Recipes
Browse by: Dish Type Ingredient Cuisine Cooking Method Diet Season Menus Recipe Collections Quick Dinners View All
How-Tos
Cooking Techniques Ingredient Guides Equipment Kitchen Tips Entertaining View All
Product Recs
Equipment Reviews Taste Tests Buying Guides Editors' Picks Books Shop View All
Culture
Cuisine Guides Food History Food Science Personal Essays Travel Diaries Profiles Food Industry SE HQ View All
Dining Out
Boston Chicago Los Angeles New Orleans New York Philadelphia Portland, OR San Francisco Washington, DC View All
Your account
Saved Recipes >
Follow us
Recipes
Browse by: Dish Type Ingredient Cuisine Cooking Method Diet Season Menus Recipe Collections Quick Dinners View All
How-Tos
Cooking Techniques Ingredient Guides Equipment Kitchen Tips Entertaining View All
Product Recs
Equipment Reviews Taste Tests Buying Guides Editors' Picks Books Shop View All
Culture
Cuisine Guides Food History Food Science Personal Essays Travel Diaries Profiles Food Industry SE HQ View All
Dining Out
Boston Chicago Los Angeles New Orleans New York Philadelphia Portland, OR San Francisco Washington, DC View All
Saved recipes >

Search for recipes and articles

Popular Searches

Staff Favorites

  • Burgers
  • Korean
  • Corn
  • Bucktown
More Breadcrumbs
  • Dining Out
  • Chicago
  • North Side
  • Bucktown

A Sandwich A Day: Croque Madame at Birchwood Kitchen

A Sandwich a Day

Reviews of Chicago sandwiches.

Tessa McLean
0 Printer-Friendly Version
Published: February 13, 2014 Last Updated: August 1, 2019
20130209-282806-a-sandwich-a-day-birchwood-kitchen-croque-madame-2.jpg

[Photograph: Tessa McLean]

There are a few simple elements that make up a great croque madame. Do any of those wrong, and you're going to have a disappointing version of a greasy grilled cheese. Do it right and it's French comfort food at its best. The Croque Madame ($9.50) at Birchwood Kitchen is one of those excellent sandwiches that's rich, tasty, and fit for any time of day.

The foundation is fresh, crusty sourdough bread grilled in a hearty amount of butter. Thick slices of gruyère are salty, slightly sweet, and melted evenly on each side of the bread. Grainy, pungent mustard is hiding under those slices of cheese, through it's spread unevenly so the flavor only appeared in certain bites. A melted, cheesy béchamel sauce lines the underside of the bread. Thin slices of country ham are nestled between the cheese and then the whole sandwich is topped with two very runny sunny side up eggs. They're lightly salted and peppered and drench your sandwich in yolk the moment you poke them. It's obviously not a sandwich you pick up and eat, but the uneasy cutting is worth the decadence of this sandwich, which can only be lovingly described as heavy. If you love this French sandwich, Birchwood is a place worthy of creating it.

All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.

Tessa McLean Contributor
  • Profile
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Contact
0 Printer-Friendly Version
Tags
  • bucktown
  • sandwich

Our favorite

Sandwich

Recipes

  • Bucktown
More Breadcrumbs
  • Dining Out
  • Chicago
  • North Side
  • Bucktown
HIDE COMMENTS
Sign In or Register
No comments
Comments are closed
HIDE COMMENTS

Popular Recipes

Christmas

The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes Ever

These are the crispiest, most flavorful roast potatoes you'll ever make.

J. Kenji López-Alt
Cinco de Mayo

Classic Margarita Recipe

The perfect margarita is all about fresh, crisp flavors, barely tempered by sweet triple sec.

The Serious Eats Team
Baking

Detroit-Style Pan Pizza

Pan pizza, Motor City–style.

J. Kenji López-Alt
Chicken

Serious Eats' Halal Cart-Style Chicken and Rice With White Sauce 

Take the Halal cart home with you.

Caroline Russock

More Bucktown

TGI Fry-Day: Chicken Thigh Flautas at Belly Shack

TGI Fry-Day: Chicken Thigh Flautas at Belly Shack

'Haute' and Sour Soup at Belly Shack in Chicago

'Haute' and Sour Soup at Belly Shack in Chicago

Chicago BBQ is Better than Memphis BBQ

Chicago BBQ is Better than Memphis BBQ

Serious Eats
  • Latest
  • Masthead
  • Contact
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Jobs
  • Sitemap
  • FAQ

Follow Us

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your California Privacy Rights
  • © 2021 Serious Eats Inc., by Dotdash

Welcome! Please sign in.

Forgot password?