Carriage House And GT Fish & Oysters - New Brunches

Your weekend just got tastier.

We're here to report that the city's two newest brunches–both served Saturdays and Sundays–merit immediate visits.

Carriage House: We hoped this new Wicker Park restaurant would produce a brunch as creative and compelling as its Lowcountry-inspired dinner menu. Our expectations were met by daytime dishes that excite, like fried green tomatoes with pickled shrimp and smoked-tomato crème fraîche ($10), and toasty, just-sweet peanut granola ($8).

Don't miss the johnnycake, an oversize, cornmeal-packed pancake griddled until gorgeously browned and topped with apple preserves and Cajun-spice-dusted corn nuts (pictured; $9). The restaurant's excellent fried chicken thigh ($11) gets dressed for brunch too, paired with a waffle and doused with maple hot sauce. Carriage House, 1700 W. Division St.; 773-384-9700 or carriagehousechicago.com

GT Fish & Oyster: The brunch gang is all here: quiche, Benedicts, biscuits and gravy, but each with an appropriately piscatorial twist. Quiche ($12) is laced with silky smoked haddock, crabmeat peeks out from under the Benedict's hollandaise (pictured; $14), and biscuits are smothered in lobster-packed gravy ($15) reminiscent of lobster bisque. There are ample non-seafood options, with caramel-coated monkey bread, duck chilaquiles, and cioppino with grilled cheese being three worthy diversions. GT Fish & Oyster, 531 N. Wells St.; 312-929-3501 or gtoyster.com