I haven’t been to Glen Ellyn often. It’s one of those cities that just never really hits my radar. I can even tell you the last time I was there. It was the summer of 2000. I was but a young lad, new to the world of art house films. My friends asked if I wanted to go see this movie, “Requiem for a Dream” they called it. It was by the guy who directed Pi, they said. It was about the evils of heroin they said. It was a movie starring Marlon Wayons and Jennifer Connelly they said. Hey! I had a disturbing crush on Jennifer Connelly! I was totally in!
That day scarred me. I couldn’t tell you if it was the old 1970’s theater we saw it in that made me wonder if I was reliving the grindhouse experience of the olden days of Times Square; or if it was the evil, moving fridge. Or maybe it was the words that haunt me to this day, “Ass to ass!” that really just solidified that moment in my filmgoing history as the day I REALLY needed to get home and take several showers.
(On an aside, I actually quite liked the movie, but I still feel dirty every time I watch it.)
So, it’s been 8 years since my last visit to Glen Ellyn; and this visit was decidedly more pleasant. The owner of Honey Cafe left a message on the blog that we had to come check out her food. We had been planning to make our way up there ever since we were interviewed for the Naperville Sun, because the reporter mentioned how tasty their grilled cheese sandwiches were. But with the invitation, it was hard to keep putting it off, so a couple weeks ago, we busted out the trusty Google Maps and made our way to downtown Glen Ellyn.
And am I glad we did.
For full disclosure, the owner/manager DID give us some free cupcakes, but this happened after we already ate the breakfast and were heading up to pay our bill. But by then, we were already in love with the food. The cupcakes were a nice addition, but they paled in comparison to the actual meal.
- Caprese Benedict @ Honey Cafe
This is easily my favorite breakfast place. While I enjoy Crispy Waffles, I’m actually surprisingly picky when it comes to breakfasts. I usually just opt for the cereal because nothing ever comes close to what I’m looking for. The caprese benedict at Honey changed that, however. My good gods people, it was delicious. Words can’t do the flavors justice. Consisting of a 1-2 inch-thick slab of tomato foccacia bread and topped with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, two poached eggs and a supremely satisfying hollandaise sauce, I think this was the first breakfast I had that made me happy to spend money on breakfast meal.
Katie tried the Eggs on a Motorcycle, a childhood favorite of both of ours. A thick slice of artisanal bread baked with two eggs inside, seating over a pool of roasted garlic and rosemary cream sauce and garnished with fresh rosemary; everyone has had a variation on this at least once in their lives. Whether it’s known as Eggs in a Nest or any one of a dozen different names, it was a homey dish elevated to a higher standard.
The servings were, I was going to say immense, but that’s a lie. The servings were just enough to make you regret eating that much in one sitting, especially once you add in the healthy helping of home potatoes that were served with each dish.
And speaking of potatoes, make sure to try the sweet potato fries with the harissa dipping sauce. She has opened up our eyes to the glory of harissa. Lords do we hate mayonaisse, but if all mayonaisse tasted THAT good, I’d be applying it to everything.
What I loved about the food was the simplicity of the tastes. As intricate as some of the dishes may have sounded on paper, the finished products were absolutely, deliciously simple.
Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner I have to say you’d be a mad fool not to check out Honey the next time you’re in Glen Ellyn. I know we’ll be going back at least once before we move to Chicago.
Honey Cafe
499 N Main St, Glen Ellyn, IL
(630) 469-0000
Eggs on a Motorcycle @ Honey
Two Bites in Suburbia 