt is the Metromix print editor. kpratt@tribune.com

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