02.19.08
Review of Paradou, Sunday December 2007
8 Little W. 12th St. & 9th Ave., 212-463-8345
Great for: very drunken brunches, awesome burger, dirty bingo, yummy Champagne cocktails, Gallic accents without the attitude
A friend topped off her boyfriend’s birthday celebration weekend with Sunday brunch here, which only the two of them plus the Boyfriend and me were still capable of attending. Everyone else had been felled by alcohol on top of more alcohol. Brunch is $25 for entrée plus all the Champagne you want… We figured our livers could handle unlimited Champagne cocktails, and they did, although our sobriety didn’t do as well.
We thought we’d share the charcuterie plate, but they forgot to bring it. It turned out for the best though, since we were very full after our entrées. I got the wake & bake, which is two eggs sunny-side up over polenta and andouille sausage covered in Gruyère cheese. It tastes even better than it sounds! Scrumptious runny egg yolk, creamy polenta, thin slices of perfectly salted sausage, and cheese cooked enough to be crispy is a wonderful combination. The other three got variations on the burger, which according to the menu makes “all the burgers at all the fancy-pants places [...] taste like dookie”. I can’t call all the other burgers dookie but the Paradou one sure is good. It comes on what look like baguette slices, except they’re soft and fluffy. The meat is juicy and tasty – maybe they marinate it in something? – and the fingerling potatoes on the side are also great. The sandwich is pretty huge, too; no one at the table was able to finish theirs.
I’d definitely recommend trying all the cocktails. The Paradou X is a kir royale plus a special ingredient, and the Chaperon Rouge is Champagne plus muddled strawberries. They also have bellinis, mimosas and kir royales. My favorite is the Chaperon Rouge. They’re all great, especially after you’ve had a few. The waiters are really friendly, and we usually get to sit in the garden, which is covered in winter. It’s a great little place with consistently good food, drinks and service. We’ve been back for brunch about 4 times already.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $72 per 4 people
Noise level: happy noisy
Chance of walking in: medium
It’s now $29 per person for brunch.
