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Albert’s Montclair

31 Jul

Place: Albert’s Montclair

Neighborhood: Montclair, N.J., 32 Church Street

Mimosa Rating:

4 mimosas

The scoop: The last time I brunched in Montclair, I noticed Church Street had a couple of restaurants with lots of outdoor seating. I didn’t have a brunch place in mind, so I figured it would be a good idea to come back to this street and randomly select a restaurant.  We decided to give Albert’s Montclair (aka Cafe Amici) a chance based on the outdoor area and their Sunday brunch menu, which contained many various options — from eggs to pasta.

Outdoor area

Since it was nice outside, we wanted to dine in the outdoor area at the front of the restaurant. There were a couple umbrellas providing a decent amount of shade so you won’t melt in the sun. Also, they provided live entertainment with a man singing right outside of the restaurant.

The decor inside was very cute. On the walls there are faux windows with flowers serving as decorations. It seems like it would be comfortable to eat, but not many people were inside since it was so nice out.

Our waiter was extremely friendly, and we were very pleased with his service. Anything we asked for, he was quick to provide and he constantly updated us on our food that was coming out of the kitchen. The food didn’t take long, but it was nice to have someone checking in to make sure we were satisfied.

Bottoms up:

Lemonade

Albert’s is a very accommodating BYOB. The table next to us had their bottle of champagne chilling in a silver bucket. They offer a wide variety of drinks, but unfortunately for the bloody Mary fans, they don’t have tomato juice.

Lemonade $2.50

This drink was very refreshing and a good thirst quencher on a hot day. We both enjoyed our drink, and it was an ample amount to last us throughout our brunch.

Chew on this:

Pesto pizza $12 / Mozzarella, fresh pesto, pecorino cheese

Pesto pizza

Before Matt ordered his pizza, he asked the waiter if it would be satisfying for brunch and the waiter said it is huge and enough for me to have some as well. Although he did warn us that it was big, I was still surprised by the size. The pizza was delicious, and the dough and cheese were fresh. I ate a couple of pieces from Matt’s pizza and there was still some left over.  

Turkey & brie sandwich $10 / Roasted turkey, melted brie, lettuce, mango chutney, baguette, house-made chips

Turkey & brie sandwich

I wanted something on the “lunch” side of brunch so I ordered a turkey brie sandwich. There was a good amount of turkey slices with a little bit of melted cheese. The mango dressing was subtly sweet, providing good flavor. The sandwich comes with homemade chips, but I substituted it for a side salad. The salad was very fresh and contained all the basics including cherry tomatoes, cucumber and carrots.

The final bite: I love when I randomly come across a restaurant and leave satisfied. Good food, great service and a nice atmosphere make this spot worthy of a visit for brunch.

Reviewed by: Victoria

Raymond’s

2 Jul

Place: Raymond’s

Neighborhood: Montclair, N.J., 28 Church St. (between S. Park St. and S. Fullerton Ave.)

Mimosa Rating: 

2 mimosas

The scoop: I’ve heard great things about Raymond’s, so I was excited to try their brunch while I was in Montclair. As I approached the restaurant, I noticed there were people dining at outside tables as well as a huge crowd waiting to be seated. I asked the friendly hostess how long the wait would be and she said, “It will be a while.” I am used to NYC waits being an hour plus so I was expecting it to be long, but I was glad when she ended up telling me that the wait was 15 minutes.

Inside Raymond’s

My name was called approximately 15 minutes later, and I noticed how full the restaurant was as soon as I walked in. There was a bar toward the front with people, who I’m assuming did not want to wait for a table, brunching. We sat in the back area which was very comfortable. Brightly colored bottles were used as decorations, and it was perfect for adding color to the restaurant.  I asked our waitress to explain a dish to me, and she was thorough with her explanation. I had no complaints about the service, and our food was served quickly.

Sparkling pomegranate lemonade

Bottoms up: Raymond’s offers an assortment of juices and coffees. If you want an alcoholic drink, you can BYO.

Sparkling Pomegranate Lemonade $3

This is one of their house-made specialty drinks. We were both drawn to this pomegranate lemonade because we like to mix seltzer water with our juices. Served with a piece of lime, this drink was very refreshing and perfect for the warmer weather.   

Chew on this:

French toast

French Toast $8.50 / Roasted pineapple & Vermont maple syrup

I was craving French toast, so I passed on all the egg dishes. They used French bread, and it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Powdered sugar was sprinkled on top, and a pineapple was placed in the middle of the dish. I thought it tasted OK after the first bite, but I quickly got bored of the dish. It definitely was lacking something; maybe it needed a variety of fruit because more syrup really didn’t help. I think this dish would be good if you are looking to share some sweet bread with the table. Other than that, I wouldn’t recommend it as a meal. 

Migas

Migas $8.75 / Traditional Mexican scramble with crisp tortillas, poblanos and salsa verde

This was a huge mixture of eggs. There were lots of fresh peppers and a decent amount of small tortilla chips that remained crunchy. The dish was tasty, but Matt would have preferred it with less cheese. It was a very heavy dish, and he was unable to eat it all.  

Bacon

Bacon $3.25

I ordered a side of bacon because my meal did not come with meat. The bacon was nice and crispy. I was glad that it wasn’t served too oily.  

Outside Raymond’s


The final bite: Although I wasn’t impressed with my meal, Raymond’s has a decent menu and gives off a good brunch vibe that I would be willing to go back to give it another try.

Reviewed by: Victoria

Mikie Squared

15 Jun

Place: Mikie Squared

Neighborhood: Hoboken, 616 Washington St. (between 6th and 7th St.)

Mimosa Rating:

3 mimosas

The scoop: I have been to Mikie Squared in Hoboken before for lunch. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was on that occasion, so I was looking forward to going back for brunch.

Outdoor seating at Mikie Squared

It was a warm Sunday afternoon, and we arrived at Mikie Squared around 1:30 p.m. The place was packed! A $10 pitcher-of-sangria special will do that. Originally, I wanted to sit outside, but when a not-so-shady table opened up, we thought we’d be too hot with the sun beating down on us. After waiting for an inside table for about 10 minutes while no one who worked at the bar paid much attention to us, we decided we were too hungry to wait any longer, so we took a couple of seats at the bar.

Bar area where we sat

Mikie Squared is a straight-up bar, so the atmosphere isn’t typical for brunch. It can get very loud, with music, numerous TVs and large groups enjoying the flowing pitchers of sangria. If you’re looking for a quiet brunch, this isn’t the place for you, but it suited our needs. We were looking for a no-nonsense spot where we could enjoy a couple of drinks and some good food.

The walls of Mikie Squared are covered in celebrity-autographed photos, sports banners and many signs in honor of drinking and New Jersey. Since we were sitting at the bar, the service was good, although we did have to ask twice for glasses of water. The bartender was pretty on top of her game, though. We probably watched her make at least 20 pitchers of sangria as we ate.

Bottoms up: Mikie Squared serves pitchers of red and white sangria for $10 all day on Sundays.

Pitcher of white sangria $10

White sangria

The last time we were at this bar, we had the red sangria. This time we tried the white. A pitcher was more than enough for the two of us. We each got three full glasses. And they were big glasses. Since they ran out of wine glasses, we were served in Duvel beer glasses. The bartender used triple sec, brandy and another liquor but I couldn’t tell what it was. She topped off the pitchers with orange juice and cheap white wine (it was poured from a jug). This sangria was sweet and strong and included pieces of apple and orange. It was refreshing on a warm day, but be careful. It was the type of sangria that can easily give you a headache.

Chew on this: Mikie Squared serves a mix of brunch and lunch dishes during brunch hours.

Tropical chicken wrap

Tropical Chicken Wrap $8 / With avocado, pineapple, chopped romaine, melted Monterey Jack & cheddar cheese with a cilantro lime vinaigrette. Served with with your choice of fries, onion rings, sweet potato fries or a side salad.

On our way to Mikie Squared, I knew I was going to order the tropical chicken wrap. I loved it the first time I had it. Since I don’t live in Hoboken, I don’t go to Mikie Squared often, so I can’t pass up an opportunity to order this wrap. One of the great things about their menu is that you can substitue the roll of any sandwich or burger for a wrap. That’s what I did. I love that they heat up the wraps, too, as you can tell by the grill marks. The ingredients of this wrap scream summer and all go very well together. Since I’m not into cilantro, I asked them to hold the dressing. But if you like cilantro, I’ve heard that the dressing is good. The avocado and pineapple were fresh. The cheese wasn’t as melted as I would have liked. There were pieces of the shredded cheese that weren’t melted at all. Out of all the ingredients, the wrapped was stuffed mostly with lettuce. I would have preferred to have gotten more pineapple and avocado. I got sweet potato fries as my side. The hint of sweetness from the wrap and fries went well together. The fries were of the perfect crispiness. If you’re in the mood for a lunch item, this is a good choice. I’ll order it again.

Cheese burger

The Juiciest Burger $9 / Fresh ground beef, your choice of cheese: Jack, mozzarella, cheddar, Swiss, gorgonzola. Served with with your choice of fries, onion rings, sweet potato fries or a side salad

David was in the mood for a burger and ordered his medium rare with Swiss cheese. It was cooked more on the medium side, but he didn’t mind. There was a lot of cheese on the patty, and it was melted well. This burger wasn’t the “juiciest burger” he’s ever had, but it hit the spot. He ordered regular fries and enjoyed them. He especially liked that they didn’t skimp on the amount of fries.  

The final bite: Mikie Squared doesn’t serve a gourmet brunch by any means, but it’s good for what it is — solid food in a bar atmosphere.

Reviewed by: Stephanie

Madison Bar & Grill

10 Apr

Place: Madison Bar & Grill

Neighborhood: Hoboken, 1316 Washington St. (off of 14th St. )

Mimosa Rating:

3 1/2 mimosas

The scoop: I was celebrating my 30th birthday with my family, and what other way would a brunch blogger celebrate other than brunch? The tricky part, considering that we had close to 40 people coming to brunch, was finding the perfect spot. We opted for Madison because we had heard good things about the food, their $25 buffet seemed reasonably priced and most importantly, they had the room to accommodate us.

Back dining room

We arrived around 11 a.m. on a Sunday. Since we had reservations, we were seated promptly. I did notice several people coming in and being told they’d have to wait, so I would highly recommend making reservations. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Madison had a small jazz band playing for brunch. It provided a fun, yet laid-back atmosphere. My grandfather joked that since Dave Matthews wasn’t available to play, this was the next best thing. The band was set up in the back dining room. The dining room is open and airy and decorated in shades of orange and white. There were two pretty cool looking, big lampshades on two of the pillars. My sisters and I commented that it reminded us of the lampshade from the infamous leg lamp in “A Christmas Story.” There is also seating available in the front bar area, which is where the buffet was set up.

Part of the buffet table

Since it was a buffet, we didn’t have to interact with the servers too much, but they were all on top of their game. Our drinks were brought out promptly, and our dishes were cleared quickly. Up at the buffet, food was replenished often, and I noticed that they were diligent about closing the covers of the chafing dishes to keep the food hot and fresh. Although I thought the buffet tables were on the small side, the line moved quickly and the only time there was any wait was when my family went up to eat. What happened to letting the birthday girl go first?!

When we were outside and getting ready to leave, we noticed a camera and cameramen outside of the restaurant. We asked someone what was going on, and they told us that they were filming for a PBS series on the best places to live in New Jersey. They were doing an interview with the owner and chef of Madison, so we got to overhear bits and pieces of what he was saying. He is a born and raised Hoboken resident, and takes great pride in Madison and Hoboken. It was really refreshing to hear about a restaurant owner who cares so much about his establishment, patrons and community.

Mimosa

Bottoms up: As part of the $25 brunch buffet special, you get a complimentary mimosa or bloody Mary.

Mimosa

Most of us in the group opted for the mimosa, and we were very pleased with it. It was served with an orange slice and had the perfect ratio of orange juice and champagne. This was one of the best mimosas that I’ve had in awhile, and probably one of the best in Hoboken.

Lots of food!

Chew on this: 

Madison offers a great variety of food at their brunch! You can start off at the bagel station, choose from about 8-10 hot dishes, hit up the raw bar and finish off with the chocolate fountain. Everyone in the group was very happy with the quality and selection of food.

Bagel station


Bagels: A variety of plain and poppyseed bagels cut into quarters served with three cream cheeses on the side. You can choose from plain, jalapeño scallion or honey walnut. I was a big fan of the honey walnut cream cheese. There was also an ample amount of lox to put on your bagel as well.
Fruit salad: Good variety of fresh fruit.
Caesar salad: The lettuce was fresh, but we all agreed that this pre-dressed salad could have used more dressing or offered some on the side.

Bar pies and breakfast burritos

Bacon: It was very crispy, but very lean. It almost tasted like turkey bacon.
Sausage: Average and most of the pieces were a little burnt.
Home fries: Tasty, but a little soggy.
Creme brûlée French toast: The biggest hit of brunch! Everyone LOVED this French toast. My sister commented that it tasted like cake. It was very sweet, and didn’t even need syrup.
Scrambled eggs:  Surprisingly good and fluffy for a buffet! I really enjoyed them.
Eggs Benedict: I was wondering how they’d pull off serving this at a buffet, and it actually wasn’t bad. The eggs were poached perfectly, although the English muffin was a little soggy and the hollandaise  sauce had hardened a bit from sitting out for awhile.
Bar pies: There were two pizzas, one plain and one served with arugula and prosciutto. They were enjoyed by those who ate them, although I personally thought the plain looked a little greasy.

Raw bar

Breakfast burrito: Not good. It was sitting out on a plate and not in a chafing dish. They were very tiny and didn’t contain a lot of ingredients. The cheese had also hardened over time.
Hanger steak: Very flavorful; served over rice and veggies.
Frittata: Flavorful, but a little on the dry side.
Raw bar: Everyone was raving about the shrimp and oysters, and a few even said that the oysters were some of the best they’ve ever had!

Chocolate fondue station

Chocolate fondue fountain: This was a big hit with both the kids and adults! The chocolate was a milk chocolate, and there was lots of delicious stuff to dip in it. There was ample fresh fruit, marshmallows and bite-sized pastries, as well as tiny pieces of chocolate and red velvet cake. There were plenty of skewers and clean plates around the station at all times. I’ve certainly never seen this during a brunch before, and I think that this is a fun and tasty option to offer. 

Outside of Madison

The final bite: You really can’t go wrong with brunch at Madison. The price is right, the food is good and the ambiance is fantastic. One of Hoboken’s best brunches, for sure!

Reviewed by: Jen

Carpe Diem

22 Mar

Place: Carpe Diem

Neighborhood: Hoboken, 1405 Grand Street (on the corner of 14th and Grand)

Mimosa Rating:

3 mimosas

The scoop: Carpe Diem was on my list of Hoboken restaurants to try for brunch. I went there for dinner recently and had a good time, so I decided to buy their brunch deal on LivingSocial. Although it is off the beaten path and overshadowed by some of the other pubs in Hoboken, I was looking forward to trying their brunch. The brunch menu is huge and truly has something for everyone. They offer a good mix of appetizers, breakfast dishes and lunch items like burgers and sandwiches.

Dining room fireplace and chairs

Their location directly across the street from Hoboken’s movie theater makes it the perfect spot for brunch before catching a weekend flick. It is also across the street from Hoboken’s new biergarten, Pilsner Haus. The atmosphere is very welcoming and laid back. When we arrived on a Sunday afternoon, there were all sorts of patrons – guys watching the games, families dining, couples drinking and brunching. The front bar area has three TVs, and the back dining room is very warm and cozy, complete with a little fireplace!

Bar

The service was a little odd, but I didn’t feel that it affected our brunch experience. We opted to sit in the bar area, and I think there was some confusion between the bartender and server as to who was taking care of us. The bartender took our order, but when I went to show him our LivingSocial voucher, he told me to go show the waitress, even though he had given us the check. I thought this was strange.

Bottoms up: Carpe Diem does not have any brunch drink specials, but their full bar is available during brunch. Russ was pretty intrigued by their selection of beers.

Chew on this: 

Wings $9 / Buffalo, BBQ, hoisin or honey

BBQ wings

We recently made hoisin wings at home and were excited to try them somewhere else. So we ordered the hoisin wings, and then were told shortly after that they were out of hoisin. The bartender told us that they weren’t that good anyway (gotta love the honesty, right?). We decided to go with BBQ, and we were pleased with our choice. The sauce was sweet with a slight tang to it, and the wings themselves were very meaty and a little crispy on the outside. Russ wasn’t too thrilled with the way they sauced the wings, as he prefers wings that are tossed thoroughly in the sauce rather than just coated with the sauce. I didn’t mind either way, and I would definitely recommend these wings. 

Goat Herb Frittata $9 / Goat cheese with fresh herbs

Goat herb frittata

If I didn’t have some wings before I ate this dish, I would probably be disappointed with the size of the frittata. Don’t expect to be full if this is all you’re eating. The goat cheese was actually served on top instead of mixed in with the frittata, which I wasn’t expecting. I ended up enjoying this preparation, though. It ensured that I was able to enjoy goat cheese with every bite of the fritatta, since I was able to move the cheese around. I love the taste of goat cheese on its own, and it was nice not to have anything else in the frittata to take away from the natural flavor of the cheese. I’m not quite sure where the fresh herbs were, but I honestly didn’t mind. I found myself really enjoying the simple flavors of the goat cheese and eggs together. The home fries were tossed with onions and diced red peppers. I liked the taste, but thought they were a little too greasy.  

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich $8 / Lightly breaded chicken tossed in a buffalo sauce, served with lettuce, tomatoes and chunky blue cheese dressing

Buffalo chicken sandwich

I initially ordered the steak sandwich special, but they ran out of steak right as I placed the order. So, I went with one of my usual go-to sandwiches. The actual chicken was a little too small for my liking. As you can tell from the picture, the bun was too big for the chicken. I scarfed down the sandwich in about three minutes! The buffalo sauce wasn’t too hot. The sweet potato fries were very tasty. They were also served with some kind of aioli sauce that Jen really liked, but we forgot to ask what it was made of. This was an average sandwich, and I would have enjoyed it more if the chicken was just a little bit bigger. 

Outside of Carpe Diem

The final bite: Carpe Diem offers decent food in a cozy and relaxed environment. If you find yourself in uptown Hoboken, I would give their brunch a shot.

Reviewed by: Jen

Black Bear Bar & Grill

7 Feb

Place: Black Bear Bar & Grill

Neighborhood: Hoboken, 205 Washington St. (between 2nd St. and 3rd St.)

Mimosa Rating:

Front bar

The scoop: With a long day of football ahead of us, we were looking for a spot to camp out all day in anticipation of the AFC and NFC championship games. Black Bear has remained our go-to Hoboken sports bar, despite stiff competition from new spots like Village Pourhouse, Wicked Wolf and 1Republik. Their atmosphere is fantastic for a game watch, and the food has always been pretty good. My boyfriend and I actually came here on our first date almost three years ago to grab dinner and watch a Yankee game — nothing says romance like beer and baseball, right?

Make Your Own Bloody Mary Bar

We arrived around 1:30, well ahead of the crowds. Russ, Greg and I were able to snag a high-top table in the front bar area. There are more than 20 TVs and a huge projection screen in this area alone! There is also a small dining area in the back with more TVs, and an upstairs with another big projection screen and even more TVs. Black Bear also has a DJ on Sunday game days who keeps the place fun and upbeat before games and during commercials. In addition to the regular menu and weekend brunch menu, they feature special football dishes on Sundays. Since this particular Sunday was all about the Giants, they were offering meals like Cruz Mac ‘n Cheese, Coughlin Chicken and a Manning Sandwich. They also have a Make Your Own Bloody Mary bar on the weekends during brunch.

Considering the long day ahead of the wait staff and how insanely busy Black Bear eventually got, the service was phenomenal. I have to give the staff credit for remaining attentive, professional and well aware of their customers during this incredibly hectic Sunday. Our waitress in particular was great and was a good sport all day.

Pinnacle Whipped screwdriver

Bottoms up: Black Bear’s only drink special for brunch is the Make Your Own Bloody Mary bar. Even though we were here for football, I wasn’t quite ready for a beer yet. I decided to get a little creative and order what I like to call a Whipped Screwdriver, which is a screwdriver made with Pinnacle’s Whipped vodka instead of regular vodka. The bartender did a fantastic job with this drink, and the ratio of vodka to OJ was perfect. It tasted a little like a creamsicle. Black Bear charged me $8 for this drink. If you’re looking for something a little different with your next brunch and you’re at a place that has Pinnacle Whipped, I highly recommend ordering this drink.

Chew on this:

Farmer’s Omelette $9.95 / A hearty three-egg omelette stuffed with diced ham, onions and potatoes. Served with home fries and toast. Add $1 for egg whites.

Farmer's omelette

Although the Giants were eventual winners later on in the day, this omelette was like the 49ers — a big loser. It was super greasy, and everything about it was unappealing. The ham and onions were chopped into very small pieces, but the potatoes were nowhere to be found in this omelette. There was a sad slice of poorly melted yellow American cheese thrown into the middle of the omelette. The home fries were flavorless and inconsistent. Some pieces were a little hard, and some were way too soggy. Two slices of white toast were served on the side, and they were coated in slabs of butter. I’m still a little sick just thinking about this poor excuse of a brunch dish.

Crispy Buffalo Wings $16.99 / Mild, medium, hot, atomic, teriyaki, honey BBQ, firecracker or chipotle served with homemade bleu cheese dressing, celery and carrot sticks

Crispy buffalo wings

The boys got a 20-piece order of these wings with hot sauce. The hot sauce was more like a medium, and there were not super spicy or very hot. There was a good amount of sauce of them, and they were not too messy. Greg commented that the bleu cheese that came on the side was very bleu cheesy. The wings are one of the better choices at Black Bear, so it looks like the boys were winners with this pick!

The final bite: I love Black Bear, but their brunch menu just isn’t good. If you find yourself here during brunch hours for a game, I recommend ordering off of the regular menu or special game-day menu.

Reviewed by: Jen

Court Street Restaurant & Bar

24 Jan

Place: Court Street Restaurant & Bar

Neighborhood: Hoboken, 61 Sixth St. (between Hudson and Washington)

Mimosa Rating:

Crowded bar

The scoop: This Manhattan gal was meeting a friend in Hoboken for brunch, and Court Street Restaurant & Bar’s drink special and variety of dishes made me want to give this place a shot.  The atmosphere at Court Street is like night and day. Once you walk up the stairs and into the restaurant, you automatically step foot into a bar. It was football Sunday around 2 p.m. and the place was already packed with fans watching the game. The place was filled with chatter, but wasn’t unbearably loud.

Dining room

As I walked toward the back of the restaurant, there was a completely different vibe. If I was blindfolded, I wouldn’t believe that this quiet dining area was part of the same place. Luckily, there was no wait at this time and the back was half full. The dining room was on the plain side and reminded me of a restaurant in a no-frills hotel. We were seated in the back corner and were able to comfortably hold a conversation while instrumental music played in the background.

The waitress was nice, very informative when answering my questions, and always available to serve us with whatever we needed. The only thing off about the service is that we weren’t provided with napkins, but the waitress brought them over as soon as we asked.

Bottoms up: Court Street has a “Sunday Funday” special - pitchers of your favorite brunch drinks at decent prices.

Poinsettia

Poinsettia  $12 / Just like a mimosa, but with cranberry juice instead of OJ

I enjoy cranberry juice, and since poinsettias aren’t always offered at brunch, I wanted to order this drink. The cranberry taste was good, but unfortunately the drink lacked champagne. I wish there was less ice and more alcohol in the pitcher.

Chew on this:

Fresh fruit

Fresh fruit / Complimentary

An assortment of fruit was placed on our table as soon as we sat down. The presentation was nice, and the fruit was fresh and juicy. It was a nice way to start off brunch. 

Homemade Irish soda bread

Homemade Irish soda bread / Complimentary

The bread was crumbly and the raisins added a semisweet flavor. I personally don’t like to add butter to my bread, but my friend thought it tasted great with butter. We each had a slice before our meals, and even though we were full from the food, we managed to eat the remaining pieces because it was delish. 

Side salad

Side salad

The menu at the restaurant states all sandwiches are served with french fries or home fries, but the waitress informed us that we could substitute the fries for a salad. I was glad that it was an actual salad, as opposed to just lettuce like at some restaurants. It was a good assortment of your standard salad vegetables and everything was fresh.  

California chicken sandwich

California chicken sandwich $ 11 / Grilled boneless breast of chicken topped with avocado, lettuce, tomato and our aioli (garlic-mayonnaise) served on a croissant

My friend did not want a croissant as her bread, so she was able to substitute it for a Kaiser roll. The size of the piece of chicken was generous, as it was bigger than the bun. The sandwich was flavorful, and she enjoyed every bite. 

Black Forest Ham, Apples and Brie Croissant

Black Forest Ham, Apples and Brie Croissant $11 / Served with a light mustard dressing

Since it was already late in the day, I wasn’t really craving a breakfast meal. I ordered this entrée because besides the croissant, it was pretty much a lunch dish.  The croissant was pretty large, slightly buttery (but not overly greasy) and very flaky. I am not a messy eater, but I managed to get crumbs all over me and the table, so I wouldn’t recommend ordering this dish if you are trying to impress the person you are eating with.  The ham was standard slices of deli meat, and it went well with the blocks of brie cheese. The mustard was very light that I barely tasted it, but the thin slices of apples gave the sandwich a slight extra flavor. 

Court Street Restaurant & Bar

The final bite: With Court Street’s various brunch dishes, I feel like it is worth a visit if you aren’t sure what you are craving. Although the dining area looks ho-hum, I think Court Street would be a good place for catching up with the girls or even a first date since you can casually converse over a decent low-key brunch and then continue “Sunday Funday” at the bar.

Reviewed by: Victoria

Toast

10 Jan

Place: Toast

Neighborhood: Montclair, N.J., 700 Bloomfield Ave.

Mimosa Rating:

The scoop: It was the Monday after Christmas, and brunch was on our minds. Once I saw the menu for Toast, I knew I had to brunch there. As soon as we walked into Toast, the hostess rudely said to us and another group “in or out” and we were taken aback because we literally just entered the door. Although the hostess said it would take 45 minutes to be seated, I was willing to endure the wait.

Downstairs

I had a good view of the restaurant as I waited in the back near the “bar” area. I put quotations around bar because they don’t serve alcohol. The waitstaff wore cute “peace love pancakes” shirts and busily walked around the restaurant. The downstairs area seemed chaotic from the tables being close to each other, people coming in and out of the restaurant, and hungry brunchers waiting by the bar. The stairs leading to the second floor reminded me of a staircase in a house.

Stairs

Luckily, our wait was only 30 minutes, and the hostess escorted us to the second floor. I was glad because upstairs wasn’t crazy at all, and it had a relaxed vibe. The second floor is perfect for larger groups. Our waitress was friendly, but I have to note that Matt’s entrée was served a couple of minutes after mine.

Grapefruit juice and lemonade

Bottoms up: Toast does not serve alcohol, but it is BYOB so I suggest coming with your own bottle if you are looking for mimosas.

Grapefruit juice $4

The grapefruit juice had a slight bitter taste and pulp. I am not a huge fan of grapefruit, but Matt liked his drink. 

Lemonade $2

I enjoyed the lemony taste and slight sweetness of this lemonade. I would definitely order it again.

Banana Foster French Toast

Banana Foster French Toast $10.95 / Traditional Challah French toast topped with classic Banana Foster sauce, chopped pecans on the side

I love bananas, pecans and French toast, so I automatically knew I had to order this dish. The bread was thick and moist, and I liked that the banana foster and pecans were served on the side. The toast was so delicious; it didn’t need to be drowned in the banana foster. This dish was very flavorful from the bananas, the slight taste of cinnamon in the banana foster and the pecans. As full as I was, I made sure I didn’t leave anything on my plate.  

Smoked Salmon Benedict

Smoked Salmon Benedict $10.25

The salmon was very smooth and had a fresh taste. With perfectly poached eggs and the delicious hollandaise sauce, Matt enjoyed every bite of his Smoked Salmon Benedict. The breakfast potatoes served with this dish were flavorful and plentiful. 

Turkey sausage and pork sausage

Turkey sausage $3.25; Pork sausage $2

We wanted some meat with our food, so we ordered sausages as our sides. Both tasted good, were perfectly cooked and completed our main dishes.

Outside Toast

The finale bite: Toast offers many dishes that will satisfy any brunch lover’s craving. I definitely want to come back and try their special red velvet pancakes.

Reviewed by: Victoria

3Forty Grill

28 Nov

Place: 3Forty Grill

Neighborhood: Hoboken, 340 Sinatra Drive (corner of Sinatra Drive and 4th St.)

Mimosa Rating:

Beautiful view from 3Forty

The scoop: 3Forty Grill is one of my favorite restaurants in Hoboken. Not only do they serve delicious food and drinks, but their prime location on the Hoboken waterfront offers gorgeous views of the NYC skyline while you dine. I’ve been here so many times over the years, both for the food and for the lounge. I never turn down the chance to come here. I came here on a Sunday with four girlfriends from high school for a long overdue reunion, and it was the perfect setting for the five of us to brunch and catch up.

Dining room

The ambiance is very trendy and upscale. They separate the bar/lounge from the dining area. The bar/lounge area features high-top seating and couches, and the dining area is big enough that they can accommodate parties of any size comfortably. The dining area was filled with hungry brunchers, so I recommend making reservations. We were seated in a corner by the windows, and we were able to take in the beautiful views while we ate. Even though it was pretty busy, our server was attentive and the food was out quickly.

Mimosa

Bottoms up: We all took advantage of the $20 prix-fixe menu, which offers an entrée and two mimosas or bloody Marys. We all ordered mimosas. The mimosas were served with an orange slice, and they were strong and fizzy. The drink service was quick, and we were never left waiting too long for our drinks. 3Forty has always been known for their drinks, and their brunch selections are no exception.

Chew on this:

Egg white omelette

Egg White Omelette / Creamy imported brie, artichokes, roasted tomatoes,grilled zucchini, red bell peppers

I ordered this the last time I had brunch here and enjoyed it, so I figured I would order this again. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed in it this time around. All of the ingredients were chopped into very small pieces, so all of the flavors were spread throughout the omelette, which was nice. Even though I opted to get this made without tomatoes, this omelette was super flavorful. However, it had some sort of weird green color to it that was a little bit of a turnoff. It was also very greasy. 

Breakfast burrito

Breakfast Burrito / Flour tortilla, scrambled eggs, chorizo sausage, potatoes, scallions, Vermont cheddar & monterey jack cheese

I really liked this burrito! It was a very generous size, and they did not skimp on any of the ingredients. It was also very cheesy. It was served with a side of home fries and side salad. The home fries were really good. They were soft and mixed with thinly sliced red onions, which gave them a nice flavor and a little touch of sweetness. 

Breakfast sandwich

Farm House Breakfast Sandwich / Butter croissant, applewood smoked ham, gruyere cheese, herb scrambled eggs

I was debating what to get, but I’m happy I ended up getting this. The sandwich was massive! Like the burrito, they certainly did not skimp of the ingredients. The sandwich was so big that I ended up taking it apart and eating it more like an open-faced sandwich.

3Forty omelette

3Forty Omelette / Applewood smoked bacon, spinach, shiitake mushrooms, Vermont cheddar, grape tomatoes

This omelette was the perfect size. There was a good mix of all the ingredients, and it was oozing with cheese. It was also served with a side of home fries and salad. The salad was dressed in a light and sweet balsamic dressing. It was yummy and a nice complement to the omelette and home fries. 

Outside of 3Forty

The final bite: 3Forty offers solid brunch choices in a classy and upscale atmosphere. If you’re looking for a decent brunch on Hoboken’s picturesque waterfront, check out 3Forty.

Reviewed by: Jen

Skinner’s Loft

16 Nov

Place: Skinner’s Loft

Neighborhood: Downtown Jersey City, 146 Newark Ave.

Mimosa Rating:

The scoop: Keeping it local, we decided to check out Skinner’s Loft for Saturday brunch. I had been to dinner at the Jersey City bar/restaurant before, and I wasn’t impressed, but I wanted to give them a chance to redeem themselves with brunch. The space is quite big and has three floors — the first floor is the bar area, which has smaller tables; second floor is more restaurant-ish with lots of tables; the top floor is the roofdeck, which is a nice place to grab a drink during the summer. We could smell the difference between the floors. For example, when we were on our way out, there was a strong odor of beer on the first floor.

Second floor of Skinner's Loft

We sat on the second floor at a table for two next to a real fireplace. Fireplaces tend to make every room cozy, but we were cozy because the tables for two were too close together. What is with that these days? I feel like if I go to brunch with one another person, we’re seated at a table that’s on top of others. The second floor is broken up into two areas, separated by a wood frame with windows. The dining area was bright from the rays of sunshine peering through the large windows.

Service was good. We had to wait a bit for our dishes, but our server checked up on us numerous times. Our water glasses were filled throughout our meal.

Bottoms up: We passed on drinks with brunch and stuck with water.

Chew on this:

Biscuits

Biscuit basket / Complimentary

We were served biscuits and a piece of Italian bread (sort of random) in a cute tin pail. The biscuits were good, however, they weren’t warm. I’ll never understand why a restaurant serves cold bread at brunch. They can pop the bread in the microwave for 10 seconds to get it warm. The bread came with a small jar of strawberry preserves, which was tasty on a biscuit.

Steak and eggs

Steak and eggs $15 / Eggs any style with home fries

Steak and eggs is usually one of my go-to dishes, so I was happy when I saw it on the menu. I ordered my eggs scrambled, which they were, and my steak medium rare. Unfortunately, the steak was cooked medium, but it was moist and juicy. There was hardly any fat on it. I thought it was strange that they didn’t ask me what kind of toast I wanted — white, whole wheat, rye, etc. I was given one piece of white toast cut in half. The home fries weren’t appetizing. They were too big and lacked flavor.

Tostada

Tostada Ranchera $10 / Fried eggs, black beans, avocado and cheddar cheese

I was in the mood for eggs, but I didn’t want an omelette. This dish caught my eye, despite being unsure of how my tostada would be presented. Fried eggs with cheddar cheese were served with a hard, round taco shell on top of a bed of black beans. Sliced avocado and jalapenos were placed on top. The dish is also served with a spoonful of sour cream and salsa. I wish the menu indicated there were jalapenos in the dish (I’m a weakling). Luckily, I was able to pick them off. The dish had a bit of a kick, which was welcome. There was just the right amount of cheese with the eggs. I don’t eat sour cream, so I didn’t use it, but I did spread the salsa over the tostada. While the ingredients blended well together and tasted OK, I still felt like there was something missing from my entrée.

Entrance to Skinner's Loft

The final bite: Skinner’s Loft isn’t the best place for brunch in Jersey City, but it isn’t the worst either. The atmosphere, service and food were all decent.

Reviewed by: Stephanie

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