Stockton Restaurant Review – An Historical Brunch Tribute

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Stockton, Gold Coast’s newest globally-inspired restaurant at 1009 N. Rush Street, recently announced its brunch menu, which launched on October 26, 2019. The brunch is available every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

One of the Stockton lounges by the bar

Stockton Restaurant & Lounge combines a globally-inspired restaurant and high-end lounge for a chic destination on the vibrant, sophisticated, and iconic Rush Street. Owned by Josh Carl and Joseph De Vito, an entire level allows tastemakers to explore distinctive dining options, original cocktails, and live late-night entertainment. With a nod to the dynamic musician, poet and activist Julia Stockton Rush, married to renowned Dr. Benjamin Rush, Stockton pays historical homage to the infamous Rush Street and cultivated tastes of Chicago.

To the live music lounge

The restaurant offers a 200 seat, multi-room restaurant & lounge with a variety of unique dining and entertainment experiences to its diverse clientele. The menu is sophisticated and approachable, while being designed to indulge with its globally inspired dishes. There is also the sensual Lounge at Stockton, which comes with live music and intimate seating at night. 

The live music lounge

Stockton has taken over the dining space where popular sushi joint, Jellyfish (including some of the original chopsticks), used to be. I have experienced an array of amazing brunches in Chicago over the years, but never has a restaurant blown me away as Stockton has. You can indulge in brunch specials including a French Toast Tower topped by scoops of vanilla ice cream and drizzled in house made chocolate syrup; Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with brown cinnamon sugar swirl and vanilla frosting; an Acai Bowl balanced with coconut yogurt, mixed berries and granola; or Avocado Toast served on toasted seven grain with sliced almonds and a poached organic egg.

Cinnamon roll pancakes
Avocado toast with poached egg

Other options, along with the brunch menu, brunch enthusiasts can enjoy select items from Stockton’s dinner menu like the Seafood Tower, served in two sizes, and the Raw Bar which offers crab, lobster, oysters and jumbo shrimp. Brunch also showcases sushi rolls such as the Lobster Mango, Mexican Roll (yellowtail) and Seared Ribeye. 

There are also indulgent cocktails to top off the brunch experience including Hangover Vanilla Latte; Espresso Martini shaken with Godiva Chocolate Liqueur; Matcha Ordinary Mojito with mint infused ice; Froze; and Hibiscus Mimosa served with a candied hibiscus flower. Bottomless Hangar One Vodka Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas are available for $28 with the purchase of a brunch food item. 

Hibiscus mimosa with candied flower

The cocktails themselves are absolutely gorgeous and a pleasure to sip on, such as the simply loved dryness and tartness and bold fuchsia the of the hibiscus mimosa. The candied hibiscus flower was lovely to chew on when my champagne flute was empty. Our wonderful server, Sampson, who was very knowledgable with the overall Stockton menu, assisted me in the drink selection. 

Truffled burrata with cherry tomatoes and grilled toast

Besides the drinks, the new brunch menu was a delicious, pleasurable experience. The truffled burrata was a creamy, sinful pleasure to pair with pieces of grilled toast. (I felt this it could have been just as good without the cherry tomatoes and topped again with greens such as arugula; the dish needed a little something extra to top it off). The avocado toast also could have used a little sparkle as it was unnecessarily topped with cherry tomatoes, but the smooth, perfectly salted avocado paired nicely with a poached egg and toasted seven grain bread.

Acai bowl with coconut milk and granola

Brunch continued to wow me and my guest as we ate our way through a perfect and beautiful acai bowl (strawberry scai, coconut yogurt, mixed Berries, granola), which provided a nice tang from the coconut milk and crunch from the granola. One memorable highlight of the brunch menu was the lovely cinnamon roll pancake, one of Stockton’s most popular items. You can definitely look at it and drool instantly over the fluffy, round pancakes flecked with cinnamon with drizzled icing. My guest and I were pleasantly surprised to taste the dish as it was light and not incredibly sweet.

Lobster mac and cheese
Spicy rock shrimp

Stockton’s brunch menu serves options for vegetarians and vegans, including gluten/allergen-free dishes, but it still focuses heavily on seafood. My guest enjoyed gooey lobster mac and cheese (lobster, cavatappi, gorgonzola, grana padano, fontina, pecorino, herb parmesan, panko bread crumbs). I snuck a bite of the mac and cheese sans lobster and the blend of cheeses hit the spot! She also tasted spicy rock shrimp (spicy mayo, scallion surls, togarashi, lime zest), which she described as crispy, tangy with nicely cooked shrimp. The lime zest itself had a fresh, citrusy aroma. Her oysters on the half shell were also very fresh with a tangy sauce,  and were shipped from the east coast of Washington state. Her last course was absolutely beautiful to witness: truffle tuna sashimi (tuna, chili oil, white truffle oil, ponzu).

Oysters on the half shell
Truffle tuna sashimi

Stockton’s brunch was one of the best I have experienced in 2019, a perfect closing to the culinary year of dining. I would say that Julia and Dr. Ben would be proud.

Photos: Jennifer Lunz

For reservations or private parties, call 312-660-3111 or visit the website. 

 Visit Stockton on their website, on Facebook at @StocktonChicago and Instagram at @stocktonchicago. For private events and group party inquiries, email ev****@st******.com.

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