[Photograph: Anna Deem]

I don't typically find myself dining down in the Loop for brunch, but when I do, I like to choose one of my go-to restaurants, the Atwood Café, which is located in the historic Reliance Building. Their dinner has always impressed me, so I was curious to see how their brunch stacked up. And I was excited to see a Duck "Reuben" Salad ($16), which promised to be a deconstructed spin on the classic sandwich, featuring duck prosciutto, grilled endive, caraway vinaigrette, rye croutons, and thousand island dressing drizzled on top. It sounded almost too good to be true.

Surprisingly, while interesting, I'm not sure the classic reuben flavors were not meant to be immortalized in salad form, as I found myself craving the actual sandwich instead. Key components, like the duck prosciutto and rye croutons, which had initially appealed to me upon reading the menu, didn't really stand out amongst the rest of the dish. The saving grace of the salad was the grilled endive, which provided a much needed crunch to the dish. If I find myself in the Loop again for brunch, I won't rule out Atwood Café, but I likely will not be ordering this dish again.

Atwood Café

1 W Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602 (map)
773-368-1900
atwoodcafe.com