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Ditch Plains

5 Oct

Place: Ditch Plains

Neighborhood: Upper West Side, 100 W. 82nd St. (at Columbus Ave.)

Mimosa Rating:

3 mimosas


The scoop: After running a four-mile race in Central Park, we went to Ditch Plains for brunch. The restaurant opens at 9 a.m., which worked out perfectly. It is located right near the Museum of Natural History.

Ditch Plains on a quiet Saturday morning

When we were approaching Ditch Plains, I immediately noticed a few strollers parked out front. I had heard this restaurant is pretty much kid central during afternoon brunches. However, there was hardly a soul in the restaurant, since it wasn’t prime-time brunch hour yet. I noticed how different this location is compared to the West Village location. It has ample amount of seating for both small and large groups – I don’t think reservations were really necessary. The decor has a laid-back surf bar vibe, with surf-themed pictures and paintings of waves on the walls and a great looking vintage bar area.

The server was super friendly and pretty attentive. I know she only had a few tables to cover, but she could have very well ignored us since we were a large group.

Bottoms up:

Coffee

Coffee $3

Although black coffee will set you back more than it will at Starbucks, you get unlimited free refills, which isn’t the case for a lot of brunch spots. The coffee’s taste was average.

Chew on this:

Pancakes with blueberries

Pancakes $12 / With blueberries (additional $1)

A stack of pancakes arrived with blueberries baked inside. Loved that! Although there was nothing overly special about this dish, you often don’t find blueberries mixed into the batter; the pancakes are usually topped with the fruit. Each pancake was cooked to just the right amount. It was a simple yet satisfying start to Rebecca’s day and just what she was looking for.  

Breakfast tacos

Breakfast tacos $13 / Eggs, sausage, cheddar cheese, pickled onion and salsa

Three of us ordered this dish, and sadly, it was a total disappointment. Once Stu said the tacos look like something  look just like McDonald’s, I couldn’t stop thinking that he was totally right. There was very little meat or eggs inside, and the toppings adding nothing for flavor. The flour tortilla was also a little unfitting. I am used to bite-size tacos with a corn tortilla. Also, guacamole was an extra charge. 

Red velvet pancakes

Red Velvet Pancakes $13

How could you resist a red velvet pancake?! It is definitely a must for dessert lovers. We got the dish to share as a table, which I totally advise doing. It’s a little much for one person. There were three layers of cakes, plus a decadent amount of cream cheese frosting to spread across each bite. Syrup was served on the side.

Lobster roll

Ditch Plain Lobster Roll $28 / With sweet potato chips

I can never understand why lobster rolls are so pricey  but Ditch Plains is well known for their lobster roll, so Jerry had to try it. The sandwich was well presented, lying on a large bed of sweet potato chips. The oversized bun was stuffed with lobster that tasted delicious. There wasn’t too much mayo mixed with the lobster. I would say this roll is worth the splurge. Also, there was enough for everyone to get a taste. 

Outside Ditch Plains

The final bite: Although all left stuffed, everything, with the exception the lobster roll, was just OK. I don’t recommend going out of your way to stop here. If you find yourself needing to have brunch early or are brunching with children, stick to the  lobster roll or even the red velvet pancakes to indulge. Otherwise, wait a few hours until Calle Ocho down the street opens!

Reviewed by: Erica

Alice’s Tea Cup: Chapter III

2 Oct

Place: Alice’s Tea Cup: Chapter III

Location: Upper East Side, 220 E. 81st St. (between 2nd Ave. & 3rd Ave.)

Mimosa Rating:

3 1/2 mimosas

Sidewalk welcome

The scoop: Four of us were looking for a place to enjoy food and catch up. Alice’s Tea Cup has pretty much something for everyone, from the variety of food to the huge selection of tea. The tea selection is so overwhelming that they have a separate menu of pages and pages of different tea options. We were a little discouraged by the hour wait that we were quoted, but magically the hour wait turned to just a five-minute wait. In fact, I’ve read in several reviews that people have had a similar experience with the estimated wait time.

Fairy outfits

Marissa has been to the other two Alice Tea Cup locations and she said this location was the most low-key. With the exception of the tea and a couple of pictures on the wall, I thought the restaurant had more of a fairy theme than an Alice in Wonderland theme. One waiter was semi-dressed up wearing wings, and there were fairy outfits hanging on one wall. I didn’t really understand the fairy theme, but I guess it goes in line with Alice in Wonderland being a fairy tale.

Inside

We were seated at the back corner of the restaurant and it was pretty dark. The restaurant is small and is divided into two sections. One section has a large window which seemed to provide a decent amount of light to those brunching on that side.

Some theme restaurants may disappoint with food, however, this wasn’t the case at Alice’s. Our waiter provided good service, and we weren’t rushed. I inquired about the iced tea flavors and he was able to recite the many options and explain them without being confused. There were so many types of tea that I was lost halfway though his recitation.

Cute teapot

Bottoms up: 

Of course we had to have a tea party at Alice’s. Two of my friends ordered the three-cup pot of tea for $6, and it was enough to keep them satisfied as well as share with everyone else at the table.

Alice’s tea

Alice’s Tea / Our house blend of Indian black Vanilla tea with Japanese green tea and rose petals. Smooth and subtle

Kathy thought Alice’s tea had a strong taste, so she added sugar and asked for honey. The taste wasn’t bad, but I wasn’t impressed. I definitely preferred the chai tea over this one. 

Chocolate chai tea

Chocolate Chai Tea

Sue ordered the chocolate chai tea, and I thought it was amazing and tasted like dessert. Both the chocolate and chai flavors were evident, but the chai flavor was a tad stronger than the chocolate.

High noon iced tea

High noon iced tea $3 / Hibiscus, rose, orange, rosehips, linden, strawberries and apple

The actual tea that was poured into the cup was hot, but it was chilled by ice cubes. With the variety of flavors, there wasn’t one in particular that was more prominent than the rest.

Chew on this: Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. I was the only person at the table who ordered from the brunch menu; everyone else ordered from the main menu since they wanted sandwiches and the brunch menu only consists of eggs and sweet dishes.

Smoked salmon and scones

Smoked salmon and scones $15 / Poached eggs and smoked salmon nestled on a buttermilk scone and covered with rosemary hollandaise sauce. Served with a side of roasted asparagus and pears

Alice’s is known for their scones so I figured I couldn’t go wrong with eggs Benedict with scones. The scones were delicious on their own and also perfect for soaking up the egg yolk after I pricked the eggs. Also, the rosemary hollandaise sauce drizzled on the eggs added a subtle flavor. The salmon was good, the asparagus was fresh and the pears were perfectly sweet. I love when I order a dish that has variety, and in this case, I couldn’t have asked for more. After eating all my food, I was satisfied for hours without feeling grossly full. 

Alice’s scones

Alice’s Scones $3.50 / One scone with raspberry preserves and homemade clotted cream

The scone was a decent size that two of my friends ended up splitting one. It was tasty without being overly sweet, and the mixture of the raspberry and cream made the scone even more enjoyable. The scone was the best part of my friends’ meal and they will definitely be back for more. 

Outside Alice’s Tea Cup

The final bite: Although I expected the atmosphere to be cuter, I had “a very merry happy unbirthday” with my brunch meal and chai tea. If you want to brunch with somebody who isn’t into eggs or sweets, Alice’s offers a lunch menu with a variety of sandwiches and salads so there is definitely something for everyone.

Reviewed by: Victoria

The Mermaid Inn

18 May

Place: The Mermaid Inn

Neighborhood: Upper West Side, 568 Amsterdam Ave. (between 87th St. & 88th St.)

Mimosa Rating:

1 1/2 mimosas

The scoop: The Mermaid Inn is a popular seafood restaurant with three locations (Upper West Side, East Village and an oyster bar in Greenwich Village). On this unseasonably cold Saturday, we trekked to the Upper West Side location for brunch. We had a reservation at 11 a.m., but it wasn’t necessary since there were a good amount of empty seats when we arrived.

Front dining area

We were seated at the front of the restaurant near a closed garage-door-like gate. Every second the door opened, we felt a draft that made it difficult to relax. We were uncomfortably cold. Victoria asked the waiter to move us to the back room, and it wasn’t a problem. As we got up to walk toward the back, the hostess asked us if we were going to grab the bread basket. We consider ourselves to have a good sense of humor, but something about her tone wasn’t funny. We honestly weren’t sure if she was serious or not, so Victoria said, “Let me grab it.” She said she was joking, but it was pretty awkward.

Back dining room

The restaurant is kid friendly, and there were numerous families with babies and children at tables in the front and back of the restaurant. Both sections have plenty of tables and seating. The back of the restaurant was still cold, but it wasn’t as bad as the front. I guess they weren’t prepared for the low temperatures. They could have turned on the heat.


Bottoms up: The cocktails at The Mermaid Inn range from $11-$12. We didn’t order any drinks at brunch, but several people appeared to be enjoying theirs.

Chew on this: We thought their menu was pretty limited for brunch. We would have liked to have seen more options.

Rye Bread / Complimentary

Rye bread

It’s always nice to kick off brunch with complimentary bread, muffins, etc. We all thought the bread served at Mermaid Inn was some type of cinnamon raisin bread. We were way off. Stephanie took an unfortunate bite and found out it was rye bread. None of us like rye bread, and we were surprised they would serve it at brunch. Rye bread should be reserved for Reuben sandwiches. 

Tres Leche Challah French Toast $12 / Strawberries & powdered sugar

French toast

I haven’t had French toast in a while, and when I saw the waitress bring it over to someone at a table next to us, I thought it looked well-presented so I wanted to give it a try. Lots of strawberries were on the dish and the bread was thick and moist, but it was extremely cold, which took away from its enjoyability. The toast was so cold, it tasted like it came right out of a fridge. I’m not sure why it was so cold, but they could have at least served warm syrup.

UWS Steak & Organic Eggs $15 / Grilled hanger steak, eggs any style, herb oil, onion rings. Add egg whites, $3

Steak and eggs

I had asked if I could get my eggs any style as scrambled egg whites, and I was surprised to hear the waitress tell me that she had to check if they could do this. This is something I ask for frequently and have never had a problem ordering this. I even told her I didn’t mind paying more, although I think $3 is a little steep for egg whites. In the end, they were able to do it. This dish was nothing special. The eggs were standard, and the steak was decent. It was cooked as I ordered it (medium rare) and the herb oil, which reminded me of a pesto, gave it a little flavor. The onion rings were the best part of the meal and one of our favorite parts of brunch, as we each had a piece. They were crispy and tasty.

Banana Buttermilk Pancakes $12 / Vermont maple syrup & powdered sugar

Pancakes

As Victoria stated, the French toast dish looked good, but I had recently had a mountain of delicious French toast at Good, and I didn’t want to order it again. I wasn’t in the mood for eggs, so I settled on the pancakes. First off, if you’re calling the dish “Banana Buttermilk Pancakes,” I expect there to be bananas in the pancake batter. There was none. Secondly, if buttermilk is used in the batter, the pancakes should come out pretty thick and fluffy. These were not. They did a good job masking the flat pancakes with lots of fresh banana and strawberries ON TOP. The pancakes resembled and tasted like microwaveable pancakes. I make much better pancakes at home. I’ve had a lot of sweet dishes in our first year of the blog, and sadly, this was one of the worst. 

Chicken & Apple Sausage $7

Chicken & apple sausage

If you check in through Yelp or Foursquare, Mermaid Inn gives you a free side dish. We jumped on this offer. Since two of us had sweet dishes, we wanted some meat for our side. Two juicy sausages were served. We were able to cut them up and share. The sausage had a subtle taste of apple. It wasn’t the best-tasting sausage, but it wasn’t bad either. This side was better than our entrées.

Outside The Mermaid Inn

The final bite: Although The Mermaid Inn is family friendly, with its limited brunch menu and disappointing dishes, it’s not very brunch friendly. Don’t waste your time.

Reviewed by: Jen, Stephanie and Victoria

Good Enough To Eat

17 Jan

Place: Good Enough To Eat

Neighborhood: Upper West Side, 483 Amsterdam Ave. (between 83rd and 84th St.)

Mimosa Rating:

The scoop: Since we both had off the week between Christmas and New Years, we wanted to take advantage of a weekday brunch. Good Enough To Eat seemed like the perfect option for us. Their brunch menu is very extensive, and with celebrity fans such as Kevin Bacon, this place has quite the following. Brunchers can be found waiting for an hour or so on the weekends, so we figured an early Tuesday afternoon would be the best time time to take advantage of this popular brunch.

Inside Good Enough To Eat

When we arrived around 1:30 p.m., we were surprised to see a fairly decent crowd waiting outside. We went inside to put our name on the list, but were told that there was no list. Rather, you go outside and wait on line, and they will come out and get people from the line to fill the next empty table. We really lucked out with getting seated. As soon as we took our place at the end of the line, they came out to announce that they could seat a party of two. We were seated comfortably right by the window. We could see other tables toward the middle of the restaurant were cramped and had less space than us. GETE has a feeling that is reminiscent of a country kitchen. One wall was exposed brick, and candles, framed pictures and even a quilt decorated the walls. One of the things that caught our eye was the adorable white picket fence that separated the bar area from the dining area. Also, GETE is so popular that they even sell their own apparel!

The service was good. Our waitress was helpful and attentive. Our food and drinks arrived quickly, and even though they were very busy, we did not feel rushed.

Bottoms up: GETE has a full bar and a very diverse list of brunch cocktails.

Pointsettia & Pellini

Poinsettia $9 / Cranberry juice and champagne

This drink was a very generous size. The combination of cranberry juice and champagne was interesting, but I really liked it. The champagne taste was not overpowering, yet I could tell they did not skimp on the champagne. It was just right. This is a nice alternative to a mimosa or bellini. 

Pellini $9 / Pomegranate or pineapple juice and champagne

The Pellini is a spin on the bellini. I opted for pomegranate juice. The drink was good, however, I felt the pomegranate juice dominated. I would have liked more of a balance between the two ingredients. As Jen said, the serving size was extremely generous. They filled our glasses to the brim! The drinks aren’t cheap, so at least you’re getting your money’s worth.

Chew on this:

Country Scrambled $7 / Sliced new potatoes and sautéed onions. Served with buttermilk biscuits and strawberry butter

Country Scrambled

At $7, this meal was a steal! I had initially ordered the corned beef hash and was told they had just run out, but I’m really happy I ended up with this meal. The eggs had a great flavor from the onions and red potatoes. My only complaint about the potatoes is that they were a little hard, and I would have preferred them softer. The biscuits and strawberry butter were amazing! You could tell the biscuits were fresh, and they were not buttery at all. They were soft and delicious. I loved the strawberry butter. You could also tell that this was freshly made, and the strawberry flavor went so well with the biscuits. If you brunch at GETE, you have to make sure you try these biscuits!

Turkey Hash $10.75 / Roast turkey, potatoes, red bell peppers, carrots, celery, two poached eggs and biscuits

Turkey Hash

I wanted to get something a little different this time around at brunch. This dish caught my eye because it was lunchy, but the eggs added a breakfast twist. First off, the amount of food was ridiculous. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but big chunks of moist turkey, carrots, celery, pepper and potatoes were underneath the eggs (I substituted poached for scrambled). The dish was heavier on the carrots than the  other veggies, but I was fine with that. Everything was absolutely delicious. The abundance of meat and vegetables reminded me of a stew, which warmed me up on a cold and rainy winter day. It was a big ol’ plate of comfort food! I didn’t even need the eggs. Not to mention, I also got two flaky, wonderful biscuits. The biscuits were so good with a spread of the strawberry butter or dipped into the light sauce that formed from the turkey and veggies. I was very satisfied with my meal, and if I went back to GETE, I’d have a hard time ordering another dish.

Good Enough To Eat

The final bite: The dishes at Good Enough to Eat are more than just good … they’re great! Their eclectic menu has something for everyone. GETE is also the perfect place for a weekday brunch.

Reviewed by: Jen and Stephanie

Cafe Lalo

4 Jan

Place: Cafe Lalo

Neighborhood: Upper West Side, 201 W. 83rd St. (between Broadway and Amsterdam)

Mimosa Rating:

Note: Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, no photos accompany this review.

The scoop: With a week off for the holidays, my mom and I made our way to the Upper West Side for a midweek brunch at Cafe Lalo, one of the few restaurants in NYC that serves brunch on weekdays. Cafe Lalo seemed like the perfect spot for us since parts of “You’ve Got Mail” — a movie my mom loves — were filmed in the cafe.

From the outside Cafe Lalo looks like a cute, quaint cafe. I did like how the restaurant wasn’t on street level. Rather, you have to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the entrance. Once you’re inside, though, you’ll soon realize it’s more like a zoo. They pack in the people and lots of small tables — so many that the servers had a hard time of getting to tables. (Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks had a lot more space.) While we were waiting for a table, we were wedged between the counter/bakery case and the tables where people were eating. There was no room anywhere!

The cafe was decorated nicely for the holidays, and there were French posters on the walls. We were seated at a small table by the window in the corner of the restaurant. There were three chairs at our table, and I have no idea how a third person would have fit. I had to literally climb over one of the seats to get to another seat. French music played in the background, but it was hard to hear because of the chatter of nearby tables. The diverse clientele was mainly tourists that spoke different languages. I was surprised by how much of a tourist trap Cafe Lalo was. I didn’t think people would travel to the Upper West Side to eat at a place where a movie was filmed, but, boy, was I very wrong.

The service was below average. Our server was slow and wasn’t knowledgeable about the menu. Nearly every item on the menu was overpriced ($15 for quiche? C’mon.).

Bottoms up:

Bossa Nova $8 / Champagne with Amaretto

We were pleasantly surprised that Cafe Lalo offered 10 different brunch cocktails, all with a champagne base. There was too much Amaretto in the Bossa Nova for my liking. It dominated the drink. Stephanie and I both agreed the Rose Petal was better.

Rose Petal $8 / Champagne with Chambord

The Rose Petal cocktail was one of Cafe Lalo’s few bright spots. The touch of Chambord gave the drink a sweet taste and a pretty pink hue. I would imagine it’s hard to mess up a drink with only two ingredients, but it wouldn’t have surprised me at Cafe Lalo.

Chew on this:

Authentic Belgian waffle $13 / Served with your choice of plain yogurt or plain or cinnamon whipped cream, seasonal fruits or strawberries and pure Vermont maple syrup

I was so excited for my waffle, but after one bite, all excitement was zapped. The waffle was ice cold! I can’t believe they actually served food that cold. Normally, Belgian waffles are warm and fluffy. This waffle was all crust. There was no substance to it. It may have been the worst Belgian waffle I’ve ever had. The strawberries were fresh, but that was the only good thing about this dish. The cinnamon whipped cream was actually plain whipped cream with cinnamon sprinkled on top. A cinnamon shaker was on every table, so even if I ordered the plain whipped cream, I could have made it into their “cinnamon whipped cream.”

Viennese Breakfast $6.75 / Your choice of fresh danish (apricot, blueberry or walnut) served with hot chocolate, cappuccino or Viennese coffee

None of the food items on the menu caught my eye. They did catch the attention of my wallet, though. I wanted to try one of the hot drinks, and since I don’t like coffee, the Viennese Breakfast was my best bet. I went with the blueberry danish, and I’m convinced they use the term “fresh” pretty lightly. You know those prepackaged danishes delis have? That’s what this danish tasted like. The blueberry filling was lumpy and had a weird texture. The hot chocolate was way too chocolatey. I didn’t like it at all. I tried to mask the unnecessarily strong chocolate taste by adding whipped cream from the waffle to the drink, but to no avail. The two large marshmallows that were served on a stirrer across the mug were good. They were warm and gooey after sitting in the drink for a while. To sum it up, this dish was a big waste of calories.

The final bite: Our brunch experience at Cafe Lalo was extremely disappointing. If, for some reason, you have your heart set on Cafe Lalo (although I highly recommend going elsewhere), go for a cup of coffee and steer clear of brunch.

Reviewed by: Stephanie

Uva Wine Bar

23 Nov

Place: Uva Wine Bar

Neighborhood: Upper East Side, 1486 Second Ave. (at E. 77th St.)

Mimosa Rating:

Indoor dining at Uva Wine Bar

The scoop: Believe it or not, before our trip to Uva Wine Bar, the Gang hadn’t brunched together since July because of our crazy schedules! Uva Wine Bar is an adorable and romantic restaurant, and it was the perfect place for the four of us to brunch together. Uva is all about the ambiance. As you enter the restaurant, you walk into a cozy antique-looking bar area with a fireplace. The walls are exposed brick, and pretty chandeliers, flowers and candles decorate the room. There is a garden open year round and is kept warm with heating lamps and a closed roof. We sat in the garden, and the décor made it seem like we were in an Italian café. The restaurant is suitable for couples and large parties, and surprisingly, on a late Sunday morning, it was not full.

Garden seating

Our waitress was nice and did a decent job answering our questions about the menu. When Stephanie was unsure about a drink, the waitress gave a good enough description, which swayed Stephanie not to order the drink. Victoria had a question about two brunch dishes, and while the server didn’t go into detail about either entrée, she did say that “both dishes are good, and it depends what you are in the mood for.” Our food was brought out very quickly.

Bottoms up: Uva offers a $17.50 brunch special. The deal includes an entrée, side dish and a brunch cocktail or glass of house wine. The prices for the drinks are pretty steep if you’re paying per drink.

Fragosa $11.50 / Prosecco, Fragoli Wild Strawberry liqueur

This was a fun drink. The strawberry taste was just right and was not too powerful, and the drink was not super sweet. There were also raspberries in the drink, which kept moving up and down because of the fizz. It was kind of like watching a lava lamp!

Fragosa, lemonade and mimosa

Adult Lemonade $10 / Vodka, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, soda water, fresh mint

I really enjoyed the lemonade. Although the drink lacked vodka, it had a nice taste of lemony sweetness and a good balance of mint.

Mimosa $10 / Prosecco, fresh orange juice

Would this mimosa be worth $10 if you didn’t get the brunch special? No, however, no mimosa is worth $10. I have no complaints about the actual taste of the drink. It was strong and was made with prosecco, not champagne, which is always a plus in my book.

Chew on this: Fresh bread and olive oil is served to each table.

Hot foccacia

Hot foccacia $7 / Filled with Nutella cream

We all love Nutella, so we thought we’d give this a try as an appetizer. Although we enjoyed this foccacia, it is listed as a main dish on the menu, and we all agreed that we would be pretty disappointed if this was our entrée. It was served on a cutting board and cut into four pieces, which was perfect for the four of us to share. The foccacia was toasted, so it made the Nutella just a little melty. There was ample amount of Nutella spread on the foccacia.

French toast

French toast $9 / Made with Italian sweet bread

The French toast did not really impress me. The citrusy taste of the toast reminded us of the Panettone bread (the bread that comes in the big red box that is popular during Christmas time). The pieces of strawberry made the toast a little more enjoyable to eat. I would have enjoyed this dish more if it was served with more strawberries.

Contadina frittate

Contadina frittate $10 / Potatoes, sausage, red onions, asiago cheese

I opted to get this made with egg whites. Although the sausage taste was not overpowering, most of the flavor came from the sausage. I don’t even think there were any red onions in this frittata. The cheese flavor was also quite mild. The potatoes were soft and spread throughout the frittata. I was also given a small bowl of home fries. The home fries were a little hard and tasted like frozen Ore Ida potatoes right out of the bag. This wasn’t the best frittata I’ve ever had, but it is a decent option.

Pancake

Strawberry and mascarpone pancake $9

When we made our brunch reservation for Uva, they encouraged us to try the strawberry and mascarpone pancake.  When a restaurant acknowledges a dish as their specialty, you expect great things. I would say I got a good, not great, thing. The actual pancake was tasty — it was fluffy and of a good texture. I know that mascarpone is a sweet cheese, mostly used in desserts, but I didn’t expect it to be so sweet. It didn’t even taste like cheese; to be honest, it tasted like fresh whipped cream. You definitely don’t need syrup when eating the pancake, unless you want to go into a sugar coma after brunch. People who read the blog know I love sweets, but it was just too much for me. Also, I must have missed that the menu stated ‘pancake’ and not pancakes because I was surprised when I was served one giant pancake. I did like that strawberries were included in the dish. Pancakes and fruit are always a good combination.

Rustica frittate

Rustica frittate $9 / Italian bacon, mushrooms, artichokes, smoked mozzarella

The rustica frittate was shaped like a pie. I assumed that this would have lots of flavor being that it contained Italian bacon, mushrooms, artichokes and smoked mozzarella, but this was not the case. I found myself dumping salt and pepper on it, but that did not help. It was cooked well, but overall, I was really unimpressed with this dish. (Note that I was the only one who didn’t do the brunch special.)

Sausage and polenta

Sausage

Two of us ordered this as a side to complement the sweet dishes that we ordered. The sausage had a funky taste that neither one of us was expecting. It tasted almost burnt, but the actual sausage wasn’t burnt. Needless to say, it wasn’t great. It was also pretty oily.

Polenta

I eat polenta pretty frequently at home. It lacks flavor, so I usually add my homemade tomato sauce to sliced polenta. Since I never see this on a brunch menu, I was really excited to try Uva’s. I figured that they had some cool twist on conventional polenta. The waitress also told me that it was “really good.” However, I was disappointed. I was expecting it to be jazzed up with cheese or garlic to give it some flavor, but this mashed polenta was very bland. 

Outside Uva Wine Bar

The final bite: Uva Wine Bar is a cute and cozy restaurant that is perfect for a date or catching up with the girls. We really wanted to love it based on the ambiance, but the brunch food wasn’t quite what we hoped it would be.

Reviewed by: Brunch Gang

Parlor Steakhouse

18 Nov

Place: Parlor Steakhouse

Neighborhood: Upper East Side, 1600 3rd Ave. (on the corner of 90th St.)

Mimosa Rating:

The scoop: I’ve heard great things about Parlor’s brunch. Since I hardly ever venture to the Upper East Side, I figured that my Saturday brunch with Kate and Rose would be a good chance to check it out. Kate lives close by and has always raved about their brunch, and their $25 prix-fixe with up to five drinks was certainly enticing. The Upper East Side seems to be lacking in brunches with good drink options, so I was excited to try Parlor.

Downstairs bar

Parlor has a very sleek ambiance, with seating available both upstairs and downstairs. It was pretty crowded, so I definitely recommend making reservations. We were seated downstairs, where they had a nice bar with a TV and a pretty display of different kinds of vodka. There was also a fireplace, and the walls were decorated with wine boxes. There were cute vases full of corks all over the restaurant. The service was great! Our server was very charming, and we really enjoyed chatting with him during our meal. Our food was out in no time, and the drink refills were quick as well.

Bottoms up: As part of the $25 prix-fixe brunch, you get up to five mimosas, bloody Marys or rose bellinis with your entrée. Let’s keep it real: I like drinking, especially day drinking. Initially, there wasn’t any doubt in my mind that I’d take advantage of all five drinks, but Kate warned us that we probably wouldn’t make it past three. We were so busy chatting about what we’ve been up to and Rose’s upcoming destination wedding in the Dominican that we each only ended up with two drinks!

Mimosa and bellini

Mimosa

Kate gave us the heads up that Parlor makes a strong mimosa, and the mimosas today did not disappoint. Not only were they huge, but they definitely did not skimp on the champagne. Perfect mimosas!

Rose bellini

This wasn’t the sweet bellini that you might be used to during brunch, but I enjoyed it. It was crisp, and had a little bit of a bitter taste. It was so big that I ended up with a nice buzz after two of them. 

Chew on this:

Frittata

“BLT” Frittata / Smoked bacon, spinach, tomato, aged cheddar cheese

This was one of the most flavorful frittatas I’ve ever had. Not only was it huge (we actually ended up splitting all the dishes between the three of us), but it was delicious. It was packed with spinach and bacon, and the tomatoes were spread throughout. It was cheesy, but not overly cheesy. Even though it was delish, we had a hard time finishing the whole thing!

Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict / Hand cut bacon, buttermilk biscuit, hollandaise

This eggs Benedict was served on a huge biscuit, which is something I’m not used to seeing on a brunch menu. The biscuit wasn’t dry or flaky, and it had a little bit of a pepper flavor to it. The eggs were poached perfectly, so the huge biscuit was a good way to soak up the egg. The bacon was nice and crispy, and the hollandaise sauce was very flavorful. 

French toast

Brioche French Toast / Caramelized apples, mascarpone cheese, vanilla maple syrup

This was a hearty serving of French toast, so it’s a good thing we each had a few bites! The brioche bread was not really soggy, but was not too dry, either. The apples were a nice touch, since the dish was on the sweet side. The mascarpone cheese was drizzled on the plate around the French toast and had a taste that was similar to cream cheese. The syrup was served on the side. It was sweet, but it didn’t have too much of a vanilla flavor to it. 

Outside of Parlor

The final bite: Parlor Steakhouse serves up a tasty brunch with strong drinks and a great prix-fixe deal. If you’re looking for an awesome brunch on the Upper East Side, check out Parlor!

Reviewed by: Jen

Popover Cafe

11 Nov

Place: Popover Café

Neighborhood: Upper West Side, 551 Amsterdam Ave. (between 86th and 87th St.)

Mimosa Rating:

The scoop: I took a three-day weekend from work, and I couldn’t think of a better way to start the week than with brunch. My mom also had the day off, so we made it a mother-daughter experience. We wanted to go to a place on the Upper West Side, and at fellow Gang member Jen’s suggestion, we ended up at Popover Café.

Inside Popover Café

We walked into Popover Café, and the aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air. This got us excited to try the popovers, which is what the café is known for. While walking to our table, we noticed only a couple of tables were occupied near the front of the restaurant. As we walked toward the back, the tables got more crowded. Our table was back-to-back with another table, which was too close for comfort. We had to shift our table a bit, so our tables weren’t on top of one another. It was very loud in the restaurant, and with the proximity of the tables, we could hear numerous people talking around us. We wish we were seated in the front instead. As for the décor, hanging lamps were over some of the tables, and all of the tables had a small red lamp on them, which was cute. We enjoyed the classical music playing in the background.

Service was decent. Servers didn’t walk around asking if patrons needed more coffee, which is what you usually see in diner-like places. My mom had to request more coffee.

Bottoms up: Popover Café offers a variety of drinks — from alcoholic to juice to hot beverages. We opted for cranberry apricot punch and coffee.

Punch

Cranberry apricot punch $3.95

I was pleasantly surprised at how good this punch was. It was cold and refreshing. The punch is also available hot, which would have been good on a chilly day, but I wasn’t sure how I’d like it. The punch had a nice balance of the apricot and cranberry flavors.

Coffee $2.75

There isn’t much you can say when describing a cup of black coffee. It was of the perfect strength — not too strong, not too weak. As with most restaurants, refills were free.

Chew on this:

Popover

Popovers / With strawberry butter

Each omelette came with a popover. Neither of us had ever had a popover before, and we weren’t expecting them to be so light and airy. They were served warm with strawberry butter. I had strawberry butter with brunch at In Vino recently, and Popover Café’s was better. My popover was slightly burned; nonetheless, it was a nice change from toast.

Mushroom and mozzarella omelette with side of turkey bacon

Sauteed mushroom and mozzarella omelette $11 / With rosemary roasted potatoes and a popover

This omelette was made from three eggs and was filled with large pieces of mushrooms, mozzarella and rosemary roasted potatoes. The potatoes were very good and had a strong rosemary taste. I liked how they were chopped up in the omelette instead of on the side. I did feel like there was too much filling for the eggs, though.

Side of turkey bacon / $4.50

The turkey bacon was my least favorite part of our brunch. It was rubbery and hard to bite. I felt like I was eating beef jerky.

Health watch omelette

Health watch egg white omelette $12.95 / With Jarlsberg cheese, fresh diced tomato, scallions, fresh basil & lightly sautéed mushrooms, served with a low-fat chicken apple sausage (no pork) and whole grain toast or popover

They let me substitute cheeses, so I got mozzarella instead of Jarlsberg. But I felt the same way about my omelette as Stephanie did. There were way too many tomatoes, which made the omelette watery. There was too much filling, and as a result, the omelette did not hold up well. It was even worse since mine was made from egg whites which are lighter than actual eggs. I wasn’t a big fan of the chicken apple sausage, but Stephanie liked it. She thought it was light and tasty.

Outside of Popover Café

The final bite: While we did enjoy the popovers, the rest of our brunch was very average. Go for the popovers and a cup of coffee; skip the omelettes.

Reviewed by: Stephanie

Jalapeno

17 Oct

Place: Jalapeño

Neighborhood: Upper West Side, 185 Columbus Ave. (between 68th and 69th St.)

Mimosa Rating:

Outside of Jalapeño

The scoop: I had been craving Mexican food all week, and figured my Saturday brunch with Jess would be a good chance to enjoy some Mexican cuisine. I did a little research and found great reviews for Jalapeño, so I decided to give it a try. Between the positive feedback and unlimited drink special, Jalapeño stood out among the other places I was looking at. We arrived around 1:45 p.m., and there were some open tables, both indoors and outdoors. Since it was an absolutely gorgeous and unseasonably warm fall day, we jumped at the chance to sit outside. The atmosphere was perfect for us to sit back and enjoy our drinks and food. Our server was very nice and helpful. Our food was out in less than 15 minutes, and our drinks were refilled quickly when we asked.

Mimosa and prosecco

Bottoms up: Jalapeño has an awesome drink special. You can enjoy unlimited prosecco, mimosas and bloody Marys with your meal at no additional cost! I went with the prosecco, and Jess got a mimosa. My prosecco was crisp and refreshing, but not too strong. Jess enjoyed her mimosa as well. It was the perfect balance of OJ and champagne. We each got three drinks during brunch. However, the complimentary drinks stop as soon as your plates are cleared. We asked for another round after our plates were gone, but were told that we would need to pay since our food was already finished. This is totally understandable, and we were both happy with the three drinks that we did get while we were brunching.

Chew on this:

Cornbread and sweet tomatillo butter / Complimentary

Cornbread

We were each given a small piece of cornbread with butter promptly when we sat down. I love getting complimentary bread with my brunch, since I feel like a lot of places don’t do this. Cornbread is a fun change from the usual brunch bread, but this cornbread fell just a little short for me. It was on the dry side. Although it did have a nice flavor, I used the butter to give it a little something else. The butter just tasted ordinary, so I’m not sure if this was the sweet tomatillo butter that was advertised. 

Quesadilla Benedict $14 / Two flour tortillas filled with cheese and ham, topped with two sunny side up eggs with hollandaise sauce; Served with home fries

Quesadilla Benedict

This dish seemed like a cool way to satisfy my craving for Mexican and breakfast at the same time. Since the eggs were sunny side up instead of poached, I don’t know if “Benedict” is the best description for it. Either way, it hit the spot! The hollandaise was not your typical hollandaise. It had a nice kick to it. My only concern with having sunny side up eggs on top of a quesadilla instead of having toast on the side was having nothing to soak up the egg with. However, the quesadilla did the job. They did not skimp on the cheese and ham in the quesadilla, so the quesadilla itself was not flimsy, as it can be in some Mexican restaurants. The home fries had a nice flavor, but were a little soggy and way too greasy. This is an innovative dish that I don’t think I’ve ever seen on a menu before, so I would recommend this to someone who is looking for something a little different.

Breakfast burrito $14 / Whole wheat tortilla filled with eggs, cheese, rice, beans, guacamole and pico; Your choice of organic veggies or bacon and a side salad

Breakfast burrito

The burrito was huge! It was stuffed with delicious and fresh ingredients. I opted to get the organic veggies instead of the bacon (as much as I wanted the bacon!), and I found carrots mixed into the burrito as the veggie of choice. The mix of all the ingredients together, as well as some jalapeños, gave the burrito the perfect spice. The eggs inside the burrito were nice and hot. The sour cream on top was also a nice touch. The side salad was dressed in what tasted like a honey mustard vinaigrette. I was happy with my choice and would definitely recommend this burrito. 

The final bite: If you’re craving a quality Mexican brunch, you should check out Jalapeño. The unlimited drinks included with your meal are certainly an added perk!

Reviewed by: Jen

Calle Ocho

24 Jun

Place: Calle Ocho

Neighborhood:  Upper West Side, 446 Columbus Ave. (between 81st and 82nd St.)

Mimosa Rating: 

Bar at front of Calle Ocho

The scoop: We were lucky enough to brunch during one of  Calle Ocho’s last weekends before they move to their new location just around the corner. We were all very pleasantly surprised at how big and open the back dining area was! Each table had more than enough space, and you didn’t feel like you were on top of your neighbors. There were several big groups seated comfortably. The music was at the perfect volume where it provided a nice amount of background noise, but you could hear everyone in your party easily. The decor was very modern Latino. There were elements of classic Havana in the paintings on the wall, but the decor really fused the elements of old and new Cuba together quite nicely. Once we were situated at our table, a very friendly waitress named Britney came over to explain how their brunch works. She was so excited that we were brunching here for the first time and was very eager to share her drink and food recommendations with us. Over the course of the meal, we had several servers who were all very helpful.

Sangria bar

Bottoms up: Calle Ocho has one of the best drink concepts in all of NYC! They have an orderly sangria bar that is included in the cost of your brunch entrée. Once you are seated, you can go up to the sangria bar as you please and help yourself! They have eight different kinds of sangria at the bar (see descriptions below). The four reds are mulata, fresas, Spanish Harlem and roja. The four whites are Havana banana, mojito, tropical and blanco. They really encourage you to try as many as you can, as well as to mix and match! We saw a few creative blends of whites and reds at nearby tables. The glasses at the beginning of the bar were well-stocked and they kept a bucket of ice up there as well. There was always at least one person behind the bar to ensure that each pitcher was full and ready to be poured!

Red sangria
Mulata: Hints of apple, great flavor, not overly sweet
Fresas: Strong berry flavor, contains raspberries, blueberries and strawberries
Spanish Harlem: Cinnamon, warms you up, good fall/winter drink
Roja: Traditional red sangria, fresh fruit

White sangria
Havana banana: Banana flavor almost too much, very sweet
Mojito: Strong orange scent but no overpowering taste, flavors are subtle
Tropical: Pineapple flavor, very refreshing
Blanco: Traditional white sangria, crisp, great for summer

Chew on this: 

Sweet breads and strawberry butter

Assorted muffins and breads with strawberry butter / Complimentary

The warm breads included chocolate bread, banana nut muffins and zeppole-like fried dough saucers, which were served in a Cuban cigar box. When we asked for more of a certain type of bread, they happily brought us a full box of them!

Vaca frita

Vaca frita $18 / Cuban skirt steak, Latin fried rice, tomato escabeche, avocado, fried eggs

We were told several times that this was one of their most popular dishes. Now we can see why! I was initially expecting the steak to be crispier and shredded, but I was pleasantly surprised to see it come out the way it did. It was a little crispy on the outside and had a ton of flavor in it. Two fried eggs were served alongside the steak, and the steak was served on a bed of rice. This was probably some of the best fried rice I ever had. The flavors in this dish were unbelievable, and the avocado and tomato escabeche complemented the main ingredients of this dish quite well.

Burrito sucio

Burrito sucio $12 / Chorizo, scrambled eggs, black beans, tetilla cheese, salsa verde

The burrito had spicy salsa drizzled over the top and around the dish, making for great dipping. The inside of the burrito was overflowing with eggs and there was less chorizo sausage than I expected, but overall satisfying – a large amount of food. This dish was recommended by our server.

Vegetariano

Vegetariano $15 / Wild mushroom paella, Guatemalan green bean salad, sweet pea vinaigrette

This dish tastes as good as it looks. In a Latin restaurant, paella is one of my favorite dishes to order and this was definitely one of the best paellas I’ve tasted. The perfect sticky texture of the rice combined with a medley of vegetables created bursts of flavor with every bite.

Tortilla Espanola

Tortilla Espanola $16 / Spanish frittata with asparagus, potatoes, piquillo peppers and wild mushrooms over crab enchilado

I loved this dish! It was nice to be able to get a creative egg dish. I love omelettes, but there are only so many times I can order them for brunch. This frittata had just the right amount of stuffing and the combination of the potatoes and vegetables was delicious. The crab enchilado was tomato based and so tasty that I could have just eaten it with bread. Bits of of crab with peppers and onions were mixed in the sauce and gave it excellent flavor. The dish was light but filling, which, to me, is perfect for brunch.

The final bite: This is the Brunch Gang’s first “cinco mimosa” rating, and we couldn’t be happier to give it to Calle Ocho! It had everything you could ever possibly want in a brunch: a fun ambiance, incredibly helpful staff, delicious and unlimited drinks and amazing food. We are looking forward to visiting them again in their new location.

Reviewed by: Brunch Gang

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