Brunch At Owen & Engine Gastropub

We're expecting great things from Owen & Engine, the new Britain-inspired gastropub on the eastern edge of Logan Square.

The well-appointed space is designed with dark wood and leather downstairs, and a fireplace and Oriental rug upstairs. The menu is littered with both Midwest names (Nordic Creamery butter, Becker Lane pork, Werp Farms lettuce) and Britishisms.

And an excellent entry point for experiencing culinary charms from across the pond is Owen & Engine's weekend brunch.

Airy scones ($8) and tea, served with small, perfectly crumbly shortbread, make an appropriate start. Those partial to savory dishes will be pleased; the menu is rich with salty options (a handful of which overlap with the dinner menu).

The rasher (a broad bacon slice) with fried egg and arugula on a wide, warm, buttery baguette ($15) is an ideal breakfast sandwich. Butter chicken (pictured; $21)–a nod to the tie between pubs and Indian food–is a superb version of the dish, with crisp-skinned chicken and fragrant rice in a deeply spiced sauce.

Bubble and squeak ($5) is mashed potatoes at their finest, with onions, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. But plan accordingly: After a few courses and some cask-conditioned ale, it's powerfully nap-inducing.

Owen & Engine, 2700 N. Western Ave.; 773-235-2930 or owenengine.com