First, the spot (which is more casual than you might think) is an unmistakable homage to (mostly rock) music. Yes, the music is piped out through the sound system, but the wall is literally papered with images of hundreds of musicians; the second floor has a section that consists only of speakers; and even the wall by the restrooms is made up of nothing of cassettes. (Remember those?) Even the menus come in vinyl-record sleeves.
Second, Optima has menu offerings that fit the vibe—and they mostly succeed. There’s even a little attitude with dishes like Yesterday’s Soup, which comes with the description “Whatever we want.”
Shareable appetizers include the Optima V (which I still don’t know is pronounced like “five” or “vee”)—but it’s a more-than-satisfying selection of meats, cheese and accountrements. And the pretzels and cheese (housemade pretzels with fontina fonduta and porter beer mustard) is practically addictive.
As for the sandwiches, the double cheeeseburger is definitely a step or six above what you might get at most of the fast-food chains. (Vegetarians can get an Impossible Burger if they wish.) However, the intriguingly named Morning, Noon & Night (toasted ciabatta, giardiniera, avocado, lettuce, tomato, ham, fried egg and Swiss) should lose a couple ingredients; maybe “Morning & Noon” would be enough. But Ma’s Meatloaf (a spectacular dish) more than made up for the second sandwich.
Dessert (a trio of ice creams) was pretty impressive—even if it was our only choice because the spot was out of the other two choices. I hope that’s not the case the next time I visit.
By the way, the restaurant’s name comes from the word “optimum,” meaning to get most out of an experience. I don’t know if Optima reaches that rung necessarily, but for a casual spot, it’s pretty close.
(BTW, Optima now has weekend brunch (10 a.m.-3 p.m.), with items like avocado toast, chicken-and-waffles Benedict, savory French toast and cinnamon rolls. Rock on!)
Booth One
A few blocks away from Optima is Booth One (1301 N. State Pkwy.; boothone.com/)—the space formerly known as the esteemed Pump Room.
There’s definitely a more upscale atmosphere here, down to the sweeping curtains and weekend brunch items. (It’s open for breakfast through dinner the rest of the week as well.)
There are some standard brunch items—but with this spot, there are certainly some elevated dishes. Even the egg sandwiches have variations such as smoked turkey (with fried egg, avocado and harissa). However, the caramel monkey bread is a must-try. And I’d definitely return just for the black truffle scrambled eggs, which are just as delectable as they sound.
The only drawback for some might be the prices; after all, Booth One is a Gold Coast hotel. Yang’s Imperial lobster toast (which I didn’t try) is $28.95, the aforementioned scrambled eggs are $24.95 and even the monkey bread is $8.95.
And, yes, there is a Booth One in the spot—and although Beyonce could sit there, you and I would have to just gaze and sigh.
I do recommend Booth One; just be advised that the prices are not on par with a lot of restaurants—although the quality is above the bar as well.
Note: Restaurant profiles/events are based on invitations arranged from restaurants and/or firms.