Brunch Brat NYC

eating my way through NYC..one mimosas at a time

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Foodie AF

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Be Bold - 1947 Lager

As an ever-evolving (and self proclaimed) foodie it’s been really rewarding to learn about cuisines from other countries and expand my palate. I had the pleasure of meeting with the founders of 1947 Beer, a bold and budding entrepreneurial brewery geared to pair spicy or rich food with a smooth and refreshing beer.

 Started by young Indian-Americans who were looking to fill a void of beer that pairs well with Indian cuisine and celebrates the culture. It also compliments all Pan Asian cuisines and spicy foods. 1947 is named after the year in which India gained it’s independence and it also happens to be a bold year -  cell phones were invented and Farrah Fawcett, David Bowie, and Hilary Clinton were born (yes..#imstillwithher).

I was a bit hesitant to try the lager…and I’m more of a wine drinker. However, I was pleasantly surprised with with it’s crisp taste and lightness. Paired with a delicious meal at Moti Mahal Delux, 1947 really complimented the spicy and rich flavors. The founders describe the lager as ““classic light bodied lager with great character and rich yet smooth finish,” which is spot on.

Moti Mahal Delux is a great go to for Indian food on the UES – it specializes in Mughlai cuisine and has a variety of tandoor dishes rich in flavor, spices, and butter. Everything was prepared well and delicious - while powerful and flavorful, paired with 1947, the meal felt surprisingly light and fresh. Highlights were definitely the Khushk Murgh Tikka (butter chicken), garlic naan,  Burrah Lamb Kebob, and Bainga Patiala (spicy eggplant).

 It was a great experience to learn more about Indian cuisine and 1947 lager. I can see it being paired well with other rich or spicy cuisines – bringing an innovative and cultural element to craft beer. 1947 can be found in over 70 restaurants in the NYC area – find out more here. Fun fact, 1947 is very popular for Indian weddings. 

Stay bold. Cheers and..you’re welcome.

Xo Brunch Brat  

[brunchbratnyc]

Upper EATS Side

So no one likes to admit it but the Upper East Side has become way cooler than it used to be and it not longer reserved for stuffy and/or jappy moms or your grandmother. What I like to call the “post Murray Hill” is now crawling with young New Yorkers desperate for something more than 200 sq. foot studio in the East Village that will cost you your soul. So what if every now and then you have to climb over a few strollers to get to the cashier at H&H Bagels?! 

Here is the Brunch Brat’s guide to the UES.

DRANKS (priorities)

The Gilroy – super chic cocktail bar that looks like it could be in SOHO. They also have decent small bites. Great date spot.

The Penrose – this place screams “young UES” – so much so that it makes the UES look like the new Williamsburg. Unfortunately, I had a bad food experience here but have heard good things otherwise. I’ll stick to the dranks.

Pony Bar – when you want to impress out of towners with a crazy craft beer selection, and then they’ll hear you say “I’ll have the one that tastes like Blue Moon”

The Jeffrey – another place that may as well be in Brooklyn. While it’s in a weird location essentially under the Queensborough Bridge. The Jeffrey has an amazing patio great for day drinking in warm weather season. They also have shadily good food, snacks, and there’s TRUFFLE POPCORN.

Seamstress – another spot great for a date. This dark trendy bar brings young chic to the UES. They have great cocktails – also you must. try. the. burger.

Supply House – casual bar, a great spot for one last drank after taking your grandmother to dinner.

EATS

Serena’s – an adorable wine bar/bistro in the 60s. Great for a catch up with the ladies. Menu is heavy on cheese – but yes, I’ll have some cheese with my whine. Gossip Girl pun intended. 

Jones Wood Foundry  - this British gastro pub is straight outta the UK sans lanky pale brits with bad teeth. Great ambiance and food. I even took a British friend here and they were impressed. Down side: no hard alcohol

Baraonda – old school turned new school Italian joint that comes without UES side stuffiness. Prices are reasonable and staff is great. I highly recommend the truffle gnocchi.

Beyoglu – the kind of place that is literally good for everything. Simple Turkish/Mediterranean cuisine that is affordable and amazing.

Sushi Para – an all you can eat sushi joint that won’t give you the heebie-jeebies. Not to mention it’s BYOB. Great spot for a group date.

Heidi’s House – I kid you not this place has maybe 5 tables. They don’t take reservations but you can call after 5pm to get on the WAITING LIST to get in. Food is fresh, seasonable, and changes nightly. Truly a neighborhood gem that I contemplated leaving off this list.

Felice (63rd and 81st locations) - Consistently food Italian wine bar.  

The Writing Room – elegant yet trendy bistro. I recommend it for a casual lunch.

Uva – I’m not sure why UEsiders love Italian food so much, but Uva is another happenin’ spot with great food and a trendy ambiance. They have great outdoor/patio seating in season.

BRUNCH

Petaluma – A secret bottomless brunch option.

Infirmary – New Orleans style cocktail bar/restaurant. Better for drinks than for brunch but they offer a bottomless special. Good for girls night or dates.

Sojourn – Probably my favorite brunch option on the UES. People are catching onto this though and I hope it doesn’t spoil this gem.

Maya – Unlimited brunch drinks and unlimited mediocre small plates. What more could a girl want?

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Luke’s Lobster – for making lobster rolls accessible to me.

Up Thai – the best Thai on the UES – both dine in and seamless!

Cascabel Taqueria- not impressed by the food but they have a good young crowd, margaritas, and a bottomless brunch.

Pizza Beach – you will have to crawl over stroller to get a small table sitting directly next to a baby. It might be worth it.

Brother Jimmy’s – for when you’re feeling classy fratty and want a place to watch the game. I’m not so secretly obsessed with their pulled chicken nachos.

Boqueria- I have heard mixed reviews but once had a delicious lunch hear and drank and entire pitcher of sangria.

SKIP

Pil Pil – I might be picky with my Spanish food since I’ve lived in Spain but this was just not worth it, although it is always hoppin’

Bar Coastal – so many other better sports bar options.

La Nuit – overly sketchy and gimmicky hookah bar meets Mediterranean restaurant. They also have terrible service.

STILL ON THE HIT LIST

ABV/Earl’s Beer and Cheese

The Milton

BKB

Sfoglia

Taking more suggestions! [email protected]

#yourewelcome. xoxo Brunch Brat

[brunchbratnyc]

The original #blackseedbagel.

[brunchbratnyc]

Brunch Spotlight: Pig and Khao

Pig and Khao - which you may have heard of unless you live under a rock or don't watch Bravo, is a breathe of fresh air in a world of tasteless bottomless brunches.  

You probably didn't even know that Pig and Khao has a bottomless brunch so..you're welcome. Started by Top Chef alum Leah Cohen, Pig and Khao is nestled on the Lower East Side which has just enough grunge and just enough trend.  

Contrary to popular belief, this place does actually take reservations. I went on a quiet winter Saturday so it wasn't overly packed but, still glad I made the reservation since there is very limited table seating. There's also a back patio which must be bomb during the warmer months. 

We started off with a round of various mimosa flavors - they offer orange, lychee, and mango. No question, the lychee was AMAZING and the perfect mix of juice and champagne. The others were good also but the lychee was different and essentially perfect. 

Service was standard, nothing to gush about but pleasant. The menu is a fused mix of Filipino and Thai cuisines in dishes that are meant to be shared. We dove right in and ordered garlic rice, Sizzling Corn Beef Hash, Bahn Xeo (sizzling shrimp crepe), Shan Noodles (ground chicken with rice noodles), and the Khao Soi (red curry noodles) to share. Everything just comes out as it is ready which is kind of fun. The garlic rice was good, nothing special to be honest. The main dishes though were amazing and interesting. The sizzling corn beef hash comes on a skillet plate with a raw egg in the middle and is delicious and rich. The Shan Noodles were my favorite - full of flavor and really interesting. 

The shrimp crepe was not what I expected, the crepe actually fried but still really good and interesting. The curry noodles were my least favorite mainly because it was too spicy for my liking. 

We were four people and after all of this we were still hungry so we ordered the powdered sugar donuts with pandam custard. Boy, these were the perfect ending to the meal - Fluffy, delicious donut bites with sweet (but not too sweet) dipping sauce. 

My only other complaint is that they ran out of lychee juice. 

The Damage: Not cheap but definitely worth it for the amazing and interesting food. The bottomless option adds $15 and includes mimosas or yuengling. Entree dishes run $8-16, with extra dishes to share and dessert it adds up. But again, worth every penny.  

The Deets: 68 Clinton Street (Between Rivington and Stanton) LES

Overall Consensus: Just do it. Side note: the kitchen is open so you will leave smelling like corn beef hash and curry noodles. 

Good For: Boozy Brunch, small groups, group dates, essentially everything 

Post Brunch: Anywhere on the Lower East Side/East Village. If you're willing to walk, The 13th Step has ridiculous happy hour specials (and college kids) - I literally thought something was wrong when they charged me 12 dollars for 3 drinks. 

Xo Brunch Brat

[brunchbratnyc]

Brunch Spotlight: Infirmary

As part of constant search for the cool/young Upper East Side dining options, I decided to check out Infirmary for their Brunch. I had been their for drinks and had a grand ol' time. I was intrigued by the New Orleans decor/concept and wanted to try the food. You can take the girl out of Tulane but you can't take the Tulane out of the girl #whodat. 

The place is definitely "new upper east side" - filled with young people in their post Murray Hill phase of life (Thank god I never did that). In fact there were approximately 3 tinder dates each time I've been there and the waiters are hipster. 

We did not get off to a good start when we were seated in the front bar area as opposed to the main dining area. Even though we made a reservation there was "no room" in the restaurant section. The bar area table was okay but quite small and we sat on bar stools. Honestly, sitting on a backless bar stool does not really go well with a bottomless brunch. I will say that I enjoy the New Orleans inspired decor which is no overdone or cheesy. 

We started with a round of drinks - a little complicated since some of us only wanted champagne sans orange juice but the waiter was understanding. The menu is interesting - a selection of po'boys with a mix of delicious sounding soul food (both egg and lunch options). I was torn between the fried chicken and the baked eggs - the waiter recommended fried chicken so I went for it. #fatsunday. My friends all ordered different versions of the Infirmary Po Boy. The food took a long time but we were enjoying our mimosas/champagne. We sometimes had to push for a refill. We were told there was a 4 drink maximum although the website now says unlimited on the website. I hope they changed that rule anyway, it was stupid.  

Our food came and my fried chicken looked perfect and it came with a hefty slice of jalepeno cornbread. I will say, it was as good as it looked - juicy and tender while not being overly heavy or greasy. Unfortunately, the cornbread was a little dry. 

Also unfortunately, all of my friend's po'boys turned out wrong. To the waiters defense we were being obnoxious confusing - one with no cheese, one with no bacon, one with egg whites blah blah blah. So it was not really surprising that this occurred. After trying to explain what happened for 10 minutes they brought out a side of cheese and a side of bacon to appease everyone. He also offered an extra round of drinks which was appreciated (although not applicable if this is considered bottomless). At the end of the day, this restaurant probably hated us. We were gearing up for, and very excited for beignets for dessert since I’ve heard they are amazing..to put the icing on the cake (or powdered sugar on the beignets) THEY WERE “OUT” of beignets. HOW DOES THAT EVEN HAPPEN.  

The Damage: Reasonable/standard for a more upscale restaurant. Entree + $15 for the boozy option. 

The Deets: 720 2nd Ave (between 89th and 90th) 

Overall Consensus: Mixed emotions. Great soul food and ambiance but service can be hit or miss (or a hot mess). I would go back here but likely just for drinks. 

Good For: Boozy Brunch, UES brunch, small groups, date brunch

Post Brunch: Brother Jimmy's is across the street. Supply house could be fun too.  

Xo Brunch Brat 

[brunchbratnyc]

Brunch Spotlight: Barbounia

I know..I’m starting to suck at this blog thing but Instagram is like tumblr for kids who can’t read good and I get caught up. Needless to say..the brat is back bringing you reviews of the best (and worst) NYC brunch spots. The good, the bad, and the ugly. In other news I’ve also branched outside of my comfort zone and have matured as a brunch brat – venturing outside Manhattan (occasionally) and also not only brunching bottomless (I call it brunching with pants).

Let’s get back into it with one of my favorite bottomless joints: Barbounia.

Barbounia is quite popular and for a good reason. The location is kind of basic (convenient, but nothing special) but the space is huge, lively, and chic. The high ceilings enhance the Mediterranean feel without being cheesy and the place is just kinda sexy. The music is a little loud but not annoyingly so. The crowd is young, eager, and beautiful 20-30 somethings. I like a good bottomless option that comes sans-trashy people (AKA trash bags). I always look at those young couples who bring a baby to bottomless brunch and think..you have a baby…in a bar…but then also think that I will totally be that person who brings my baby to a bar and to bottomless brunch. #futurebrunchbrat 

The service is okay..but given how packed Barbounia always is I can understand it. They also have a ton of hot gay waiters who might be slow but they are really friendly, funny, and nice to look at. They can be a little slow on the refills but then they finally gave in and gave us our own bottle of champagne. The waitor also messed up one of our orders but was nice (and smart) enough to comp the meal. Just a side note: the unisex bathroom is weird. 

The menu is extensive – a little overwhelming, but the food is great and all greek/Mediterranean influenced. Sometimes large menus = mediocre food but that is not the case here. There are a variety of breakfast and lunch items, but I would recommend the lunch items and insist that the trio of dips is ordered. We started with the hummus, spicy feta, tzaziki – which were all to die for. I absolutely love the spicy feta and the flatbread (straight from the oven) is delish.

After much debate, I ordered the Mediterranean Pita (Roasted eggplant, chopped salad, sliced egg, tahini and amba). Honestly, I was so full of dips and mimosas that I could barely eat. I wouldn’t actually order this dish again, it was a little heavy on the sauce but the fries it came with were amazing.

 My work-husband said that the Greek Salad was on of the best he’s ever had and it gave him a “barb-oner.”

 The lamb burger got great reviews, as did the pizza and the shakshukas. Another side note – the portions are pretty big.

The Damage: The cost of a good bottomless brunch does not come cheap. The bottomless option is 18.95 plus the price of your entre (14-19) so it’s actually not that bad. The trio of dips adds another $18.50 but well worth is. Plan on spending 40-50 a person hear but it’s worth it and you’ll leave happily tipsy.

The Deets: 250 Park Ave S (between 19th and 20th) - Gramercy. Takes reservations.  

Overall Consensus: One of my favorite bottomless brunch places. Great for not sacrificing good food for unlimited mimosas. Great ambiance, décor, and crowd - although it can get a little loud. Food is amazing and apparently it is also good for dinner. Highly recommend. #barboner 

Good For: group brunches, the all about me brunch, girls brunch, the 3rdtinder date, and obviously boozy brunch 

Post-brunch: Dukes for drink specials or Ainsworth park for not drink specials but both are still a good time (and a little fratty)

 Xo Brunch Brat

[brunchbratnyc]

Brunch Brat's New Years Resolutions

Go to as many brunches as possible

Go to as many free brunches as possible

Launch Brunch Brat as a business – contact [email protected] for partership information

Stop doing plebian things

Stop being messy – hire a cleaning lady since cleaning is too plebian

Defriend people who post annoying shit on facebook

Wear more workout clothes so I look like I go to the gym

Try not to visibly roll my eyes when my boss says something stupid

Donate all my old clothing that I no longer wear (see I can be nice..)

Brunch outside my comfort zone (a.k.a out of Manhattan)

Basically this: 

[brunchbratnyc]

Take me to church..and by church I mean brunch #kthanks #takemetochurch #brunchbrat #brunch #lol #sorrynotsorry

[brunchbratnyc]

Brunch Spotlight: De Santos

Oye...where do I start. 

I would normally include the De Santos website and brunch menu here but their website is down because they forgot to pay for it. 

Ambiance is okay..nothing special but still cute. It has a quaint feel like you're in someone's house. But it's pretty noticeable that the location is directly above a subway line and every 3 minutes it felt like an earthquake under my chair. 

The service is decent - nice and attractive staff but they recently introduced a new menu and I thought it was a little strange and a little limited. Again, I would input the link here...but the website is down. They brought us a pitcher of mimosas which was good and refilled it promptly when we were finished. At least the mimosas were good. 

I opted for the burger with parmesan butter and truffle fries..because truffle fries. My brunch date ordered the chicken BLT. You should have seen my face when my food came out and on the plate were plain french fries. I'm not talking about nice plain homemade french fries..I'm talking about the frozen variety that you eat at camp in 6th grade. Seriously. Is that a joke?! The burger bun was also stale.

The chicken club wasn't much better and also came with the same frozen fries. My work husband (clearly a fellow brunch brat) rated his meal a 3 out of 10. 

The Damage: Far more than necessary. $36 for bottomless brunch drinks and an entree. With tax and tip it ended up being $50 and so not worth it. 

The Deets: 139 W 10th St - west village. (between Waverly and Greenwich)

Overall Consensus: Just don't do it. 

Good for: nothing (aside from drinking bottomless mimosas) but there are other places to do that. I know...way harsh Tai, but this place is basically a virgin who can't drive. (#clueless) 

Post Brunch: The Happiest Hour - a new whimsical bar that unfortunately does not have drink specials but I mean the drinks come in tiki cups and they apparently have burgers that are way better than the one I ate at De Santos. 

Xo Brunch Brat

[brunchbratnyc]

Brunch Spotlight: The Guilty Goose

Alright...this one might be extra bratty but I'll keep it short. Going to The Guilty Goose was a last minute decision after a friend made a spontaneous trip to NYC for the weekend. We needed a reservation and for lack of a nicer way to put it (not that I care) all other places were booked and the guilty goose wasn't..now I know why. 

The location is decent..even though I expected it to be nicer for Flatiron. It's simple, super casual, restaurant that definitely has a bar feel. The crowd was really diverse - a really random mix of young people (ranging from japs, randos, and trash bags). 

The service was okay - our waiter seemed perpetually confused but I'm not really sure why. At least my mimosa came in giant goblet (aka tulip glass) which was kinda random since other people had regular champagne glasses. The mimosa was pretty standard and the goblet seemed like it was bottomless. They were OKAY with the refills but we had to ask a few times.

 The menu is also standard - some options that sounded good - fairly basic but a well rounded mix of foods. I opted for the burger because #yolo (also #fatsunday). Also ordered were a few egg dishes and a veggie burger. My burger was good - but did not wow me at all. Unfortunately, the sherry marinated onions were way too strong and overpowered the entire dish. at least the fries were good.

They were probably the best thing at the table. My friend rated the veggie burger a 3 out of 10 (she's a fellow brunch brat). I also tried the steak and eggs and the steak was extremely under-seasoned. 

The Damage: It is reasonable but honestly not worth it. $35 for an entree with bottomless drinks (mimosas, micheladas, or select draft beers). Side note: the waiter also overcharged us on the bill and we noticed.

The Deets: (if you still want to go there) 131 W 23rd St (between 6th and 7th) Chelsea/Flatiron  

Overall Consensus: Just don't. They do have decent reviews on yelp so maybe there were just on an off day...

Good For: Chill brunch..and nothing... 

Post Brunch: Ainsworth Park or The Turnmill 

Xo Brunch Brat

[brunchbratnyc]

Brunch Spotlight: Vella Wine Bar

I might have mentioned this 10,058 times, but I'm always looking for a fun/cute bottomless brunch option on the upper east side. Vella Wine Bar had very mixed reviews on yelp but I wanted to check it out for a last minute girls brunch. 

Vella is a cute space - simple italian-french bistro feel without being over done. They also have outdoor seating when then weather permits (unfortunately, much to my dismay...winter has arrived). Basically, it's a standard UES wine bar. It was definitely not the busiest place but was pretty "young UES." I don't know if you heard but the UES is basically the new Brooklyn.

Naturally, I was a fan when the waitress brought us beaker shaped pitchers of mimosas and bellinis. Love the style and she was pretty good about the refills although sometimes needed a reminder. 

The menu  is fairly small but has enough breakfast/lunch options. I went with the fig manchego flat bread (it had me at manchego). Also ordered at the table: truffle mac and cheese, baked eggs, and eggs benedict. Unfortunately, the food was a little underwhelming. My dish was actually good, light and delicious with the manchego and the fig jam matching very well together.

The truffle mac and cheese was also a hit but I'm pretty sure you have to be a moron to screw that one up. The baked eggs and eggs benedict unfortunately received poor reviews - they were both very basic and under seasoned.

At least they were very generous with our drink refills and let us stay well passed the 90 minute limit.

The Damage: Pretty standard and reasonable for the UES - $35 for a brunch entree with unlimited mimosas or bellinis (does not include bloody marys which I am okay with) 

The Deets: 1480 2nd Ave - 77th and 2nd. 

Overall Consensus: Cute atmosphere and good drinks but the food was mediocre and inconsistent across the board. It came close, but unfortunately I am still looking for the ultimate UES brunch special. (Note: The brunch experience was great but it was more about the people I was with than the restaurant experience...this is why I sometimes tell people you can't sit with us) 

Good For: girls brunch, date brunch, casual brunch

Post Brunch: Brother Jimmy's (the original) is literally across the street. Good for being fratty and watching football. Not going to lie..I love their BBQ pulled chicken nachos.

Xo The Brunch Brat  

[brunchbratnyc]

Brunch Spotlight: The Stand

I'll keep this one short and sweet. I purchased an urbandaddy perk to come to The Stand for brunch with bottomless drinks. Now, The Stand is also a comedy club so I had a feeling that this was the kind of place you come to for the drinks and not the food. 

The place is small but surprisingly cute and completely separate from the comedy club section. It's nothing special but very simple nyc trying-to-be-trendy. Our waitress was super chipper and friendly. She made us laugh which is always a plus. Not gonna lie, after a while she was a little much. The scene was pretty quiet at first but then quickly became filled with other young(ish) brunch go-ers. No one too rowdy which is nice and there was an overall chill and happy vibe.

The bottomless option comes with a variety of drinks - including a "greyhound" aka grapefruit juice and vodka..who knew?! You learn something new everyday. I opted for the blood orange mimosa since the greyhoud would probably taste too much like college. The mimosas was refreshing and they were great with refills. (After a while the chatty waitress got the point that I didn't want to talk to her after every drink refill).

The menu is actually quite extensive and creative (maybe in a try to hard kinda way) but it very appealing. This ranges from red velvet waffles to "boozy PB and J french toast." Those both sounded a little too intense for me, so I went with the portabello burger on a pretzel roll. My brunch date (the brunch brat boyfriend) decided on the cookie dough pancakes. We also ordered a side of tots with truffle gravy because..why wouldn't we?! 

The food took a while to come out but at least the drinks kept on coming. It was also cold outside so I wasn't rushing to go anywhere. (BTW I hibernate at brunch or in warm places during the winter). My burger came and I was a little disappointed. When you order a portabello burger, I'm pretty sure that no one would expect it to be fried since it seems like a healthy-ish option. Plus the pretzel bread was a little stale. Overall, it wasn't bad but was a little underwhelming.

The cookie dough pancakes were more successful even though I expected more cookie dough. Luckily, the pancakes themselves were good - with a few chunks of cookie dough on top, chocolate syrup, and strawberries. The tater tots with truffle gravy were amazing and I don't even really like tots (prefer fries) but the dipping sauce was perfect.

The Damage: Negligible with the Urban Daddy perk..they are also on other deal sites frequently. Even without a deal, you can get a bottomless option for $19 plus the cost of an entree which is very reasonable ($13-18).  

The Deets: 239 3rd Ave. Corner of 3rd and 20th (Gramercy)

Overall Consensus: I have mixed feelings about this. An easy brunch option that is good for what it is (a comedy club). Good service and drinks with interesting menu options. I'm intrigued by other dishes on their menu but not running back there any time soon. 

Good For: chill brunch, bottomless brunch, casual brunch

Post Brunch: Duke's in Gramercy if you're feeling fratty. 

Xo Brunch Brat

[brunchbratnyc]

Brunch Spotlight: Marche du Sud

I'm always looking for a fab Upper East Side brunch - one that has a nice balance of quality food and reasonable prices and/or bottomless drinks that won't shatter my budget. Although I talk a big game, I am not quite Blair Waldorf...yet #fakeittilyoumakeit. 

I live ridiculously close to Marche du Sud and have been there for dinner. I was slightly disappointed by the dinner there (and the service was bad) but have generally heard very good reviews. I walk by their chalk board sign everyday and was intrigued by their brunch special so decided to check it out as a spontaneous sunday brunch.

The inside decor is very "classic french bistro bar" and there is also a covered quaint back patio which is open when the weather is nice. Overall, it is very pleasant and homey but I can do without the french elevator music. The crowd is mixed - a few other young tables with the rest being UES families or random euros.

They took our drink order right away - mimosas and bloodies but then seemed to forget about us for a solid 25 minutes. We were feeling extremely neglected but then our waiter brought me over a personal mimosa carafe so I forgave him. My mimosa was the right ratio of champagne to orange juice and the bloody was nice and spicy.

The price fixe menu is smaller than the regular brunch menu but has enough choices. The place is well known for their tarte flambeè (for the non-cultured that equals pizza) so it was a no brainer to order at least one of those. I ordered the "Le The Burger" (Beef short ribs burger, cheese fondue, roasted tomato, plus provençale french fries).

My brunch date ordered the "La Fameuse Brie & Miel de Truffe Tarte Flambeè" which comes with Crème frâiche, brie, pancetta, onions, truffle, and honey...is your mouth watering?? Because mine is. Yes, that pizza exists and yes is was as amazing as it sounds. All I could ever ask for in a fancy brunch pizza without being too overwhelming or rich.

Unfortunately, the service was pretty terrible the entire time and even though the food was amazing it took a long time. At least the waiter brought me another mimosa carafe and they didn't care about the time limit. I guess it's kind of like being in France.

The Damage: Very reasonable for the quality of food (and explains the service) $29 for 2 hours of unlimited drinks (mimosa or bloody mary) with a brunch entree. I believe they only have this special in the patio or at the bar. 

The Deets: Upper East Side. 1136 1st Ave (between 62nd and 63rd)

Overall Consensus: A bottomless brunch that does not sacrifice food quality - although the service is pretty bad, it is sometimes ok when you have a mimosa carafe in hand while sitting outside. Definitely not the most fun atmosphere but that can also be refreshing. Fun fact: I will now be ordering "La Fameuse Brie & Miel de Truffe Tarte Flambeè" via Seamless to eat on my couch while watching Scandal. 

Good for: Brunch with the parents, girls brunch, catch up brunch, small or big groups (only in the patio space), classy bottomless brunch

Post Brunch: Maya for happy hour (basically across the street) or The Jeffrey if you're feeling hipster.  

Xo Brunch Brat

[brunchbratnyc]

Brunch Spotlight: Ken & Cook

From the moment I stepped into Ken & Cook I knew I was going to like it. I Headed there for one of my "all about me brunches." I really do like excuses to get my different groups of friends together so my all about me brunches aren't 100% selfish (right?). 

This Nolita spot first won be over by it's sleek NYC meets cool vintage bistro feel. There are small round wooden tables in the front - and a few more outside if its the outdoor dining season. There are larger square booths on the side which perfectly accommodated our large party of 10. 

The crowd is chill/young (but not TOO young) and a little hipster. It's not rowdy or trashy for a bottomless brunch place, which is important.

Our server was friendly, humorous, and patient with us while not being pushy or annoying. We started with ordering our bottomless drinks and some appetizers because we were feeling frisky. Something about a good ambiance and service that makes you want to spend more money. My mimosa was standard and came in a large wine glass, which I am a fan of. The bloody mary was also good and spicy according to my sources. In case you forgot, I don't like bloody mary's since I think they taste like cold tomato soup with vodka. They were pretty good about refilling our glasses.

For the starters, we opted for the Burrata with heirloom tomatoes, arugula, and champagne vinaigrette as well as a side of brussels sprouts. They were both a little basic but did the trick of holding us over until our food came out.

The menu is a little small - 10 items on the brunch menu which are either sweet or savory but there is also a raw bar menu. I went for the Shrimp and Grits #nogritsnoglory. Also ordered at the table: Steak and Eggs, Fried Chicken, and Waffles. My shrimp dish was a little small, but lite and flavorful.

Also notable were the steak and eggs and the fried chicken. The steak was well cooked and seasoned plus the potatoes it came with were phenomenal. The star though was the fried chicken - it's never something I would order for brunch but it was delicious. The chicken was super tender and paired well with fresh honey biscuits. We schmoozed for a while and left happily tipsy and satisfied with our brunch experience. 

The Damage: Very reasonable and worth it. $30 for an entree + bottomless mimosas, sangria, bellini, or bloody mary.   

The Deets: Nolita. 19 Kenmare St. (Btw Bowery and Elizabeth)

Overall Consensus: Great deal and ambiance. Some of the food is a little #basic but I'm into this place. It goes on my top 10 for bottomless brunch because it's not trashy and the bottomless deal does not sacrifice quality of the food. 

Good For: big or small groups, date brunch, all about me brunch, bottomless brunch, catch up brunch

Post Brunch: Sweet and Vicious (LOL just like me). They have a great/chill back patio with an outdoor screen which at the time was showing a world cup game. This was perfect since I have a boyfriend who insists on watching every single sporting event. They also have happy hour with $8 "jargaritas" and $6 drinks and wine. 

Xo Brunch Brat 

[brunchbratnyc]

Brunch Spotlight: Cafe Cortadito

I'm going to keep this one short and sweet. I invited myself to a girl's brunch at Cafe Cortadito - I only knew two out of twelve people but who cares when there are mimosas involved. 

Cafe Cortadito is situated next to brunch hot spot Poco, making it a a very packed sidewalk on a Saturday. There is always a wait even if you have a reservation, and I'm sure you can imagine that the BrunchBrat does not like waiting. The place is pretty tiny, hence the waiting. It is a simple Cuban restaurant with minimal decorations but a good ambiance thanks to the slightly rowdy brunch crowd (young trendy types with some basic betches). The music is tad loud for my taste and very ntz-ntz-ntz-ntz-y but you have no choice to embrace it or try to scream over the music.

After the wait, I was not impressed but our waiter won points by offering to bring us 4 pitchers of drinks for our table. We opted for the tropical mimosa, bloody mary, champagne mojito and champagne margarita. I went for the tropical mimosa which was good, slightly fruity but not overly sweet. According to my sources, the bloody was also good and spicy. I wasn't a fan of the margarita (too much tequila) but the champagne mojito was nice and refreshing.

The menu is a mix of breakfast and lunch - all cuban themed. I obviously wasn't going to eggs so I opted for the Pan con Bistec since it was recommended by a friend (I was also tempted by Roja Viejo Sliders). A variety of other dishes were ordered. The food literally took forever. And by that I mean it took a solid hour and a half. I could tell they were struggling with the amount of people and the kitchen was tiny..but...they should be used to that since it definitely happens every weekend. At least they were pretty good about refilling the pitchers even though sometimes we had to remind them. We were enjoying ourselves because of the drinks but after a while there was a burning hole of hunger in my stomach. 

The food finally came - the bistec was good but not as good as I expected. It came with two skinny pieces of steak, which I asked for medium rare..but they were a little chewy. Overall it was still pretty good but I would give it a 6.5 out of 10. The  Amanecer Corralito on the other hand was amazing (platain omelete with chorizo) and I don't even like chorizo. It was more like a frittata with plantains but the salty/sweet combo was delicious. The egg dishes got good reviews but those portions looked a little small.

The Damage: Very painless (maybe hence the slow service) - $27.95 for an entree plus 1.5 hours of unlimited mimosas (tropical or regular), bloody mary, champagne mojito, champange margarita, red/white sangria, OR house beer. A girl likes options.

The Deets: East Village. 210 E 3rd St (corner of 3rd and B)

Overall Consensus: A fun experience and ambiance but slow service. We literally left this place after 6. I've never had a brunch turn into a linner. Food is a little above mediocre and drinks are good so it's a pretty good balance for a budget-friendly bottomless brunch. If Poco and Cafe Cortadito got in a brunch fight I think Poco might win.

Good For: NOT good for big groups. Good for: bottomless brunch, getting drunk, small groups.

Post Brunch: Boulton and Watt for $5 mimosas, sangria, and bloodys OR take walk to Rochelle's.

Xo Brunch Brat  

[brunchbratnyc]

Brunch Spotlight: Maison Premiere

I’ve decided to spread my wings a bit..now that god created Uber…obvs. 

Maison Premiere has gotten a lot of buzz recently so I demanded that my friends and I check it out. I almost don’t want it to get too much buzz though so it doesn’t lose it’s trendy Brooklyn charm. I headed there (again thanks to Uber) for a classy and quiet brunch with the girls. 

While unassuming from the outside, stepping into Maison Premiere feels like walking into a classic New Orleans restaurant (fun fact: I went to school there #jewlane). So right away my friends and I were loving it. The back garden is basically perfect - small but not too small with a quaint french tea party type feeling. 

Naturally, it being Williamsburg, the waitresses are all way hipster but I must say they had some attractive oyster shucking waiters. The drink menu is extensive and they have a variety of absinthe drinks and a bunch of drinks I couldn’t understand. Also, I don’t do absinthe ever since a weird experience while studying abroad. After not being able to decipher which drinks were made with vodka, I ordered a mimosa. It was a good mimosa but a little pulp-y for my liking. The bloody mary was allegedly very good but some unidentifiable julep my friend had tasted like a band-aid. After testing out a few different cocktails, I would definitely recommend the Carondelet - essentially gin lemonade with a hint of salt and vanilla - I don’t even like gin (tastes like lysol) but this was actually delicious.

The crowd was typical Williamsburg eccentric but also included other non-hipster but cool manhattan-ites like ourselves. A chill 20-30 something crowd not looking to get wild..yet.

The menu is small and a little complex. It’s typical brunch dishes with a twist. We asked our hipster waitress for her input and a little explanation but didn’t really get much from her. We were all intrigued by the “cod brandade” so decided to share that as an app. It is a cod based spread mixed with potatoes. I know sounds kinda weird and I was a little nervous but when in Brooklyn. To my surprise, it was delicious. I normally don’t like my fish in schmear form but the texture/smell wasn’t fishy and it was accompanied by some sort of delicious pesto sauce and herbs. A great combo with the buttered toast it came with. We basically licked the bowl clean.

Next, I ordered the baked eggs with shrimp. Also ordered: the duck hash, green market salad, and the periwinkles and oysters. Mine came with full on prawns - equipped with eyes, shell and everything. Now, I have an aversion to food that comes with eyes that can judge me or ooze into my food. My friend, calmly popped the shells right off knowing my fear #thatswhatfriendsarefor so I then had normal looking shrimp and was ready to eat. Dispite this near disaster, the dish was amazing. The perfect portion and mix of baked eggs, bitter greens, and tomato chutney sauce. It also came with the same delicious thick buttered toast from the brandade. Everyone else was pleased with their meal and gave rave reviews. The salad came with edible flowers #sobrooklyn. 

The Damage: Medium. Not my typical bottomless brunch special - but I’m going more for the food these days so price is worth it. Mimosas are a decent $11 while other cocktails range from $11-14 (not bad considering the perfect patio space). Brunch dishes are $11-19 which is pretty standard. Note: they have an $1 oyster happy hour which is apparently amazing but super packed.

The Deets: 298 Bedford Ave in Williamsburg (between 1st and 2nd St) #uber

Overall Consensus: Great spot for a brooklyn brunch and worth the trip. I love the New Orleans feel, quaint back patio, and interesting food. Would definitely recommend to my besties. 

Good for: classy brunch, girls brunch, date brunch, Brooklyn brunch

Post Brunch: Radegast Hall & Biergarten - literally a 3 minute walk. One of my favorite biergartens and this picture says it all. 

Xo Brunch Brat