A couple of weeks ago I spent the weekend with my sister Madeline in her Southport neighborhood. We didn't have an agenda at all - just relax, window shop and eat (of course). We accomplished all of those things but with a longish drive ahead of me, we decided Sunday brunch was a must. Walking around Southport we came across this cute spot...

Southport Grocery and Cafe is a quaint local spot located in the hub of the Southport neighborhood near Wrigley Field. They serve up breakfast and lunch daily for hungry Chicagoans; this Sunday was particularly crowded in large part due to a Cubs game that afternoon.  We waited a few minutes for a table outside in the sunshine staring at the gorgeous Anthropologie window displays next door.

Starved, we started off with the "grown-up pop tart" and some coffee. How could we resist? This warm, doughy pastry was stuffed with local preserves, vanilla walnuts, marscapone cheese, then griddled to perfection.

They're famous for their bread pudding pancakes but we decided savory entrees would be a good follow up to the pop tart starter. The Ham & Grits caught my eye with country ham and red-eye gravy and Mad went with their signature hash topped with a fried egg. Both were spot on.

After brunch we perused the aisles of preserves, dressings, and other goodies. They also have a cooler of prepared foods and I was happy to snatch the last club sandwich for my road trip home.

For a a leisurely brunch or superb take out for the office, Southport Grocery is just THE place.