Easter Unscrambled Spells “Eaters”

Written by on in Breakfast, Dinner, Tidbits and Treats

Has anyone else ever noticed that? Perhaps it’s a sign I’ve been food blogging too long 😉

I woke up early this morning and went to Easter Mass with Bobby and one of my gal pals. It was packed! During the announcements, we found out that there was an egg hunt, but it was for kids under 10. Bummer! (I’m kidding, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have joined in if I could have!)

Instead of egg hunting with all the kiddies (I can get my “awws” and “so cutes” anytime by reading Sarah’s blog), I came home, grabbed one of my two favorite “K’s” (you know the other one), and made the long and exhilarating walk to Jilly’s Cafe for Easter brunch.

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Yes, this place is really that adorable. It seats maybe 50 people and is perfect for special occasions! As you can see on the left side of the picture, upon being seated you are immediately greeted with a “bread basket” filled with scones, corn muffins and lemon poppy seed bread. I grabbed a scone immediately – I was so hungry!

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Trust me when I tell you, it was everything a scone should be 🙂 As we were perusing the menu, our waitress was kind enough to bring us a refreshing kick-it-up-a-notch mimosa.

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I had two throughout the course of our meal 😉 While sipping on champagne ‘n’ juice, I had a hard time deciding what to order! For Easter brunch, you are given an appetizer, entree and dessert choice for a fixed price. Just look at the options:

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I’m sorry, I’m only supposed to choose ONE from each list? Impossible! Eventually, I had to make a decision. While the smoked salmon and crab cakes were tempting me from the appetizer menu, I ended up going with the White Bean and Vegetables Soup. I’m glad I did!

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This soup was light but at the same time, filled to the brim with beans and veggies. I enjoyed every spoonful! I also snagged a corn bread muffin from the basket and topped it with some grape jam.

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And because it was Easter (um, no, actually because I just really wanted it), I also had to try the lemon poppy seed bread. This is one of my favorite sweet breads but I rarely get the chance to have it. What better way to enjoy it than when I know it was made fresh?

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For the entree (another tough decision), I ended up choosing the Shrimp Frittata with Tomato, Scallion, Swiss Cheese and Country Potatoes.

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Look at that melty cheese 🙂 Every bite of the frittata had another ingredient – it was never just eggs. They packed it full of tomatoes, scallions and shrimp, and the potatoes were seasoned perfectly.

At this point, I suppose I had consumed the volume equivalent of three square meals! But somehow, there is always room for dessert. After perusing a menu that included creme brulee, chocolate mousse, stuffed profiteroles and lemon tart, I ended up choosing my ultimate treat: fresh strawberry ice cream with chocolate sauce, fresh berries and whipped cream.

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Heaven in a wine goblet 🙂 The ice cream was at that “just right” temperature between super cold and slightly melted. The whipped cream tasted fresh and the chocolate sauce was rich and definitely not your average bottle of Hershey’s. The strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries added a somewhat “healthy” twist, and the pirouette cookie was an unexpected “icing on the cake,” so to speak.

As you can imagine, both my roomie and I walked out of Jilly’s Cafe feeling completely stuffed but satisfied with our dining experience and somewhat sad that it was our last official campus Easter together. It was our second time setting up this brunch, and I enjoyed every minute I was able to spend talking with her about the past, present and future 🙂 When we got back, K was kind enough to let me turn on the Masters while we made albums from our Emmy trip to L.A. I was kinda bummed for Tiger and Phil, but congrats to Angel Cabrera, of course.

Today was also the first day of Leng’s Salad Challenge. I will post a recap of my salad from today with tomorrow’s post! For now, I’m a bit tuckered out and ready to settle in bed with one of the three books I am currently reading!

Peace out,

bendersignature2

55 Comments

  2. I went to Jilly’s Cafe once – it was super cute! I remember – I really didn’t like fish at that time, but for some reason decided to get salmon and LOVED it. I’ve been eating fish ever since. Life-changing experience, it was. 🙂

  4. awww it looks like that cafe is such a great spot for Easter brunch! i’m glad you had such a wonderful time 🙂

  6. I could not be more stuffed from my own dinner, but your brunch has me sal-i-VAT-in’! I think you made the right entrée choice… shrimp and eggs aren’t combined enough in life. And those breads, holy moly…

  7. I want to eat everything in this post, no joke.

    Ooh a salad challenge sounds fabulous to me, although considering the copious amounts of produce I consume, I don’t think it would be much of a challenge. Perhaps I should do the reverse–eat my veggies in some form other than a salad once a day…

  9. What an incredible brunch! I would have had all three types of bread, too. Knowing it’s homemade and fresh, I would dive right in! The omelette sounds to-die-for as well. SHooo, I’m supah jealous!

    I also just caught up in the Mara post. It looks like you two had a great time together! I love all the Fresh Market finds. I need to hit that up as soon as I can.

    Hope you have a great start to the week 🙂

  10. You are so sweet to say that about me…uh, I mean my girls… I hope tonight’s post met your needs!

    Happy Easter, Jenn!!!

  11. Aww that place is so adorable!!! How cute that they bring out fresh breads and mimosas upon sitting!! I wish all places we’re that courteous now-a-days! I would have definitely gone after the lemon poppy seed bread too, that is definitely a classic that I actually haven’t had in ages! Hope you had a great rest of your Easter Jenn!

  14. What a fabulous meal! I would have gone with the frittata too! Looks amazing! Scones are incredible and I rarely make them! But something about the density of the treat is just perfect 🙂 Enjoy your Monday

  17. that looks like such a fabuuuuuuuulous brunch!! Mimosas! Scones! (my favorite!) cornbread muffins (my other fav.!) white bean n veggie soup! (yum!) and ice cream. niceeeeeeee. Easter dun righttttttt. dun dealin as Erin would say.

    happy Monday beaaaautiful! I’ll text you and bother you this week forsure. 🙂

  18. Your post title is amazing, haha 😀

    We had an Easter egg hunt at my house – too bad you couldn’t be there for it!!

    Fabulous mass and brunch!!

  21. what a cute cafe! I love brunch—it’s definitely my favorite meal. I looked at the menu before I saw what you ate and I guessed that you were going to get the salmon and the fritatta, and since you said you thought about the salmon, I’ll consider myself a winner! Have a great day!

  23. Lovely brunch – I like a variety of bread options 🙂 I also had fresh berries with whipped cream for Easter dessert – I should have drizzled on some chocolate sauce, though!

  24. Aw, that place does look so cute! I don’t think I’d be able to pass up the French Toast though… I’m a sucker for it. 🙂

  25. “upon being seated you are immediately greeted with a “bread basket” – that also happens upon entering heaven.

    I am glad you enjoyed your last campus easter together.

    Guess who’s making some cookies today?

  27. lol! congrats! you’re a true foodie! you find ways to foodicize everything, even the word “Easter”!
    that place sounds like heaven to me. brunch meals are my fav, and holy cow! the bread basket alone will send me into groans of ecstasy! and that’s so funny, when I looked at the menu, I was thinking, “Oooh, please get the shrimp frittata, get the shrimp frittata!” and you did! haha!

  28. Yes! Yesterday I was typing Happy Easter and put Happy Eater haha! Didn’t those kids need a chaperone or something? I would have been bummed to miss the hunt too!

    Aw, I’m one of your favorite K’s – that’s helping to turn my bum mood around! Thanks Jenn 🙂 You’re too sweet!!

    That cafe looks so cute and the food, don’t even get me started!! Yum! Oh and a mimosa or two doesn’t hurt either 😉

  29. I haven’t had lemon poppy seed bread in a long time, I miss it! =( Maybe I will just make some to celebrate Spring!

  33. what a beautiful easter brunch!!! the ice cream looks amazing!
    ahhhh i can’t believe we’re going to be in az the same weekend!!!!! of course, it’s the first time in forever that we’re actually flying into tucson, but the pilot was talking about driving up to phoenix to say hi to his friend rob, so if that happens we should totally meet for ice cream/coffee/lunch/something 😀
    hope you have a great day <3

  36. Well. I’m kinda dying over here for those breads. I am such a carb fiend.

    I don’t honestly know how you chose the apps. There were so many fantastic choices. Seems like the soup was a smart choice.

    Glad you had a fun day.

  39. what an amazing looking brunch!! in a wierd way, that place looks really british, in that antique-y qaint way 🙂 so sweet. i want all the food you ordered – i probably would have gone for the exact same choices!!

  41. Your Easter looks like it was absolutely fabulous and there is nothing wrong with indulging on the holidays. I do have a quick question… where in the chicago area do you live, because it seems like to me that you must live pretty close to Loyola University near evanston, but I am not completely sure. I hope that you have a great spring and continue loving the blogging scene!! 🙂

  42. dude….totallllllllllllly jealous of your brunch! i wish mine had included SCONES!!!! and EGGS!!! I suppose i could have made them…too much time though. boo.

    sounds like a wonderful time though! yay!

  43. awww… happy easter! that restaurant looks SO cute and the food looks perfectly delicious – perfect holiday, I’d say 🙂

    haha: “with one of the three books I am currently reading.” I’m with you on that! ADD with books, always going through a bunch all at once. I see you’ve created a book club during my way too long blogging hiatus (ahh… it’s a crazy life. i’m actually in college now and my mom is in the process of moving BACK to california! but I always wanna come back and then decide I need to change my blog name so it’s more “me”. whatever that is! lol). anyways that’s so cool i’m totally checking out the club!

    have a good week Jenn, hopefully I’ll stick around the internet for awhile this time! 🙂

    ♥ chandra
    htttp://www.prettytimepiece.wordpress.com

  46. What beautiful food and what beautiful pictures! It’s amazing how wonderful scones can be. When I was in Ireland several years ago, for a few reasons, we’d run out of money at the end of a long weekend in a tiny town with no ATMs. I spent my last few coins on a currant scone. It had to be one of the most amazing things I’d ever tasted in my life!

  47. Bender – great photos… the food looks amazing. I could just see you at church itching to run around and find the eggs.. too funny.

  49. haha I have totally been there before!!!! I am pretty sure anyways, if you are near Evanston, IL- I used to go to Northwestern. So many good eats in that area, but that breakfast was one of the best I have ever had! Wow, memory lane!

  50. So, you know what’s funny? We ALL do things that are hilarious from time to time. When I know I’m going to a restaurant I take out my blackberry and draw inpsiration to create a new dish…oh, and I ALWAYS take my camera. My friends rag me all the time for taking photos of everything I eat. hilarious, I know – but it’s true.

    Oh, and that shrimp fritatta has my name written ALL over it!

  51. Oh my gosh that brunch looks fantastic! I would have had an impossible time deciding, but what you picked does look amazing!

  52. Bender,
    Wow, that brunch looked delicious. Love a veggie filled frittata! Sounds like you had a wonderful Easter. Sounds like you were one happy eater. 🙂

    P.S. – Love my ice-cream slightly melted. In fact, I always let the carton sit out a while before digging in – that’s the best way.

  53. I agree with Rose…the pictures are absolutely gorgeous. All of the food looks amazing, too. I love having a reason to have a good celebratory brunch!

  54. All your eats look amazing, as always 🙂

    Lovely Easter! I think that photojournalism class is paying off!

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