Two Brunch Spots in Chicago ☕️

Hampton Social 🥂 Sparkling Rosé – So good! Went for the non-alcoholic version—tangy and bubbly. 🦀 Crab & Shrimp Bruschetta – Crispy ciabatta topped with shrimp and crab salad. A bit heavy on the sauce, which masked the seafood flavor, but decent. 🐙 Octopus – Really tasty! Tender and chewy, served with roasted tomatoes, potatoes, and some leafy greens. Octopus and potatoes seem inseparable on menus—tried them together today, not sure why they’re such a classic pair, maybe just good homies? 😄 The yogurt-like sauce underneath was nice, and the crushed pistachios on the octopus added a fun crunch. The funniest thing? The most standout part of both dishes for me was the tomatoes 🍅! I never eat tomatoes normally, but the roasted, smoky, tangy ones here made me question my identity as a tomato-hater… almost felt guilty! Overall, really liked this place—cozy atmosphere, plates reminded me of Alimentari back home (though the octopus was like 100x better here!). The bill included an 18% service charge, with an option to add more… haha. Cupitol Coffee & Eatery 🍫 Chocolate Croissant – Such a pleasant surprise! Flaky and buttery—I’ve been sad about the lack of good pastries in Durham, so this hit the spot. 🐟 Simple Salmon Dish – Looked humble but delicious. The smoked salmon was great, and the bread was perfectly toasted. Living off "white people food" is easy—just toasted bread with butter and jam and I’m happy 😋. Loved their jam especially! ☕ Iced Latte – A bit on the lighter side, maybe because the ice melted by the end. The place was packed and noisy but in a lively, comfortable way. Plenty of seating! #ChicagoBrunch #ChicagoEats #ChicagoLife #ChicagoFoodie #BrunchGoals #FoodReview