Soon after being greeted and seated at Tweet, I heard a voice from the kitchen. As Michelle Fire called, “Hey Libby, be right there,” I felt like I was getting a vocal hug. Go online, and for as many rave reviews as there are of Tweet’s food, there are twice as many for Michelle herself.

Affectionately referred to by some as the Big Chicks’ den mother, Fire opened Tweet in May 2003 to meet the demand for a breakfast spot in the neighborhood. While she’d been serving up BBQ at her bar Big Chicks, next door for 25 years, Tweet, which opened in the bar’s former storage space, is Fire’s first restaurant. The name (pre-Twitter) came from a friend of Fire’s. “I was thinking about a name for what I was calling an early bird restaurant and Anita said, ‘Tweet, let’s eat.’” And the rest was history.

The morning I checked out Tweet, Fire and her manager Chris Forester, Fire’s niece who has been granted the moniker Little Chick, joined me for breakfast. I’ve never had a more fun meal with strangers. In between bites of a delicious, homemade black bean cake—one of the best I’ve had in the city—with roasted tomato salsa and the Bim Im Bop ($9) with tofu (also available with eggs) I sipped organic grapefruit juice, chatted with the Chicks and learned about this charming spot.

Fire envisioned Tweet as an homage to what she calls the hillbilly restaurants of Chicago’s past. “I’m a breakfast person,” she says. “I really still mourn the loss of the Cozy Café and other down home, authentic places that served real country biscuits and gravy, and red southern gravy; where I’d go in on Saturday morning and there’d be guys playing the poker machines while I ate.” While Tweet lacks poker machines and offers healthier options then what’s typically available at old school diners, the food and the space are definitely authentic.

In the beginning, Fire worked with a former Charlie Trotter’s chef and pastry chef to create the eclectic menu. There really is something for everyone. As a vegetarian and egg-hater, breakfast can be tough for me. Unless I want a big pile of sweet, which I usually don’t at that hour, I often end up with a sad little plate of sides. Not at Tweet. Bacon and egg lovers can easily dine with their vegan friends—and if you’re craving a sweet meal, Fire recommends the French Toast. The pancakes looked pretty awesome, too.

Fire is dedicated to serving as much local, organic food as possible. She also uses pastured pork and beef and free-range chickens from local farms. Her interest in thoughtful eating grew from her experience with the Waldorf community. Her son attended a Waldorf School and the teachings had an impact on Fire as well. “I got into biodynamic farming and today I eat organic, mostly vegetarian. The philosophy, and holistic way of looking at people, is really copasetic with who I am and how I relate to customers, my staff and the world. This is about more than food.”

Tweet is a community, and Fire is at its center. She’s a regular at both Big Chicks and Tweet; during the 90 minutes or so I was there she greeted every table with a wave, and knew most diners by name. She handpicks the dishes on the menu and keeps an eye on where her ingredients are sourced.

Organic veggies and eggs from an Amish farm don’t come cheap, but Fire manages to keep her prices low. Almost everything on the brunch menu is under $15—and many meals are closer to $8. “It’s not about keeping costs down, it’s about making less money!” she jokes. It seems though, that it really is more about fun than finance. She cooks up free BBQ at Big Chicks on Sundays and often buys the bar shots at midnight.

Artist Zuleyka Benitez designed both Tweet and Big Chicks with the goal of preserving the art deco history of the building—designed by Charles Frank, the building is a landmark regularly visited by art deco tour groups. The space itself is cozy, with warm wood tones. Framed photos and paintings hang in close proximity to each other on the walls and art is an essential part of the atmosphere.

“There’s a mix of urban and natural landscapes and some of the dishes on the menu are named after or are memorials to these friends and artists.” [Including Mary Lou Zelazny’s Biscuits and Gravy, and Robert Steigler’s Favorite Organic Buckwheat Pancakes, $7.25 and $10.]

I can’t say enough about the fresh ingredients, flavorful dishes and generous portions of food at Tweet. But it’s the generosity of spirit that makes this a place I’ll be back to again and again. “It’s a pleasure to feed nice people,” Fire said toward the end of our meal. And I have to say, it was a pleasure to be fed.

Tweet
5020 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago
773.728.5576
tweet.biz