Chicago: Valois
Before sending my friends off at the bus stop for their architecture boat tour downtown, I took them to Valois, the should-be-official breakfast spot in Hyde Park:
Cafeteria style, Valois is cheap, fast, and absolutely no nonsense. Just grab a tray and make your way down the counter:
Apparently Obama often ate here while he was living in Hyde Park. You can choose from 3 of Obama's "favorites". I forewent the Obama specials and stuck to the basics. French toast and a small orange juice:
That's 3 slices of french toast for $2.85. Where else can you find deals like this? I slathered each toast with butter, sprinkled them with some salt, and then dunked them into the syrup. Ahh...trust me, the salt makes the french toast twice as yummy.
Can't forget my hash browns:
A whole meal for $5.45. I love Valois. The food isn't particularly mind-blowing, but it's good honest food, it's cheap, and it's filling.
What I love the most about Valois is how it serves as a space for the community to come together. Taking a look around the room, you'll see people of all kinds, from students to families with children, from teenagers in their skinny jeans to elderly couples in their weekend finest:
We were especially lucky today because we got to see firsthand how special Valois is to the Hyde Park community. Halfway through our meal, a gentleman walked in with a large sheet cake. He set it on the counter and announced to the dining room at large that it was Larry's (the mustached man behind the counter and the first person who takes your order) birthday. Everyone burst into a rousing rendition of the birthday song, ending it with a loud cheer and a wild round of applause. Larry waved his hands in thanks and went back to serving the next customer.
Happy birthday, Larry.
Valois
1518 E 53rd St
Chicago, IL 60615
(773) 667-0647
Cafeteria style, Valois is cheap, fast, and absolutely no nonsense. Just grab a tray and make your way down the counter:
Apparently Obama often ate here while he was living in Hyde Park. You can choose from 3 of Obama's "favorites". I forewent the Obama specials and stuck to the basics. French toast and a small orange juice:
That's 3 slices of french toast for $2.85. Where else can you find deals like this? I slathered each toast with butter, sprinkled them with some salt, and then dunked them into the syrup. Ahh...trust me, the salt makes the french toast twice as yummy.
Can't forget my hash browns:
A whole meal for $5.45. I love Valois. The food isn't particularly mind-blowing, but it's good honest food, it's cheap, and it's filling.
What I love the most about Valois is how it serves as a space for the community to come together. Taking a look around the room, you'll see people of all kinds, from students to families with children, from teenagers in their skinny jeans to elderly couples in their weekend finest:
We were especially lucky today because we got to see firsthand how special Valois is to the Hyde Park community. Halfway through our meal, a gentleman walked in with a large sheet cake. He set it on the counter and announced to the dining room at large that it was Larry's (the mustached man behind the counter and the first person who takes your order) birthday. Everyone burst into a rousing rendition of the birthday song, ending it with a loud cheer and a wild round of applause. Larry waved his hands in thanks and went back to serving the next customer.
Happy birthday, Larry.
Valois
1518 E 53rd St
Chicago, IL 60615
(773) 667-0647
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