01.03.09
Posted in Chelsea, Italian, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, brunch, rated 7 to 7.5 at 11:47 by Dominique
191 7th Ave. & 21st/22nd Sts., 212-675-5980
Great for: minimuffins, alcoholic brunch, reliable food
My dear friend C was visiting from London and planned brunch with me and our other friend K. I was bored of not drinking – I went three months and lost about 1.5 inches in circumference! Although my mother has been force-feeding me over the holidays and I think I will need to stay on the wagon a while longer – and wanted to celebrate her brief return, so I got the $15 unlimited champagne too. It turned into a very not-sober, fun day.
First off they have cute little minimuffins with what looked like strawberry jam. They seem very popular with everyone (no bready things for me). My eggs Benedict with one crab cake was quite good. The eggs could have been a shade less cooked, though. And both could have been larger. C’s rigatoni with eggplant was tasty but also small. She ordered it expecting it to be enormous since she was really hungry; it was funny to find the one Italian restaurant in the city without huge pasta portions. K’s burger with bacon, on the other hand, was very large. She enjoyed it a lot.
I liked the pretty plating. We had mainly leisurely service except when our waiter was making sure we had enough champagne in our giant glasses. He even refilled me after we paid the check (it never hurts to smile sweetly). C, who used to live in the neighborhood, said she has always seen it totally packed and was surprised she could even get a reservation for brunch. I definitely want to try their dinner.
Rating: 7 / 10 (just brunch, pending dinner visit)
Our cost: $110 (3 brunches with $15 unlimited drinks)
Noise level: boisterous
Chance of walking in: not good, definitely reserve.
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01.02.09
Posted in American, Lower East Side, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, brunch, rated 7 to 7.5 at 05:35 by Dominique
4 Clinton St. & Houston/Stanton Sts., 646-602-6263
Great for: brunch if you have errands or want to shop in the area, interesting milkshakes
I’ve lived near this place for a year and tried to go twice. I suppose I could walk over and put my name down and then come back again at my best guess of the right time, but it’s a little far from me for that. Plus the Ex-Boyfriend didn’t like to shop so we had nothing to do around there. New Boyfriend, on the other hand, sometimes has weekdays off, obviating the need to deal with any waiting.
I got spicy shrimp and cheese grits in creamy Creole sauce with hash browns instead of fried green tomatoes. Not actually that spicy, it was delicious though the shrimp could have been less cooked. I loved the potatoes and the grits were a creamy delight. Hungry Boyfriend got the special app of crispy potato pancakes with house applesauce and sour cream. He found it tasty with some interesting spices, especially when he ate all three things together. I hate applesauce and adding it to things - I believe my exact words were, “Ewww, sweet and savory together! I like my food segregated. Brown v. Board of Education has not happened in my mouth yet” – but I agreed the sour cream and latkes were a good combo.
His buttermilk biscuit sandwich with scrambled eggs, melted cheddar, homemade tomato jam and bacon accompanied by hash browns was also yummy. I liked the nice solid bacon despite it not being that crispy. I had the satisfying toffee-coffee milkshake with coffee ice cream, espresso and Kahlua for dessert. It’s not very sweet or thick and packs quite a punch of caffeine.
This place is almost impossible to walk right into. We happened to come at about 3 pm on a very cold Tuesday and accepted the tiny counter right by the door, or we would have had to wait a while. I can see why people make such a fuss over it though. It’s cheery, bright and homey, if your mom was Southern and really tidy. I liked the low-key bluegrass and ’50s swing music which was not too loud for once. Our service was quite slow, but the place was totally full. And they more than made up for it with their friendliness.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $65 (coffee & milkshake)
Noise level: not much
Chance of walking in: for brunch put your name down and come back in about 2 hours. There’s lots of great shopping down Clinton.
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05.18.08
Posted in American, East Village, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, brunch, rated 4 to 5.5 at 16:01 by Dominique
55 3rd Ave. & 11th St., 212-420-9800
Great for: not waiting for brunch, fast service
I hate waiting. It drives me crazy and I won’t do it for more than 10 minutes. This is why I have not yet been to Clinton Street Baking, despite living pretty close by. So I was well pleased to discover The Smith from the New York Magazine Best of 2008 article. They take reservations for brunch! And the space is huge.
My country breakfast of fluffy cheddar grits, ham steak, biscuit and gravy was decent. There were too many green peppers, though, and the meal was too heavy to finish. The Boyfriend, on the other hand, hated his eggs Benedict with home fries and applewood bacon. The eggs themselves were ok but the bread/muffin was a rock-hard brick, the bacon was far too fatty, the sauce was just all right, and B said the potatoes tasted sweet and reheated “six times.” After reluctantly tasting them, I had to agree. It was so bad he actually got pissed off eating it. This is a guy who loves to eat and is usually only cranky when he’s hungry.
On the plus side, we both got a free bellini with our brunch items. The food came out lightning quick and our waitress was hot and friendly, but that paled in comparison with the infernal din of stupid people and the abysmal food. For such a big room to have all tiled walls is just a terribly dumb idea – it aggravated the noise problem. I didn’t like the bizarre selection of old nude photos that made a mosaic on the upper part of the back wall either. I’m really puzzled as to why Adam Platt loves this place. I don’t care if they do take reservations, I’m never eating here again.
Rating: 4 / 10
Our cost: $36
Noise level: everyone shouting to be (mis)heard
Chance of walking in: medium, but they take brunch reservations.
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