Rated the No. 1 breakfast in the United States, Middle Child Clubhouse consistently exceeds my expectations. Stopping in for a late-night bite last time I visited, the Clubhouse was lively with pool playing, conversations over beers and the kitchen staff whipping up delicious and appetizing dishes.

My friend and I grabbed the last two seats at the bar, all ready with our order: the chicory Caesar salad and bacon cheeseburger to share. Drooling over the presentation itself, we both couldn’t wait to dive in.

The layer of Parmesan cheese and crunchy breadcrumbs enhanced the salad from a seven to 10, in terms of ranking. Each bite better than the next, it created the perfect flavor explosion in my mouth. Bonus points for including garlic croutons, too!

Next came the burger, where the cherry pepper mayo was the real star of the show. Juicy, tender and full of flavor, this was definitely one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. I almost wish we didn’t share the burger so I could have had more for myself, but we made a wise decision, as we were saving room for dessert.

Stopping next door at 1-900-ICE-CREAM, our mouths were already watering before we even ordered. As avid followers of the shop on Instagram, we were well aware of the special they were offering that week, and we were excited:

a layer of brownie on the outside, stacked next with whole bean Madagascar vanilla pudding, vanilla wafers, and banana custard in the middle. Each bite was pure deliciousness — 10/10, no notes! Keep an eye out for their new flavors this week!

— Emily Gladu, administrative & events coordinator