Pick Me Up Cafe

I had walked by Pick Me Up Cafe (3408 N. Clark St.) many times over the last few years but it was not until yesterday that I was actually able to organize a group brunch there.

It was definitely worth the wait (although I wish I would have discovered this sooner!). Pick Me Up is my favorite type of place for group dining, with selections for everyone ranging from a calamari appetizer to vegan cake for dessert. The menu is a diverse selection of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, burritos, brunch fare and a huge drink list. A small green "V" next to a large number of dishes indicates these items can be made vegetarian or vegan.

After difficult internal deliberations, I settled on the berry pancakes, vegan-style obviously, with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. The cakes themselves were perfect, not too sugary, and the berries were exceptionally flavorful. Naturally I used liberal amounts of maple syrup too. The coffee was also awesome(!!), though I didn't get details.

Berry pancakes. Note R2-D2 and Emperor Palpatine on the table.

On a side note, Pick Me Up Cafe is just plain cute. All of the tables are decorated differently (we were lucky enough to get the Star Wars themed table) and it looks like a dorm room decorated by geeky hippies and hipsters. I mean that in the best way possible.

Product of the Day: Corona Light. Happy spring everyone.