Lara is also founder and editor of Grits in the City
White Chocolate (“Blondie”) Spread – Le Pain Quotdien
My family arrived into town for the week on Saturday for Thanksgiving just in time for brunch.We have a whole line-up of brunch spots (naturally) but I thought it might be nice on their first day here to instead go somewhere a tad more low-key where we didn’t have to have a reservation in advance. I immediately thought of Le Pain Quotdien. Even though I’ve only eaten there once while visiting friends in DC, I’ve noticed the one to the North of Union Square seems to usually be busy and thought it would be a good option.
We were able to be seated immediately, a plus for any restaurant that doesn’t accept reservations. While there are a few smaller individual tables, the bulk of the seating at this particular location is a long communal table in the center of the restaurant, at which we were seated on the end. We started off with the Organic Baker’s Basket – a plentiful variety of sliced breads paired with jams (four fruit and apricot) and spreads (hazelnut praline and white chocolate, or as they dub them, Brownie and Blondie, respectively). I’d had this before sharing with one person, so obviously it didn’t go quite as far (this time was a party of five), but it’s still not a bad deal for $8.
Prosciutto & Mozzarella di Bufala Tartine – Le Pain Quotdien
My mom and I split the Prosciutto & Mozzarella di Bufala Tartine, which was an open faced sandwich (tartine) topped with with sundried tomatoes and basil pesto. This was a nice size, even for sharing, and was exactly what you would expect. The mozzarella was in perfect proportion to the proscuitto, and the combination of the sundried tomatoes and the basil pesto added just the right amount of flavor to balance the subtleness of the mozzarella. It was served alongside two slices of fresh canteloupe (a perfect addition – just the right degree of ripeness). We also ordered the Goat Cheese & Arugula Salad, which was served with Parmesan, toasted pine nuts, organic olive oil, and lemon. I was not as impressed with the salad. The arugula was extremely bitter (even extremely so for arugula as it does tend to be bitter). The $13 pricetag seemed excessive for the rather simplistic salad.
Cappuccino – Le Pain Quotdien
By the time drinks were added in (most of the coffee and tea drinks came in the $3-$5 price range), our total came to $85, a bit more excessive for what I was anticipating, though every little bit adds up. Perhaps more value than you realize in the $15-$20 brunch special offerings – at least you know what to expect!
Pros: Love their spreads (also available to purchase in the entry at their bakery/to-go counter), the cappuccino was quite good (the large turned out to be a bit too big, which was a pleasant surprise), and the tartines.
Cons: The salads are on the pricey side for what they are and if you’re wanting a private table, they might be hard to come by.
Tip: Looking for a quieter cafe? Try their location tucked just off the back of ABC Carpet, directly next door.
Le Pain Quotdien – 38 East 19th St (between Broadway & Park Ave) – 212.673.7900
Reservations Not Accepted
Locations throughout NYC as well as other areas in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast
Tags:
brunch,
Communal Dining,
downtown,
Espresso,
Le Pain Quotdien,
To Go,
Union Square
Lara also is founder and editor of Grits in the City
Mimosas at Sip
Sip is a very small restaurant located in the Upper West Side, just a bit further south from Columbia University. It’s mostly comprised of two tops and enough space to maybe accommodate at most two larger parties of six, of which we were one on Saturday. They have something I haven’t seen a lot of in the city – a three course prix fixe brunch special, including drinks, all for $25 (or $12 with all you can drink coffee, tea, and juice). For drinks, you can have your choice of mimosas or bloody marys. Though it might mean the mimosa flow is a tad slower, I really like that they use fresh hand squeezed orange juice. See the pulp along this empty glass? Fantastic. I did notice however in my second visit the drink glasses were smaller (things places think they can sneak by with, but never really can).
Fruit Plate – Sip
For your first course, you can choose from a pastry (several options – plain croissant, pan de chocolate, etc – varies from day-to-day), fruit plate, or toast. I always go with the fruit plate, which is really a bowl full of assorted seasonal fruits. This time, it was grapes, raspberries, blackberries, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon. Kiwi, I missed you. It’s a plentiful serving and is always very ripe and fresh. Nice way to start off the meal.
Eggplant Sandwich – Sip
For the main course, you have a choice of the omelet of the day (past Saturday, this was chicken liver), French Toast, eggplant sandwich, or mac ‘n cheese. I really loved the eggplant sandwich the first time, so I couldn’t bring myself to change it up. The eggplant is slathered onto the bread in a more pureed form, topped with red peppers and melted mozzarella cheese. The bread is a tad hard for me, but works to hold up against the eggplant. I’ll take hard bread over soggy bread any day. It was served alongside the vegetable of the day, which was curried corn. The last time the vegetable was sauteed asparagus. Impressive choice over the usual default of mesclun greens
French Toast – Sip
Even though it was simply summarized as French Toast, the dish itself was anything but plain. The bread was actually raisin bread. In between each half, comprised of two bread halves, was a thick block of cream cheese – close to 1/2? thick. Instead of being topped with syrup, the toast was topped with a white vanilla bean sauce. It was definitely unique and on par with some of the more involved and innovative takes on French Toast. It’s presentation on the menu lead me though to recommend asking more, especially if you have any food allergies or are particular about how something is prepared.
One friend finally tried the dish we were all curious about yet not quite inclined to order – their macaroni and cheese. It was prepared with sharp white cheddar and had been baked to a very light golden brown, smothered in a heaping helping of bread crumbs. The verdict was positive. The cheese was flavorful, and paired well with her chosen third course (really more of a side) – chorizo.
Billionaire’s Bacon – Sip
Other third courses included their billionaire’s bacon (brown sugar coated bacon – my current bacon fave in the city), home fries, and broccoli au gratin. The bacon is so good, one of my friends ordered an extra serving (oh yes, it’s worthy). Their homefries are more like roasted potatoes, chunky and round, simply seasoned and coated mainly in olive oil.
Sip is a fabulous place for a low-key brunch with food that doesn’t come close to settling for mediocre. The music is great, yet not overwhelming, and the service is very attentive. I’ll be back, and mac, I’m coming for you…
Sip – 998 Amsterdam Ave (between 109th & 110th St) – 212.316.2747
Reservations Not Accepted
Tags:
Bacon,
brunch,
Dish Buzz,
lara ruth,
prix fixe,
Sip,
specials,
upper west
Lara also is founder and editor of Grits in the City
Regional – UWS
I went with a group of friends to Regional for brunch a few weeks back. They had been wanting to go there for their brunch special. Essentially, if you buy a mimosa or a bloody mary for $6, they will continually refill it so long as you are at brunch. Note though, apparently they only offer the bloody mary special on Saturdays. Sundays it is mimosas only. This particular Saturday, they were fairly busy, though I’ve walked by other times and it’s been a more manageable crowd. They do take reservations, so I recommend going that route if possible, just to avoid any issues. And, as is the norm for most, that all of your party is present prior to requesting to be seated.
Complimentary Bread Basket
Their menu is pretty varied for brunch. All of your more standard brunch categories are nicely represented – what I refer to as eggy and sweet carbs. They have a wide variety of egg options, all served with potatoes and ranging from $9-$11. Some of the more creative options include the grilled pizza with bechamel, pancetta, onion and pecorino romano topped with a fried egg and the spaghetti fritatta, which is filled with a Bolognese ragu and parmesean. Their sweet options range from $9-$10 and include pancakes (blueberry or plain), French toast, and granola with yogurt and fresh fruit.
Marinated Chicken Breast Grilled Sandwich
Being an Italian restaurant though, they include in many of their other options – from pasta to their grilled sandwiches (press grilled on ciabatta bread) to even a burger – mostly ranging from $9-$12. Some of the more interesting options included the penne with smoked salmon and vodka sauce, the fettuccine in veal ragout, and the prosciutto grilled sandwich, prepared with mozzarella and an olive tapenade. I ultimately chose the marinated chicken breast grilled sandwich, which was served with eggplant and zucchini and a celery sauce. I’ll admit - I am not a fan of celery. In fact, I believe its soul purpose is to be mashed up in the midst of other (far superior) ingredients in stuffing/dressing and call it a day. However, it actually worked here. Perhaps because it’s ever so slightly salty. Whatever it was, it worked. The vegetables were very fresh and the bread, though crispy as is the norn for a panini style, managed to not cut up the corners of my mouth. I approve. It was accompanied by french fries and a small salad. Usually I opt for sweet over for savory, but I think I’d go savory here again when I return.
I was pleasantly surprised though to see they have all other sorts of notable specials. Monday night is pasta night. All of their pastas on the menu are $9 (dine-in only). Tuesday night they offer a prix fixe menu for $25, which includes an appetizer or salad, any pasta or entree, and a dessert. They also have happy hour from 5-7PM during weekdays, which includes $5 for house liquor mojitos, martinis, and house wines. And if you order a drink not on happy hour special, there’s even a coupon on their website for a free tapa!
Regional – 2607 Broadway (b/w 98/99th St) – 212.666.1915
Tags:
Accepts Reservations,
brunch,
good for groups,
Grits in the City,
happy hour,
italian,
lara ruth,
Regional,
Restaurant Reviews NYC,
specials,
UWS
Lara also is founder and editor of Grits in the City
The Spotted Pig – West Village
I’ve been meaning to try The Spotted Pig since I moved to New York City over two years ago. I’ll admit, it is the usual wait time I’ve heard about from basically all sources which has kept me away. Overall, I like low-stress and unrushed brunches. However for certain restaurants, you’ve just got to make an exception. At least once anyhow…
This outing coincided with the inaugural outing for Babes Who Brunch. Since we had a fair sized group and they do not take reservations, we were there right when they opened. Sometimes this itself is not an effective strategy (this is definitely the case with Clinton Street Baking Company – arrive at opening time and you’ll be greeted by a long line of people who have been there already for an hour), but in the case of the Spotted Pig, I was relieved to see lots of empty tables, no line, and that there’s even a decent-sized seating area upstairs.
Upstairs Area – The Spotted Pig
Once seated upstairs, our server was very attentive, coming over to check-in with us and to share the specials. I could quickly tell that he really knew their food, as I asked him several throughout our table’s ordering process. I couldn’t make up my mind and I saw once our entrees came out that he’d made a spot-on assessment. I’d been toying with the idea of the frittata until he said it was very heavy. This was confirmed when my friend who did order it told me later in the day that she was still full. He’d told me if I wanted bacon, the Dutch baby was what I should choose. I learned something else when another friend tried to order a side of bacon – very little flexibility on the menu options. No sides of bacon here. Either a side of serrano ham or you’d better be getting the Dutch baby too. Read more »
Tags:
BabesWhoBrunch,
brunch,
city grits,
lara ruth,
Manhattan,
Spotted Pig,
west village
Permanent Brunch - East Village
I’d been hearing rumors of a new restaurant. It would be a magical land Manhattannites had only ever dreamed of where brunch never ended. None of this Sunday-maybe-we’ll-give-you-Saturday-but-that’s-it business. All week long. Nothing but brunch. Refreshing. But delays upon delays, it seemed to be an urban foodie myth until voilà! Out of nowhere, an opening date was set for the restaurant, Permanent Brunch, and it was definitely time for a visit.
I’d originally wanted to visit at brunch time on Friday, as part of the allure of the restaurant (to me) is brunch on your schedule. I was bummed to see no daytime hours on their schedule during the week. Only the weekend. How, dare I say, standard. But no worries, as I was still very curious. They are open until 11:30PM Monday through Wednesday and Sunday or until 3am on Thursday through Saturday. Read more »
Tags:
Bacon,
Bloody Marys,
Breakfast,
brunch,
Dish Buzz,
East Village,
lara ruth,
Late Night,
Manhattan,
Permanent Brunch
Markt, Flatiron
I was recently planning a brunch with some ladies and was trying to think of a good place with a varied menu (nice range of prices) which wouldn’t be a fiasco to get into at noon on a Sunday. Markt had been on my list for a long time, having walked by it countless times noticing it’s always busy. I saw they took reservations and decided to finally try it out.
Markt is a great little Belgian restaurant over in the Flatiron District, just bordering on Chelsea. They have a great outdoor seating area, but it’s mainly 2-tops, so we ended up sitting indoors. It was very hard to choose from the menu, enticed by the plates of croissants and preserves which went by and with my eyes darting from the Chocolade Pannekoek (chocolate chip pancakes served with Belgian chocolate sauce) back up to the Boterham Met Parijse Ham (Paris ham and Dijon mustard on whole wheat bread). We all pondered our options as I enjoyed my very strong coffee, which came served in its own French press. Read more »
Tags:
Belgian,
brunch,
Dish Buzz,
lara ruth,
Manhattan,
Outdoor Seating,
reservations,
romantic
Matilda - East Village
A friend of mine had walked by Matilda and thought it looked like a cute spot to check out for brunch. We went ahead and made reservations, although it didn’t seem necessary when we arrived on that Sunday. I went online as I usually do to read a little about the restaurant and I just fell in love with the concept. The restaurant is owned by a couple and the menu is a cross between Tuscan and Mexican cuisine, based on the respective heritage of each the owners. The restaurant’s name, Matilda, is that of their daughter since they say on the website that they view the restaurant as their second “daughter”.
Read more »
Tags:
brunch,
coffee,
East Village,
Fusian,
italian,
latin,
Manhattan,
specials,
Tuscan
Braai, Hell's Kitchen
Braai popped up over the past few weeks as a good spot for brunch in Hell’s Kitchen. I was intrigued after reading the menu. Initially a little confused about when they served brunch (I read somewhere that they only served brunch on Sundays but OpenTable allowed me to make a reservation for Saturday.), after a quick call to the restaurant I learned that they just started serving brunch on Saturdays, this past Saturday being the first. Naturally, I was more than happy to help support them in this expansion.
Scones, Braai
Braai is an African restaurant. Their brunch offerings ranged from $8-$14 and ranged from the more standard fare of French toast (or “Hugenot Toast”) to the more exotic, such as their Ostrich Benedict. Before your main course comes out, they bring you a plate of small fresh scones containing some sort of currants. They are served with fresh butter and apricot preserves. Following that we received a small bowl of African porridge which is very similar to grits with a thin layer of sugar (just how I love them!).
Hugenot Toast with Rooibos Syrup, Braai
I went with their french toast served with a rooibos (redbush) syrup. It had a sweet taste with a bit of tang to it. It’s hard to compare but I’d say something akin to cranberries as a frame of reference. My only complaint with my french toast would be that there was more roobias syrup; It was so distinctive that I wanted to taste more of its flavor.
Safrikan Brekkie, Braai
My friends both went with the Safrikan Brekkie. The dish had many elements: boerewors (a fresh lamb sausage), eggs, fried tomato, grilled onions, baked beans, and toast. They were sold at lamb sausage. Both said it was really flavorful and definitely filling.
A nice beverage option available are their mimosas. For an additional $8 per person, you can have unlimited passion fruit mimosas. The mimosas are served with passion fruit, champagne and orange puree. If you’re lucky they will run out of the passion fruit and allow you try other purees not on their menu. We had the opportunity to try their pear mimosa (my favorite) as well as their guava. Excellent service and great value for your money. And with temperatures on the rise, you can also take advantage of their limited outdoor seating.
As a wine bar they also offer fantastic happy hour specials that includes an interesting array of reasonably priced appetizers. We will be back soon to check those out.
Braai – 329 W 51st St (between 8th & 9th Ave) – 212.315.3315
Reservations suggested, but not required
Tags:
African,
brunch,
Clinton,
Dish Buzz,
Hell's Kitchen,
lara ruth,
Manhattan,
Outdoor Seating
Stanton Social, Lower East Side
I have only been to Stanton Social for dinner, but was curious to try their brunch. I wanted to do something I don’t usually do and come back to a restaurant I have already reviewed to give insight into some of their other offerings. My mom and I went to check it out a couple of Saturdays ago. We arrived in to a very calm restaurant around noon and watched it come alive, completely filled with patrons by 1pm.
Read more »
Tags:
brunch,
Chris Santos,
Dish Buzz,
Ecclectic,
Food,
lower east side,
New York,
New York City,
Restaurants,
Small Plates,
Tapas
I just don’t know what I did with my weekends before I moved to New York and discovered brunch.
As a fresh-off-the-boat, wet-behind-the-ears Brit, it’s been heaven to find myself washed ashore in the culinary paradise of Boerum Hill. With Smith Street’s Restaurant Row just a few short blocks away there’s been no holding me back from spending many a lazy Saturday and Sunday sitting in front of a heaped plate of eggs and a cheeky brunch-time cocktail. I knew there had to be a reason for leaving all my friends and family half a world away – and here it is, served up with a smile and a generous portion of home fries.
Read more »
Tags:
Brit,
Brooklyn,
brunch
