The Publican, Fulton Market, Chicago

Last weekend The Publican served brunch for the first time. Chuck, being the food editor of Chicagoist, had gotten notice of it and invited us to come with him to check it out. Dallas and I have been meaning to go to The Publican, so we were all for it.

Bloody Mary :: The Publican, Fulton Market, Chicago

Pork Rinds :: The Publican, Fulton Market, Chicago

The Publican is one of Paul Kahan’s restaurants. He also is the chef/owner at Avec and Blackbird, two spots I’ve been to and have really enjoyed. The brunch wasn’t publicized like crazy, but Chef Kahan was Twittering about it, as was his publicist. I got really excited for the brunch because all week long they were talking about the menu. The morning of brunch they were twittering and posting photos of preparing for the first brunch and what the people involved looked like and how to pull it off and what the menu items looked like prepared. I was SO psyched to go later that day.

Maple Syrup Braised Bacon :: The Publican, Fulton Market, Chicago

Pork Confit, Shrimp & Andouille Stew with Scrambled Eggs :: The Publican, Fulton Market, Chicago

When we got to The Publican it wasn’t all that packed. We were also coming in later, though, so who knows how it was earlier. We stood at a highboy table while we waited to get seated and each ordered bloody marys and beer. The Publican Bloody Mary is made with homemade bitters, balsamic vinegar, chopped celery, Fresno chili, horseradish, regular tomato juice, and Titos vodka. It was delicious, although I thought it was a bit on the thick and chunky side. I needed a straw or something to drink it. A spoon! We had six people all together and when our party all arrived we were seated. Immediately we ordered pork rinds and bacon. Before trying them, I wasn’t sure about the pork rinds, but they were so light and crispy. The bacon was delicious. Maple braised. The salty and sweet combination was fabulous.

Red Wine Poached Eggs :: The Publican, Fulton Market, Chicago

Pretzel that accompanied the Weiswurst :: The Publican, Fulton Market, Chicago

For our meals, this is what we got:

• Benton ham, red wine-poached egg, grilled bread and béarnaise ($12)
• Weiswurst and pretzel ($10)
• Wood-fired egg with harissa, Gouda and grilled bread ($8)
• Pork confit, shrimp and andouille stew with scrambled eggs ($14)
• Smoked ham chop with Bird Mill grits and poached egg ($12)

Wood-Fired Egg :: The Publican, Fulton Market, Chicago

Ham Chop :: The Publican, Fulton Market, Chicago

Everybody was really satisfied with their entrees. We were all so excited to be there and brunch at The Publican definitely did not let us down. I loved the ambiance inside. There’s a lot of light wood and it was bright and sunny when we went. The lights weren’t on, it was all ambient light and gorgeous. The service was spot on. My entree, the wood-fired eggs, was taking longer than everyone else’s to come out of the kitchen, so they gave me a tomato & ricotta crustada on the house. It was the only blip in service and they made up for it immediately. And the food… was delicious. I’d definitely like to come back to The Publican for brunch… but especially want to check it out for dinner now.

Ricotta & Tomato Crustada :: The Publican, Fulton Market, Chicago

The Publican is at 837 W. Fulton Market, Chicago, IL.

You can also view these photos in this Chicagoist post.

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