Place: The Caulfield
Neighborhood: Flatiron, 117 E. 27th St. (between Park and Lexington Ave.)
Mimosa Rating:
The scoop: The Caulfield recently reopened in November and started serving brunch in April. They are the sister restaurant to the popular PS 450, located a couple of blocks away. We were invited in to check out The Caulfield’s new brunch menu, which they started serving as another option for hungry brunchers waiting at PS 450. Since Jen enjoyed her brunch at PS 450 last year, we were excited to give The Caulfield a try.
Inside The Caulfield
We made reservations for a Sunday. Since it was the day after Cinco de Mayo, not many people were out brunching. There are several booths set up for brunch, as well as a few hightop tables near the front area of the restaurant for bigger groups. There is also a back room that can accommodate private parties.
The music was fun and upbeat, and the staff couldn’t have been friendlier or more helpful. They were very attentive and helped us with some questions we had about the menu, which included everything from tacos to grilled cheese — a bit random. Our food was served quickly, and we were never rushed out and were able to relax and enjoy each other’s company.
Drinks
Bottoms up: For $25 each, we got unlimited cocktails and our entrées. Drinks included mimosas and bellinis. One of the great things about The Caulfield’s brunch is that they give you a bottle of champagne and carafes of juice, so you can make your own drinks. You can even just have champagne if you prefer.
We made the drinks to our liking. The juice was good, but we weren’t impressed with the champagne. We don’t expect to get served Dom Perignon at brunch, but we shouldn’t have a headache after having only two glasses.
Chew on this:
The Defector / Roasted pork shoulder, pickles, manchego, mustard
The Defector
Since The Caufield has four different grilled cheese sandwiches to choose from, I figured it was their speciality. I was in the mood for pork, so I went with the Defector. Everything in the sandwich meshed well, the cheese wasn’t overwhelming, and I was able to taste the flavors of each ingredient. The pork tasted good, but I wish there was a little more. Based on the description of the sandwich, you may think it’s on the heavy side, but I didn’t feel stuffed since they were very light on the ingredients. The menu states that grilled cheese sandwiches come with salad or chips, but the dish came with a decent amount of both. I enjoyed the salad and the kettle-cooked chips were tasty and enough to share with the table.
Caulfield Chicken Salad / Mixed greens, grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, avocado, crispy tortillas, scallions, chipotle dressing
Caulfield Chicken Salad
I was in the mood for a salad, and since this dish combined two of my favorite things — grilled chicken and avocado — I decided to give it a shot. I asked for it without tomatoes, and since I’m not a fan of creamy dressings, I got the herb vinaigrette instead on the side. This salad hit the spot! The first thing I noticed when it came out was how much avocado was served on the side. Most places skimp on avocado, so I was really happy to see so many bright green, fresh slices. The grilled chicken was so juicy and flavorful that I actually didn’t even really need any dressing. I just flicked a few forkfuls onto the salad every now and then. The tortillas were a nice surprise, and I ate a few pieces with the avocado. I was very happy with the salad, although I would have liked more lettuce.
Breakfast Burrito / Scrambled egg, red peppers, black beans, tomatoes, cheddar-jack, scallion, side salad
Breakfast Burrito
I was pleasantly surprised by The Caulfield’s breakfast burrito. I wasn’t blown away by this dish by any means, but it was decent for bar-type food. All of the ingredients blended well together. There weren’t many red peppers in the burrito. In fact, I’m not sure if there were any. The burrito left me full, but not overly stuffed. The side salad was the best part of this dish. More often than not restaurants give you a few measly pieces of lettuce and a couple of tomatoes for a side salad. Not at The Caulfield. They gave me a half plate of leafy greens. Victoria and I probably got more lettuce in our side salads than Jen got in her entrée! It was topped with a simple light vinaigrette.
Outside The Caulfield
The final bite: While you’re not going to have the best meal ever at The Caulfield, it’s good for what it is — decent food at decent prices. The make-your-own-drinks option would work well for large groups.
Reviewed by: Jen, Stephanie and Victoria
