Pannenkoeken Cafe
Lincoln Square
4757 N. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
773-769-8800

Bucktown/Wicker Park
2257 W. North Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
773-227-6600

Hours:
Lincoln Square: 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Mon., Wed., Thurs., Fri.;
8 a.m.-2 p.m., Sat.-Sun. Closed Tuesday.

Bucktown/Wicker Park: 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Mon.-Thurs.;
7 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri.; 8 a.m.-11 p.m., Sat.; 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun.

By Lee Barrie and Cindy Kurman
Original story appeared in StreetWise
 One of Chicago’s hottest spots for breakfast these days takes you on a journey to Holland. The Dutch rendition of the pancake, which the Dutch call Pannenkoeken (pronounced pa-ne-co-ken), is the specialty of the house. There are two locations of this bright and popular eatery. The original location in Lincoln Square is a tiny and busy 20-seater. With bright colors, comfortable banquettes and butcher block tables, the atmosphere is basic but homey. The Bucktown/Wicker Park location is much bigger, but so are the crowds. On weekends, you may need to wait for a table, but it’s worth it. Be prepared to give them your name and party size and, if you go off to window shop for awhile, make sure to come back in due time. To shorten our wait, we shared a four-top table with two very friendly women who have lived in Holland and could speak to the authenticity of this restaurant.

So what is a Pannenkoeken, besides a difficult to pronounce word? This delicious Dutch rendition of the pancake is a large, plate-sized thin pancake that’s like a crêpe but thicker. It’s also like a German pancake, but since it’s not baked, it doesn’t puff up like the German dish. It also has some griddle marks that remind us of Indian Naan bread. Our new tablemates told us that they remember the ones in Holland being slightly thicker, but I don’t think we should quibble. They loved these.

Whichever way you describe it, the Pannenkoeken comes out piping hot (servers deliver them fresh from the kitchen) and the toppings are delicious. Depending on how hungry you are, you can share one between two people, although it’s tempting to wolf down the whole thing, because the Pannenkoeken are that good.

The best part of the Pannenkoeken Café story is the variety of delicious flavor combinations on the menu. If you’re in the mood to satisfy your sweet tooth (although none are cloyingly sweet, you’ll enjoy the Apple, with thinly sliced apples, cinnamon, toasted hazelnuts, topped with fresh whipped cream and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Another sweet inspiration is the Apple & Ginger, with sliced apples and ginger marmalade, sprinkled with powdered sugar. The Raisin & Ginger pairs golden raisins with ginger marmalade, sprinkled with powdered sugar. The Apple, Raisin, & Cheese Pannenkoeken combines golden raisins with sliced apples and melted havarti cheese. The piece de resistance on the sweet side is the Chocolate Banana, cooked with thinly sliced bananas, drizzled with Belgium chocolate, sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts, and topped off with fresh whipped cream and Dutch cocoa powder.

On the savory side, you can choose meat-oriented varieties or the Veggie Pannenkoeken, topped with choice of three sautéed veggies (asparagus, broccoli, mushroom, spinach, tomato, onion, green pepper, or red pepper) and choice of cheese. Meat-oriented choices include the Bacon & Cheese, with bacon and havarti cheese; Bacon, Cheese & Mushroom; Ham, Pineapple & Cheese, featuring grilled ham and pineapple, covered with havarti cheese; Sausage & Cheese; Sausage, Mushroom & Cheese, or the Salami & Cheese with grilled salami and havarti cheese.

If you’re in a DIY mood, you can add additional toppings from the ingredients listed above.

Lest you think all there is at Pannenkoeken Café are the pancakes, we should run down some of the other choices on the varied menu. Omelets are served with a hefty portion of delicious hash browns and toast. You can order a Denver Omelet, a Veggie Omelet or the Build Your Own, with an ample variety of ingredients. Options include egg whites, croissants and cheeses.

If you’re in a traditional pancake or French Toast mood, you will be quite pleased. Buttermilk pancakes are available plain or made with strawberries or blueberries. The Belgian Waffle and French Toast are thick and decadent.

They haven’t forgotten the kids—there is a special kids menu and freshly squeezed orange juice, hot chocolate and chocolate milk are beverage choices. For grownups, drip coffee as well as espresso and cappuccino are available. Note that the Bucktown/Wicker Park location is open for extended evening hours. Be sure to check out daily specials if you’re in that restaurant from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Note: DineWise is a weekly column appearing in StreetWise magazine. Lee Barrie is on the StreetWise board of directors and he and his wife Cindy own Kurman Communications, a Chicago-based public relations agency specializing in lifestyle, restaurant and hospitality strategic branding, marketing promotions, media relations and social networking. If you’d like your restaurant to be featured on the DineWise blog and in StreetWise magazine, please contact DineWise@kurman.com.