Gather

Really enjoyed brunch. The Biscuits and Gravy were probably my favorite in the city (though I don’t have a whole lot of basis for comparison…) and the cocktails were exceptional. Will for sure be coming back to sample more of the menu.

When you go to Gather you can expect delicious food, a comfortable atmosphere, and friendly service.
On my most recent trip (there have been many) I was seated close to the window on a cooler evening, and it was pretty drafty. Before I had a chance to say anything, the host approached me and offered to turn the heat up and give me a pashmina scarf to keep me warm. The attention to customer service is just one of the nice things that make Gather so special.
On another note, if you get a chance to sit at the chef window, do it. It’s very cool to watch the chefs in action, and you may get to taste something!

Brunch 12:30, no wait for two people. Attentive waiter. Attention waiter: NO TOUCHING (arrested development reference.) It bothers me when waiters/​waitresses touch me and he touched my shoulder and arm while taking the order.
I was debating between a couple options and chose the burger, which was suggested. I was happy with the choice. The burger was cooked a perfect medium rare, was very rich, and they were happy to oblige with a side of red pepper aioli for the fries.
My dining companion had the Eggs Benedict and thought it was a good version. I trust her taste since she’s ‘Ben’ around her share of Benedicts. I tried her home fries and had to order a side of them for myself. The rosemary was a nice addition and the crispy edges were great. They forgot to box up the fries with our leftovers but a small quibble.
On a side note, someone had locked one of the bathrooms from the inside. An employee was using the flashlight function on her phone to illuminate the lock mechanism in order to unlock the empty, locked bathroom from the outside. To a person passing by, it would’ve appeared she was perving out looking through the key hole. We had a good chuckle about that.

Ramp Scramble — scrambled eggs, grilled + pickled ramps, fontina cheese, crispy potato string. Served with bacon + toast
…is fantastic, and I highly recommend ordering when it is available. Patio is kick ass and beautiful.

This is my second review ever as I’m not quick to review — but the staff, food and experience at Gather was top notch. My girlfriend and I had a reservation for a table but decided to switch to the Chefs table (which id highly suggest). You’re up close to the action and the chefs are entertaining and talented. We ordered the following: cured salmon, brussels sprouts, and half chicken. Big portions and all very tasty. It was helpful to see plates being prepared to guide our entrée decisions. Excited to return to try all the other options.
In addition to the great food, the staff was excellent. Jamie had great recommendations throughout the evening. The chefs were the unexpected highlight! Shout out to Ken who was the man. He gave us menu tips throughout — thanks for the advice on dessert! The strawberry rhubarb dessert was fantastic.
Also the layout gave great table options– normal intimate indoor seating, bar, chefs table, and outdoor patio.
As suggested, we will be back for the special events and brunch!
Highly recommend.

Came here on a sunny Saturday and was shocked to find the place not totally crowded. Bellied up to the bar to wait for an outside table and got great service from the female brunette bartender. Moved outside to the gorgeous patio and had a very long brunch. The blueberry doughnut is definitely worth the $ 3, very sugary and rich. The toast ‘appetizer’ was to die for! I asked the server if the kitchen could switch out the Irish bacon for asparagus in the eggs benedict, which they gladly did. My meal was absolutely decadent. My boyfriend got eh shrimp and grits, which might have even been better than the benedict! Our server was a little snooty, but other than that it was a a really lovely afternoon!

Believe the hype! This place was fantastic.
I came with a date on a Sunday evening. We started with the ravioli, which was sooo good. The sauce they used was perfect. Then, we got Brussels sprouts. I’m not a huge fan of this veggie in general, but these were tasty. They also came with fish flakes, but we got those on the side because I hate fish. Then, I had the half chicken. I have honestly never had better chicken in my entire life. The roasted portion melted in my mouth. Have you ever had chicken that actually melts in your mouth? I certainly hadn’t, and it was an incredible experience. The fried portion was perfectly crispy and juicy, and the polenta and gravy added the perfect touch.
My date had the burger which was tasty, but you’re really missing out ordering a burger at this place.
Service was awesome, too. Our server was really accommodating of my silly food preferences, and was the perfect mix of funny and gracious.
Give this place a try! I’m so glad I live close to it now.

Perfect for a date, to celebrate, or just to indulge yourself!
It can be over laud on Sunday Brunch, but what can we do? The food is great!
The service is very attentions as well. The bathroom situation could be better.

Came here for a special dinner and I highly, highly recommend this restaurant. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been to a highly-​rated Unilocal restaurant where I completely agreed with the high rating after dinner, no disappointments at all.
We ordered a couple appetizers and a few entrees and everything was worth its price. Definitely a place to bring friends, family, significant others, I can’t rave enough about this place. The staff is relatable, friendly, on top of things, on point. Their food is timed right, perfectly cooked, on point.
— Whipped Ricotta: Delicious — definitely worth the status it gets from all the Unilocal reviews. Whipped ricotta, slightly sweetened with honey on top, mixed together and spread on top of some toasted bread. Such a unique flavor profile, great textures, delicate ricotta, crisp biscuits, great appetizer.
— Cured Salmon: Such a great pairing — salted, savory salmon, perfectly seasoned, herbacious, yolk and egg mixed in with everything. Delicious smear to help balance everything out on a crisp baguette/​toast. Definitely an appetizer that comes recommended.
— Roasted Sturgeon: The sturgeon is the texture of swordfish but more tender, more flavorful.
— Half Chicken: They prepare chicken two ways — pan searing the chicken breast and deep frying chicken thigh over a bed of polenta. It was DELICIOUS. The chicken breast was the most tender, moist, and flavorful chicken breast I’ve ever eaten. The fried chicken thigh was perfectly crisp, super flavorful, and the bed of polenta helped give the entrée a layer of richness. It could’ve used more polenta but it was a surprisingly filling plate.
— Grilled Sirloin: There was a LOT going on on this plate. The sirloin was super flavorful, tender, and the texture was melt in your mouth delicious. They also had these fried mushrooms that were AMAZING, just as beefy, just as crispy, perfect accompaniment to the steak.
Warning: Be careful if you sit out on the patio, it can get pretty cold pretty quick. But the alternative, sitting inside, can get pretty loud.

Our favorite brunch spot! We’ve been here three times, and every trip has pleased us immensely (and then some!).
You’re greeted by the Head Host, and he is both kind and welcoming. The waitresses/​waiters all live up to this demeanor as well!
We’ve eaten everything from the Strawberry and Mascarpone French Toast to the Chicken and Waffle, and it’s all perfect. My boyfriend even said today, and I quote, «the chicken at Gather is better than Honey Butter Fried Chicken– and that’s their speciality!!»
I enjoy that they rotate things in and out of the menu, as well as keep some staples (… Did you know Gather has been voted to have one of the best pancakes in Chicago?! Trust me. They do.)
Gather is definitely a favorite!

We had the rare opportunity to eat at the chef «kitchen table». It was such a treat. The chef interacted with us and it was like watching a cooking show. The food was out of this world. We started with the ricotta & honey toast, not only was it so good but they gave you many pieces of toast. Most places that serve smears never give enough toast!
We shared the pork shank for two. Came with polenta and pea shoots. It was indescribably delicious. Dessert, strawberry rhubarb crumble with homemade ginger ice cream. The serving sizes are really big. Okay the pork was for two but both the ricotta toast and the dessert we shared and could not finish. Unusual because we eat like pigs! The pun was intended

Always amazing. My favorite spot in the Square. Perfect for special occasions or any other time when you want to eat food crafted for a king and service to match!

Great little spot in Lincoln Square! I did brunch here with some girl friends last Sunday. I made a res online the morning of and mentioned we wanted to sit outside (like I imagine everyone wanted to on the first over 70 day in the city) and we got a great table in the back of their covered outdoor seating.
Décor was simple and neat with a bit of elegance. They immediately left us with w chilled bottle of water which we appreciated because we came to drink! Within 10 minutes our adorable and super sweet server came to get our drink order! I had the blood orange mimosa, my girls had the sleepy jean! Both of which were delicious. Blood orange mimosa is something different and appreciated from your average mimosa and the sleepy Jean while it may seem intimidating for brunch hours with tequila is very tasty and refreshing (the fresh mint garnish was gorgeous!
The food came fairly quickly as well. We started with the sticky bun. AMAZING warm, sweet, soft with the perfect amount of crunch from the walnuts. I got the biscuits and gravy which was super filling (I took half home for later) and spectacular. The gravy is phenomenal and the chicken sausage is light enough to not over power the gravy. The biscuits are huge and basically the godly version of a cheddar bay biscuit, super fresh super soft crazy delicious. My friends got the steak and eggs, and the ramp scramble both were delicious and we all had to go boxes.
Overall it was a lovely relaxing experience and we will definitely be back!

Hit of the night: those crispy brussel sprouts! My friend is allergic to fish, so one order of the sprouts was requested with the bonito flakes on the side, and I actually preferred those bc I didn’t like the slight fishiness/​savory flavor I got from the flakes.
Honorable mention: the hearty bacon cheeseburger served with crispy fries! Mmm, thoroughly enjoyed those leftovers at lunch the next day!
Swing and a miss: the gnocchi shareable plate. Super small portion, and the flavor of the sweet almond cookie crumble kind of clashed with the butternut gnocchi. I thought I would like it more, but I don’t recommend it.
I seem to have had some unusual bathroom experiences at restaurants lately. Here at Gather, pay special attention to the picture signage on the doors. I, or someone I may or may not know, thought the pictures were the same (not the case!) and had a 50% accuracy rate in visiting the correct rr. Both bathrooms are pretty clean!

I love the ambiance here at Gather. The food was extraordinary delicious. The staff super friendly and the drinks look so amazingly zippy. My only down fall is the tables & chairs are too high for me.
The deserts were so delicious. I was so happy I drove to gather for a wonderful experience on excellent cuisine.
I will defiantly be coming back to try different dishes on the menu. I enjoyed from the menu everything I ordered. Compliments to the cooks that work so hard to please out pallets. Yum thumbs up.

Honest review: the food is amaizin comin here again! First time i been somewhere where everything was amaizin! The service was amaizin! But the server n the waiter smelled it was a combination of b. o n bad breath but since they were so nice i didnt mind. I didnt like the hostess i called to make a reservation n shes like oh no reservations available when we came there were seats? Then she took forever to greet us cause tje person who came after us had a reservation really u told us no available ones work on this everybody loved this place! BE CAREFUL THERES A PARKING AREA RIGHT BY THE RESTAURANT DONT PUSH THE MAX BUTTON DO IT BY THE HOUR WE PUSHED MAX N IT CHARGED US 24 $
$ 9 Brussel sprouts: if u dont like Brussel sprouts this dish will make u love them. The brussel sprouts are fried to perfection not greasy or burnt so crunchy! Then theres bonito flakes n their not old so they werent dry which they can be it added a nice seafood flavor to the dish that went perfect with the brussel sprouts. The sauce is to die for its so rich! Plz put more though ask for more sauce its orgasmic. Then the pistachios were amaizin! They have this amaizin coating on them idk what it is there amaiZin this dish was a homerun i would come back just for this dish
$ 11 Burrata: the burrata was amaizin n it was actually seasoned! I hate grape fruit like i do with a passion people hate cilantro well grape fruit is my cilantro. Its sweet acidic flavor made the salad taste so much better. The argula tasted really good alot of times it has a really funky bitter taste thats really awful but its really high quality. The vinaigrette was really tasty it wasnt to acidic sometimes they could be way to acidic. The best part of the dish are these garlic fritters! Omg omg fuck croutons garlic fritters are in they taste so good and rich and are so crunchy ask for more cause they only give u two pieces u will thank me
$ 10 Butternut squash gnocchi: amaizin! Im always hesitant to order this cause the texture is off n there not flavorful these were amaizin. They were so fluffy like pillows. N they taste so good so flavorful not bland at all. the purée was delicious butternut squash is so underutilized. It has such a rich delicate flavor. The brown butter is so rich butter makes everything taste better put more plz the best part is the amaretti cookie the sweat tone is so amaizin i never had a cookie in an appetizer before its heavenly it goes so well with everythin else put more plz must order!
$ 23 Sturgeon: this was one of the best dishes of the night order it! The fish is crunchy yes! But a lil overcooked. The risotto was amaizin so rich perfect texture! I wanted to eat a bowl of just this. Then theres pork in it! What could be better then rich salty pork! Then theres collard greens omg best ones i ever had this dish was amaizin im definitely comin back jus to eat this again. Then theres spicy pickled onions imma be dreamin about this dish
$ 23 grilled sirloin: this was good but not amqizin like everybody else. The sirloin was cooked perfectly n seasoned nicely. Problems not enough components after about a minute ur left with a bunch of steak. Panisse was interesting picture like healthy fries a nice texture. I loved all the texture in this dish like the cashews. The best is the fried broccoli amaizin! The purée is phenominal but put more!
$ 9 Brownie: (be warned the plate and brownie are extremely hot) i usually dont care for brownies but this was amaizin the ice cream was to die for! Idk what flavor it was cause theres no dessert menu but its phenomenal perfect texture went perfectly with the brownie. Then theres macadamia nuts so crunchy this dish needed the crunch! Omg then theres pretzel bites so good! I love sweet and salty its the best flavor combination! N all these crunchy elements really elevated the dish! The brownie was perfect no dark chocolate really this was so decedent. Their was this orange flavor that went perfectly with the chocolate n cut through the sweatness a must order
$ 9 Apple fritters: omg the fritters are so big! Their like as big as oranges. Their so flavorful n theres actual pieces of apple in it so u could really taste the apple fritter. It wasnt dry at all. Their not greasy but they were a lil dark. The ice cream omg nothing better then homemade vanilla icecream! Wish there was vanilla bean in it but still amaIzin! Theres a caramel sauce thats really delicous but theres not enough! So put more plz n if it had sea salt in the caramel it would be perfect loved this dessert

After hearing that Gather offers one of the best Sunday brunches in the Chicagoland area, I knew I had to give this place a try myself. The ambiance is described as a fusion between an upscale European wine restaurant with the relaxation of the American style. As a couple of my friends and I walked in, we immediately felt warm and welcomed by everyone.
We ordered a donut (vanilla bean glazed and topped with toasted coconut and almond) and a sticky bun (topped with a gooey glaze and toasted walnuts) to share. I wasn’t too impressed with the flavor of the donut (since I’m not a huge coconut fan), but the actual donut was fluffy and chewy. The sticky bun was everything you want: an ooey glaze on top of a warm bun. For my entrée, I decided to try the biscuit and gravy (cheddar and scallions biscuit covered in chicken sausage gravy, crispy onions, fried sage, and a fried egg). The biscuits were moist and the gravy was flavorful.
I really enjoyed my experience with Gather. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. I definitely agree this is a must try brunch place in the Chicagoland area.

I let my boyfriend surprise me for my birthday dinner and he chose this place. I was a little hesitant because the menu was small, and being a picky eater, that stressed me out. We got here and were immediately seated. The restaurant itself reminds me of someone’s house, with 3 distinct dining areas. Too bad it was winter, otherwise I would have sat in their cute outdoor patio.
I ordered a grapefruit cocktail followed by the ricotta and honey spread. It was delicious, despite me not liking ricotta, and probably my favorite dish that we had there. After this delicate but plentiful appetizer, we had the gnocchi which were pretty good. As an entrée I ordered the chicken and my boyfriend I end got the scallops. To be honest, I though the entrees were small in size and nothing memorable. I would come here again but maybe only for a lunch so I can have the appetizers.

Appetizers:
Whipped Ricotta — Yum! Lemony aftertaste
Roasted Cauliflower — Delicious and I don’t really like cauliflower
Steak Tartar — eh… different, mentally I didn’t like it.
Charred Green Beans — Yum
Cured Salmon — Different, pretty delicious
Five of us got the burger, we all agreed, it was so bad. They could have used a pretzel bun but instead they used a very very dry brioche which had us all choking, so all of us ate the meat only which had an ok flavor. My friend asked for her burger medium rare and it came out almost medium well. I would never get the burger here again.
Two people got the pan seared cod, one got the diver scallops which they all thoroughly enjoyed.
I was originally thinking about wine but I got a porter and a stout instead.
Our group got all three deserts (yup, that’s how we do) and the apple fritters were the best out of the bunch. The most memorable for me anyway.
Atmosphere was awesome, we basically had our own private dining area except for the couple who was on a date, which I felt bad for because we were loud at times. Eh. The service was also great, no complaints there!

Usually idiots throw around the word «best,» but I will risk that and state this is the best restaurant in North Center. Yes, there’s not exactly much competition in this neighborhood full of young families who will be suburban bound soon. But this restaurant has excellent finesse. The menu changes with the season, and the bartenders are high quality who make well balanced cocktails. They are also known for an incredible Sunday family style meal that’s absolutely delicious.
Whipped ricotta — B
steak tartare — A
Cured salmon — A
Diver scallops — A
Half chicken– A
Family style
–fried chicken — A+
Corn bread — A+
Polenta — A
Spaghetti and meatballs — B+
Arugula salad — B+
Sticky buns — B