When opening her first restaurant, Cathy Stacey turned to Chicago’s Morgan Park community, where she was raised.

Billed as serving “indulgent comfort food,” Ellie’s Cafe & Catering is on the border of Morgan Park and Chicago’s Beverly community.

“The kids who I went to school with are now parents who bring their kids in. I like the people. I like the area,” said Stacey, head chef and owner of Ellie’s Cafe & Catering.

Here is the dish on this eatery, which opened in April 2012 and is managed by Stacey’s oldest daughter, Stephanie Tognetti, and Matt Lopez, of Morgan Park:

On the menu: “Everything’s made in-house. We try to source it as close to nature as possible,” Stacey said about the kitchen run by Debbie Broderick and staffed by Stacey’s mother, Elide “Ellie” Piechocki, the restaurant’s namesake.

“People particularly in Beverly just really want wholesome foods — not just for themselves but for their family. It’s not just a trend here. People expect natural, good, organic food.”

About the owner: “I went to French cooking school when I was 17 or 18. I got my certificate in French cuisine,” Stacey said about attending Dumas Pere Ecole de Cuisine in Glenview. “Through family and friends who live in Italy, I was able to spend six months (there) when I was 21, building my repertoire and literally getting a taste of what else is out there.

“I have been working in restaurants in one capacity or another for many years since I was 16. I took about 10 years out to raise my children. I was a Montessori teacher. When the kids were old enough, I went back into the industry because it was what I knew and loved.”

A philosophy: “I’m providing that same sense of comfort and belonging that I felt growing up,” said Stacey, who initially learned how to cook from her mother, her late grandmother Maria Favaro and her aunt Diana Feddersen.

Decor: “It’s very comforting like a den,” Stacey said about Ellie’s Cafe & Catering, which seats approximately 40 diners and can accommodate up to 50 people for a catered event. Patio seating for approximately 20 is available from May to October.

Specialties: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” Stacey said, noting that pancakes, French toast and unique breakfast sandwiches are among the selections and the coffee is sourced from Beverly Bakery & Cafe.

House specialties include the Freddy double bacon cheeseburger, which was featured on WGN-Ch. 9’s “Chicago’s Best,” which cited the restaurant as “Best BYOB” because diners can “bring your own bottle.”

We’re different because: Poetry in Motion is hosted by spoken word artist Kenneth “Luckey Strikes” Luckey from 7 to 10 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month, chess club for players of all skill levels and ages is from noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, and original live music is presented on some Thursday evenings, when dinner specials are available.

Ellie’s Cafe & Catering has teamed with Beverly chocolate shop Sweet Treats, owned by Pat and Kate Murphy, for catering. “We do dropoff catering all the way up to full-service catering,” said Stacey, of Morgan Park.

Prices: Breakfast items served all day start at $4 for specials, $6 for sandwiches and $8 for build-your-own omelet. Lunch items start at $2.75 for soups, $3 for salads, $4.75 for combination specials, $8 for Angus burgers, $8.50 for specialty sandwiches and $9.25 for plates.

Logistics: Ellie’s Cafe & Catering is at 10701 S. Hale Ave., Chicago. Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays and Fridays, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. Call 773-941-4401 or go to www.elliescafe .com.

Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.