Chicago's Yolk Will Open Boca Raton and Miami Locations

A Chicago staple will make its way down to South Florida when all-day breakfast spot, Yolk, opens its new Boca Raton location later this month. The eatery’s focus is upscale breakfast and light lunch fare, offering unique, nourishing twists on classics as well as an abundance of signature dishes served in a modern setting.

The concept originally launched in 2006 in Chicago when CEO and founder Taki Kastanis decided to combine his Greek family's history in the restaurant business with his love for hearty breakfast meals. Yolk's first location, in the South Loop neighborhood, became instantly popular, and in a short period the brand expanded to 13 locations throughout Illinois and the Mid-and Southwest, including Indianapolis and Dallas-Fort Worth in Texas.

In Boca Raton, the eatery will have indoor and outdoor seating for 220 patrons and feature a special coffee bar as well as an exterior pick-up window for guests on the go. Gianluca Pesce, director of communications for Yolk, says the eatery will open another outpost inside the Conrad Hotel in Miami later this year. The company is also scoping out a location in Delray Beach.

“I’m very excited to bring Yolk to South Florida and for Yolk Boca Raton [to become] a place for locals to call their own," says Kastanis. "We’ve always been the type of restaurant that people visit two to three times a week — for a breakfast with family on Sunday and a couple of lunches during the week. We think the Boca community will embrace Yolk’s food and service culture as ‘their’ place.”
Standout offerings from Yolk's breakfast menu include the Iron Man, made with five egg whites, mushroom, smashed avocado, tomato, onion, green pepper, and a side of salsa ($13.50), the Kale Scrambler with sautéed baby kale, caramelized onion, tomato, and goat cheese ($12), and the Breakfast Mac & Cheese, with ham and bacon topped with panko parmesan crust and a sunny side up egg ($13). On the sweeter side, there's the banana nut bread French toast, topped with sliced bananas and served with a side of peanut butter ($12) and the South Beach; a half pineapple filled with house-made greek yogurt, diced pineapple, strawberries, almond, granola, and walnuts, served with a fresh baked muffin or scone ($11).

Lunch options include a pot roast sandwich in natural au jus topped with melted swiss cheese on grilled sourdough bread and the Flame Bacon Burger with BBQ sauce, melted pepper jack, and fried jalapeños ($14). The kids' menu features a Big Kid Breakfast, with one egg any style, a bacon strip, sausage link, and a choice of seasoned potatoes or grapes and one pancake or piece of toast ($6). Kids can also indulge in the Oreo Pancakes served with crumbled Oreo cookies on top and baked into the batter ($5.50).

In addition to drink options including juices, coffees, and cold brews, Yolk will also serve mimosas, bloody marys, local beer, and wine.

Pesce adds that the eatery will also introduce a newly-updated menu in Florida featuring popular dishes from Yolk's Chicago Test Kitchen location, where the menu is divided between "mainstay" and "experimental items" sections.

Locals are invited to join the owner and staff along with City of Boca Raton officials from the Mayor’s Office, City Council, and Chamber of Commerce for the official "Egg Cracking Ceremony" on Tuesday, January 22 at 8:30 a.m., where one of Kastanis's three daughters will toss an egg on the floor to officially mark the restaurant's opening.

Yolk at Park Place. 5570 N. Military Trail, Ste. 402, Boca Raton. Breakfast and lunch served daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; 561-300-4965; eatyolk.com.