Tuesday, November 20, 2012

M. Henry (Andersonville)


5707 N. Clark Street

Sometimes you meet a person and you feel an instant connection. Your heart beats quickly, you smile a lot, you try to think of something funny to say and it comes out as a really weird noise through your nose. Oftentimes this is how I feel about food.

For Nick's birthday brunch, we journeyed up to M. Henry in Andersonville. Frankly, this place is adorable. The atmosphere has a cozy, European style, and is simply elegant (is that a Martha Stewart magazine?). There's a farm-y aesthetic about the place with wooden tables and chairs, milk jugs scattered about, and a ceramic rooster here and there. Incredibly welcoming. Also, while waiting for our table, I keenly observed they serve gelato, which I will devour upon my next visit.

Nearly 2 1/2 inches tall, the quiche I ordered was stuffed with asparagus, sautéed leeks, shallots, applewood bacon, gruyere and lorraine swiss. I ate this quiche, you see, and my heart fluttered with every bite. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. The medley of flavors blew me away. Every bite caused me to fall in love further and more deeply. I couldn't bear for the fling to end. And it didn't. Because I took it home for leftovers and finished it the next day. YES.

The quiche in question

Of course, with every love, sometimes there are annoying quirks, or orange juice you get overcharged for. I ordered a fresh-squeezed orange juice and when we received the bill it said $4.50 for the glass. I double checked the menu and there was a small size option for $2.75, which I was not consulted about. I'm never one to nitpick about a dollar here and there, but the fact that our waiter didn't even offer me an option irked me. I was swindled! Swindled, I say!

So I worked in Andersonville for two years and lived in Ravenswood/Lincoln Square area for four of those two years and never went to M. Henry. Now that I live in Logan Square, which is a 45 minute, two-bus ride away from Andersonville, this is the time I chose to visit. Of course. But I would do it again and again. My wait finally paid off. I'm in love!

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