Is your usual breakfast a slice of cold pizza eaten on the way to the “L”? Are your morning latte and scone non-negotiable? Are you an Egg McMuffin addict? Sadly, we’re a nation of boring meals on the run. But to change things up a bit, we set out to find options for grab-and-go breakfasts with a global twist. Chinese and Sicilian pastries, Puerto Rican-style oatmeal, and Argentinean empanadas will have you shunning glazed doughnuts forever.
Morning in Argentina
The sun-bleached pinks, blues and green walls at Marcella Sztainberg’s Buenos Aires Forever (939 N. Ashland Ave. 773-486-8081) recall a stroll down an Argentinean street. There are four types of Argentine pastries available only on weekends, including the vigilante ($.75), which is golden, flaky and crowned with a dollop of vanilla custard. While not traditionally eaten for breakfast in Argentina, the eleven varieties of empanadas (below) make an interesting change of pace for anyone who’s short on time but wanting something savory and filling. Try the caprese (tomato-and-cheese) or the fugazzeta (onion-and-cheese) empanadas ($1.99 each).
Morning in Thailand
Thai Urban Kitchen (500 W. Madison St. 312-575-0266), in bustling Ogilvie Transportation Center, is an unexpectedly hip oasis for hungry commuters. Most of the breakfast offerings aren’t exactly portable — and not really what you’d find in Thailand — but you can order a delicious croissant sandwich with ham and Taleggio cheese ($5.50). Eating at your cube? Order the banana-muffin eggs benedict ($6) or the brioche French toast ($6) with warm berry compote and kaffir lime sugar to bring to work with you.
Morning in china
Chiu Quon Bakery (1127 W. Argyle St. 773-907-8888) is one of the last authentic Chinese strongholds of the Argyle area, which was once a center of Chinese culture and food on Chicago’s North Side. Now outnumbered by Southeast Asian restaurants and shops, Chiu Quon still bakes Chinese pastries, breads and cakes daily. Start the morning with a barbecue pork bun ($.75), a customer favorite, any time of day. The staff says the enormous almond cookies ($.75) are a favorite of Americans who stop in, but you can branch out with the rich green bean cake ($.75, with egg yolk $.90).
Morning in mexico
The intimate, sunny Bombon Cafe (38 S. Ashland Ave. 312-733-8717) is tucked away on the corner of Ashland and Monroe, so it’s easy to miss if you’re not careful. But what it lacks in prime retail space, it makes up for with Mexican flair. Try vanilla or chocolate conchas ($.75), sweet leavened rolls with a sugary topping in the shape of a shell (below), or our favorite, the pillowy-soft teleras ($1), plain leavened rolls sometimes used for the Mexican sandwiches known as tortas, with fresh-squeezed orange juice ($3.50). Note: You can find these rolls at the cafe’s downtown location on Washington Street but not at the bakery in Pilsen.
Morning in Puerto Rico
In Humboldt Park’s cozy, family-owned Cafe Colao (2638 W. Division St. 773-276-1780), Tony Muniz, his niece Cindy and her husband Pablo Espinosa offer a little sabor borinquen (Puerto Rican flavor) every morning. Get strong Puerto Rican coffee with a que sito, a sweet, flaky cream cheese-filled pastry ($.75) or a slice of dense, moist, cheese and guava cake ($1.95). Cafe Colao also has breakfast sandwiches made with any combination of steak, ham, egg and cheese you desire ($4.45-$5.75). The must-try here: customer fave avena de coco (coconut oatmeal; $1.99/$3.50).
Morning in sicily
Though you might be more accustomed to Italian for dinner, try Pasticceria Natalina (5406 N. Clark St. 773-989-0662) for an early-morning twist — at least on weekends. The Andersonville spot doesn’t open until noon during the week, but it opens at 9 a.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. Sundays so you can start your day with weekend-only pastries stuffed with seasonal goodies such as amarene e caprino (amarene cherries with goat cheese) or mushrooms with truffle shavings ($3.95). On weekdays, try sfogliatella ($3.25), a crunchy, shell-shaped breakfast pastry filled with ricotta and candied orange peel and baked to a deep golden brown.
