Femmes who brunch

Storefront Bistro Zinc
Originally uploaded by Atelier Teee.

Did you now that "brunch" is both a noun and a verb in Chicago? I'm sure it's the same in other parts of the world too of course but I never really "brunched" or, more accurately, "did brunch" until I moved here.

Now I'm quite the brunch tramp.

Today's adventure took me, some other Aussies, a Brit, and an American, to Bistrot Zinc on State Street. A terribly French establishment, I thoroughly enjoyed my banana and nutella crepe with orange juice and peppermint tea. Naturally I stuffed that all in while politely but rather enviously eyeing the other orders around me - salade nicoise, eggs benedict, and some plate of fantastic eggy goodness that Jenn ordered that had an elaborate list of ingredients I can no longer recall.

What you can't appreciate from the above photo is that Bistrot Zinc is gloriously surrounded by some chic shops literally designed with me in mind. On the one side, a travel shop with guide books, travel gadgets, and mini lotions and potions just perfect for mid-air spritzing. On the other side, a handbag and shoe store. Across the road, a fun and funky fashion shop, bordered by a bookstore COMBINED with a coffee shop. I could have happily died on the spot. But then I would have missed out on buying things.

After a week of virtual house arrest and battles with contagious bacteria, the brunch and shopping excursion was a brilliant return to the social circuit. And while it may alarm you that I did not enjoy a delicious mimosa with my brunch (nor was I tempted), let me assure you that I'm ready for society once more. And society had better just brace itself!