The scene: Some weekend mornings, you just don’t want to leave the house. Forget the world outside. You’ve got your Snuggie, your cup of coffee and an episode of “Lost” waiting for you on the DVR.
But life intervenes. You’ve made plans to meet friends or you’re out of milk or you have to pick up the dry cleaning anyway, so why not just get on with it? This is when you need the Flower Flat.
Part flower shop, part cafe and 100 percent what your aunt’s summer house in Wisconsin might look like if she dropped a few hundred fresh flowers into the foyer, breakfast here is not so different from breakfast in your own home.
Located at garden level on a mostly residential stretch of Addison Street, the 14-seat spot has enough quirky charm to appeal to everyone. Even if you’re not into pastels and hanging ceramic plates on your walls, surely you can get on board with the original 1933 “King Kong,” which was playing on a TV in the corner when we visited.
The cuisine: The difference between the Flower Flat and your house, of course, is that you’re not cooking — owner Betsy Mikelson takes care of that. Though the Flower Flat has been around for nearly two decades, Mikelson just bought the place last year. She relaunched the cafe menu about five months ago, replacing everything and adding her own flair.
Lest you forget you’re next door to a flower shop, every dish is associated with a flower or plant. The subtly spiced waffles ($6.50) are tagged “hydrangea,” which represents perseverance (a tribute to the kitchen’s stubborn waffle maker), while a serving of granola, fresh fruit and yogurt ($4.50) is associated with the yarrow, a plant that conveys good health.
Some dishes, like the smoked salmon ($7.50), even look a bit like flowers — the salmon, served with Red Hen flatbread and herbed cream cheese, is rolled up and placed on end to resemble roses. Our favorite dish, a twist on the breakfast sandwich ($7), looks like it’s blooming, with sliced bell peppers and greens shooting artfully out the top of a roll spread with spicy harissa and stuffed with potatoes and boiled egg.
No, you can’t wear your Snuggie. But breakfast at home has never been quite so cheery.
THE JUICER
WHAT TO EXPECT BEFORE YOU GO: ‘Hood haunt
the juice
The Flower Flat
622 W. Addison St.
773-697-3682
2.5 (out of 4) eggs
Loved it: Intelligentsia coffee ($1.50) in individual presses
Hated it: Limp bacon ($2.50)
Breakfast time: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday
Cost: About $12 per person, with tax and tip
Wait: None if you don’t mind sharing a table; otherwise 10-15 minutes at peak times.
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kpratt@tribune.com
