Place:

Location: Lower East Side, 189 E. Broadway (between Canal St. & Rutgers St.)

Mimosa Rating:

The scoop: Cafe Petisco is located in the lower east side of Chinatown where unfortunately there are a lack of brunch options. I decided to brunch at 3:30, and I was surprised that this place had a decent crowd of people considering most people aren’t too familiar with this area of Manhattan.

Wine decor

I thought the inside was cute in a simple way — I liked that they used wine bottles on the walls for decoration. It seems like they make the most out of the restaurant space. The place isn’t too big, but there were a good amount of tables. At the counter, pastries are available for sale and that was also where the bartender mixed the drinks. Right behind the counter area you can see the kitchen.

The restaurant was kind of noisy with chatter, but not unbearably loud. There were a some kids in the restaurant and a couple of them were eating pancakes that looked pretty good.

Bottoms up: From 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the brunch mimosa, bellini and beer cost $5 each.

Mimosa

Mimosa $5

Since I was ordering an egg dish, I decided to go with the mimosa. Instead of a flute glass, this drink was served in a tall glass. I wasn’t wowed as it was your standard mimosa. 

Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary $ 9 / Vodka, tequila, tomato juice, worchestire sauce, horseradish and harissa

Served in a mason jar and garnished with the bloody Mary essentials, this bloody Mary hit the spot. Matt really enjoyed the homemade taste and it had the right amount of spice.

The Heatah $9 / Tequila, lime, jalapeno coins, cointreau, agave

The Heatah

Since we had brunch late, I was able to order a drink during the happy hour special ($6 per specialty cocktail). I absolutely loved the Heatah. It was spicy with a tad bit of slight sweetness and pretty strong. I saw the bartender mixing the drinks and he really put effort into all of the specialty cocktails that he made. 

Steak Benedict $11.25 / Two poached eggs over skirt steak, hollandaise sauce

Steak Benedict

Since it was late in the day, I wanted a heavier dish so the eggs Benedict with steak caught my eye. I assumed the steak would have been filling, but there weren’t many pieces which was disappointing. The eggs were perfectly poached over bread (not an English muffin) with a scarce amount of steak. Since the egg yolk was very runny and there was a good amount of hollandaise sauce, I really didn’t get to taste the flavor of the steak. The salad was fine, but I was expecting more from this dish. 

Grilled Shrimp Pita $12.50 / Arugula, cilantro, onion and tomato (spicy)

Grilled Shrimp Pita

Matt wasn’t in the mood for a brunchy item, so luckily Cafe Petisco offers lunch items. The cilantro made the pita very tasty, but the sandwich wasn’t spicy. The spicy component was the mayo served on the side which Matt didn’t really use. A good amount of mini shrimp were toward the bottom of the sandwich, and I took some to mix with my salad since I wasn’t satisfied with my dish. The pita came with salad, but Matt substituted it for fries. He thought the dish was OK and filling. 

Cafe Petisco

The final bite: Hidden in an area unknown, Cafe Petisco offers food that many restaurants nearby don’t offer. Even though my brunch meal was just OK, I think this cafe has pretty good drinks and the friendly and relaxed vibe is inviting.

Reviewed by: Victoria

Place:

Location: Tribeca, 275 Church St. (between Avenue of the Americas & White St.)

Mimosa Rating:

The scoop: I hadn’t had Italian food in a while, so I was definitely craving an Italian brunch. After searching the Tribeca area, I came across Da Mikele. The Neapolitan-inspired brunch menu had exactly what I wanted. I was immediately sold. Da Mikele is the sister restaurant of Ovest (Chelsea) and Luzzo’s (East Village), which I added to my list of restaurants to try.

Bar

When we walked into the restaurant around 2 p.m., it was pretty empty, however, it started to get more full when we were leaving. Since the other patrons were toward the front of the restaurant, we chose to sit in the back. The restaurant is a good size and has a comfortable atmosphere. It had a very rustic feel, and the exposed brick all around the restaurant added to the vibe. There is a large bar toward the back of the restaurant where you can sit and watch TV. Even though pop music played in the background, the restaurant wasn’t loud, and it was comfortable to chat or read.

A couple of workers served us throughout brunch and they were very attentive and friendly. Whatever we needed, we pretty much received right away.

Bottoms up: If you order a brunch entrée, you have a choice of a complimentary mimosa, bloody Mary or bellini. This is a steal considering the brunch dishes range from $9-$14.

Bloody Mary and bellini

Bloody Mary

The bloody Mary was pretty strong, but not too spicy. Although there was a good amount of ice in the glass, the glass wasn’t small and there was still a decent amount of the liquid in the glass. 

Bellini

Just like the bloody Mary, the bellini was pretty strong. It was slightly sweet with a bit of fizz. Yummy!

Chew on this:

Olive oil and bread

Bread / Complimentary

Served in a little sack, the bread was deliciously fresh and warm. We added vinegar to the olive oil and stuffed our faces with many pieces of bread throughout brunch. I normally try not too consume too much bread before a meal because I don’t want to ruin my appetite, but the bread was so good that I couldn’t help myself. 

Pizza Battil’occhio

Pizza Battil’occhio $10 / San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, eggs and truffle

Matt thought his pizza was very delicious. It was thin, and he was very pleased that the pizza wasn’t too cheesy since he isn’t a fan of overly cheesy pizza. The truffle oil made each bite extra tasty. Matt didn’t really like the egg on his pizza, so he pushed them to the side and ate them after he finished the pizza.  

Homemade vegetable lasagna

Homemade vegetable lasagna $12

The lasagna was excellent. The pasta was definitely homemade, the sauce was flavorful and there was an ample amount of veggies ranging from zucchini to peppers. It was served hot and it remained warm throughout brunch, which is definitely a plus. The meal was so filling that I was able to take some to go.

Da Mikele

The final bite: Brunch at Da Mikele is served until 5 p.m. and is an amazing steal. With great food, good drinks and inexpensive prices, I can’t believe this restaurant is located in Tribeca.

Reviewed by: Victoria

Place:

Location: West Village, 202 W. 14th St. (between 7th Ave. and 8th Ave.)

Mimosa Rating: 

Arriving at La Carbonara

The scoop: It was a lovely Saturday afternoon, and a group of us had just finished bridesmaids dress shopping. We chose to brunch at La Carbonara based on the location, which was in close proximity to where we were shopping, the unlimited drink special and their availability to seat a large group.

The decor of the restaurant felt very homey, and the tables are made from wood. The space is quite large, and our big group felt like we had a good amount of space to ourselves.

Now onto the bad. The waitress did not serve us well. Not only did it take her forever to provide us with drinks and take our order, but she was constantly serving (or shall we say overserving) a group of girls at the large table next to us. Mind you, right after we walked into the restaurant we could tell the group was drunk and pretty much done with their meals. For some reason, the waitstaff was still filling their enormous wine glasses to the brim with mimosas. Never in our lives have we seen a restaurant get so out of control during brunch. Honestly, this behavior would even be bad at a bar! The girls were getting sick in both bathrooms — two had their heads down on a table and one ran outside to throw up. When these girls weren’t passed out at the table, they were walking around the restaurant, talking loudly and flirting with guys at a table near the bathroom. The girl who got sick outside wobbled back into the restaurant and it took forever for the wait staff to acknowledge her, so we told a busboy that she needed water. Talk about breaking the brunch commandments!

Know your limits!

After eating our food, and having to deal with the debacle and stench in the restaurant, we asked to speak to the manager. Twenty percent gratuity was automatically added onto our bill, which is understandable since we were a large group, but unacceptable when we didn’t get adequate service, were in an uncomfortable brunch environment and couldn’t even use the bathrooms! The manager was extremely rude and accused us of trying to skip out on the bill, which was a complete joke. Let it be known that we weren’t the only patrons complaining. A party of two that looked disgusted by the utter disarray walked in, sat down at a table and then left the restaurant. We complained that service was not good, and it wasn’t right to overserve alcohol. There was no justification for the service, so he removed a brunch item from our bill.

Bottoms up: For an additional $15.95, you can get unlimited mimosas, champagne, screwdrivers or bloody Marys.

Mimosa

Mimosa

The mimosas were pretty strong and they were made with Tropicana orange juice. If you are looking for a boozy brunch, this place may be right up your alley, but we are hoping that management gets their act together because brunch should not get so out of control as we experienced.

Chew on this: 

Omelette

Omelette $10 / With ham, mozzarella, tomatoes and arugula

The omelette was nothing to write home about. The mozzarella did not stand out and it wasn’t even melted or mixed well with the omelette. It was just pretty much thrown inside of the egg. Also, there was hardly any tomato in the omelette. The ham was the best part and it was served as a whole piece. 

Frittata

Frittata $10 / With bacon, leeks and Swiss cheese

I felt the same way Victoria did about her meal. There wasn’t anything great about the frittata. I was hesitant about the leeks at first, but I enjoyed them, and I thought they added a little something extra to the frittata. If I had the option for type of cheese, Swiss wouldn’t have been my first choice. I liked that the dish included a small salad. The potatoes were nothing special. I also want to note that my mom ordered the Eggs Benedict and had to send her dish back because her eggs were practically hard boiled and not runny at all. The second dish was better, but the eggs still weren’t as runny as they should have been.

Brunchers beware!

The final bite: While La Carbonara offers a good variety of brunch dishes, this can in no way make up for the fact that we were treated poorly and the atmosphere was like a frat party. This is your warning: Brunch at La Carbonara at your own risk!

Place:

Location: Greenwich Village, 103 Waverly Place (between Sixth Ave. and MacDougal St.)

Mimosa Rating:

Inside North Square

The scoop: North Square is a restaurant that is part of the Washington Square Hotel and located on the northwest corner of Washington Square Park. I felt a hotel vibe as soon as I walked into the restaurant. The inside has a very casual feel, a decent amount of space and big pictures hanging in between the large windows which provide some natural sunlight. Toward the back of the restaurant there is a private dining area and a lounge.

Seating was very comfortable and there is lots of space so we weren’t on top of the tables next to us. The waitstaff was very attentive, and we had multiple people serving us throughout brunch. On Sundays the restaurant offers a jazz brunch.

Blood orange mimosa

Bottoms up: There is a brunch prix-fixe option for $20 which includes choice of coffee or fresh squeezed juice, blood orange mimosa or bloody Mary, and classic omelette, brunch tasting or Challah French toast. The dishes we wanted were one of the three listed on the prix-fixe menu, so we went with the special. As per the waitress, the cost of a mimosa is $8.50. 

Blood Orange Mimosa

The blood orange mimosa was delicious! It tasted extremely fresh, and there was a good balance of juice and champagne. It tasted way better than your usual OJ mimosa. 

Coffee

Coffee

I am a fan of strong coffee and this coffee was exactly how I like it. I added a drop of milk and was pleased with my cup of joe. 

Chew on this: 

Bread basket

Bread / Complimentary

I love an assortment of breads, but I was unimpressed with this bread basket. There was a piece of bread with cranberries, and although it had berries, it tasted a little plain. The corn muffin tasted like it was processed and straight from a box. Since I was so unimpressed with the breads, I didn’t bother with the plain slice of bread.

Brunch Tasting $13 / Baby pumpkin pecan pancakes, eggs any style, chicken & apple sausage, cheddar biscuit

Brunch Tasting

At first glance of the menu, I knew I had to order the brunch tasting. I am a huge fan of variety and this dish had everything I would want in a brunch. I love pumpkin and pecans, so the pancakes sounded very appealing. Unfortunately, I was highly disappointed because they tasted very plain. I couldn’t taste the pumpkin and there were barely any pecan bits in the mini pancakes. The cheddar biscuit was another disappointment because it didn’t taste fresh. I imagined a nice warm biscuit with a cheesy taste. Instead the bread was really hard and cold and not really good. The best items in the dish were the eggs and sausage. I ordered my eggs scrambled and they were prepared to my liking. The sausage was very flavorful and it was sliced in half making it easy to eat. It had a prominent taste of apple, and my mom and I thought it tasted very good.

Classic Omelette $12 / Choice of two fillings: mushrooms, cheddar cheese, gruyère, goat cheese, roasted peppers, asparagus, ham, chorizo or prosciutto served with home fries and baby greens

Classic Omelette

My mom ordered the classic omelette and asked for it with cheddar and ham. They made a slight mistake with the order because it was served with gruyere, but my mom didn’t mind. She thought the shredded ham was tasty, but she thought it could have been better with a little bit more cheese. The home fries were flavorful and she liked that there were pieces of onion. Also, a fresh salad was served with a light dressing.

North Square entrance

The final bite: North Square offers a comfortable atmosphere for a casual brunch. If you decide to brunch here, I would stick to an egg dish since the bready items were unimpressive.

Reviewed by: Victoria

Place:

Location: West Village, 189 W. 10th St. (between W. 4th St. & Bleecker St.)

Mimosa Rating: 

The scoop: We all love Mexican food and thought we couldn’t go wrong with a Mexican brunch at Diablo Royale. We actually thought about having a group brunch at Diablo with Stephanie’s sister and friends. Good thing we decided not to! Although the website makes it seem like they cater to groups, we do not see how this place is group friendly. The place is extremely cramped and gets very crowded, which is not ideal for groups.

Crowded brunch at Diablo

When we first arrived around 1 p.m., the place was not packed at all, but for some reason, the hostess took forever to seat us. To say the least, service was very off at Diablo Royale. Not only were we shoved at an uncomfortable high table in the corner up against a window, we had to leave our bags on the floor since the rounded edges of the back of the chair didn’t allow us to hang our bags off of it. When the busboy came by to fill our water glasses, he literally only filled it up a quarter-to-halfway, which we thought was pretty odd. Also, when we were trying to get up and get ready to leave, the busboy started cleaning our table leaving us no room to get ourselves out since we had such little space. C’mon, dude … let us leave first and then clean the table.

Bottoms up: Diablo Royale has an unlimited drink brunch special. For $25, you can choose an entrée and unlimited sangria for an hour and a half. Since the drinks are only $5 and the entrées are pretty cheap, the unlimited option doesn’t seem worth it not unless you are going to guzzle down your sangria.

Red sangria

Sangria $5

The sangria was strong and had an ample amount of fruit. Our biggest complaint about the drink was that it was extremely warm. It was so warm that we asked the server to bring us a cup of ice. It was also served in a small glass.

Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary $5

Matt was not in the mood for alcohol so he asked for a virgin bloody Mary. He just thought the drink ok, but not memorable. Most of the time he wants more than one during brunch, but he was fine just one. 

Chew on this:

Chips / Complimentary

We are accustomed to getting tortilla chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant, however, this time we were provided with thick cinnamon pita chips. They were very tasty, and since we were so hungry, we scarfed the small bowl down in a matter of minutes. We were able to get a refill without a problem. 

Chilaquiles

Chilaquiles $11 / Tomatillo & tortilla chip casserole with eggs over easy, chihuahua cheese & your choice of chicken, carnitas, or vegetables

The Chilaquiles were very good and extremely filling. There was so much chicken on the plate. I asked for my egg poached and it made the dish very messy as the yolk spread throughout the dish. There were many crunchy crispy tortilla chips at the bottom of the dish. The dish was very flavorful, and I would recommend it. I had so much food that the rice and beans weren’t necessary. Of course, I had to add a little bit of hot sauce to my rice to make it to my liking. 

Breakfast Quesadilla

Breakfast Quesadilla $11 / Eggs, pepper bacon, chihuahua cheese, roasted peppers & roasted tomato-cascabel salsa

I see a lot of breakfast wraps on brunch menus, but I find it’s rare to come across the breakfast quesadilla. This breakfast quesadilla was stuffed with mostly scrambled eggs and cheese. The bacon tasted like regular bacon to me, and the peppers were scarce throughout the quesadilla. I don’t like sour cream, so I’m glad it came on the side with the salsa and guacamole (I can never eat enough guac!). One thing I can’t complain about is the size of the dish. The quesadilla was huge and left me very full. Like Victoria, my side of rice and beans weren’t necessary. They tasted how they usually do. There was nothing special about them. 

Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros, A Mexican Classic $11 / Eggs over a crispy tortilla, ranchero sauce, sliced avocado, cotija cheese with black beans & jack cheese

Matt thought his dish was just meh. Everything he consumed was extremely salty and cheesy. Paired with his bloody Mary, he was on salt overload. He ordered grits as his side and he didn’t like them at all. It reminded him a tasteless cheese pudding. 

Diablo Fries

Diablo Fries $5

Matt randomly craves fries, even when they don’t go with his food, so he ordered a side. It was a decently sized order and the fries were pretty good and had  a strong seasoning taste to them. The seasoning was a mixture of paprika and cayenne pepper. They were pretty tasty; ketchup wasn’t necessary.

The final bite: While the food at Diablo Royale is so-so, the service is not. Don’t come with a group and don’t expect great service.

Reviewed by: Stephanie and Victoria

Place:

Location: Lower East Side, 133 Essex St. (between Stanton St. & Rivington St.)

Mimosa Rating:

Direct me to brunch!

The scoop: I’ve heard that Sons of Essex serves a good brunch, so I always had this place in the back of my mind. We were looking for a place on the Lower East Side. I decided it was finally time to try brunch at Sons of Essex. As we approached the restaurant, the word “BRUNCH” was written on the sidewalk in chalk. How inviting, brunch was exactly what we wanted at this time! As we walked into the restaurant, we noticed that the front looks like a deli where they sell coffee and other pastries.

Lounge area

It is pretty dark the further we got into the restaurant. It was around 2 p.m. and the place was packed, but we did not have to wait for a table. Although the restaurant is dark, we were comfortably seated, and there were hooks against a pole to hang our coats. I liked the hooks because I get annoyed when my bulky coat gets in the way of my eating. The inside looked very rustic and there is a small lounge area a couple of steps below from the dining area.

Service was OK, and our waiter was very likable.  The wait staff and busboys wore name tags that said “Hello, my name is _____.” We enjoyed the music, and it was not overly loud.

Bottoms up:

Truffle Olive Bloody Mary $10 / Double cross vodka, tomato juice, horseradish, fresh lemon juice, fresh lime, sriracha hot chili sauce, Worcestershire, celery salt, fresh ground pepper, celery stick, lemon & lime wedges, double cross blue cheese truffle olives

Truffle Olive Bloody Mary and the Squatter

Just by the description of the drink, Matt had high expectations. He was also excited that the restaurant offers three different types of bloody Marys. Despite all the ingredients, this bloody Mary did not stand out, and he thought it tasted like any other ordinary bloody Mary. He also tried the regular bloody Mary, and he thought it had a heavier taste in comparison to the truffle version.

The Squater $11 / Patron citronge, mumm napa champagne, muddled cranberry splash of cranberry juice

I liked my drink, but I wasn’t impressed since it had a very simple taste.  When I am at home, I like to mix cranberry juice with water to dilute the sweet taste and this is exactly what the cocktail tasted like. This drink could have used a little more champagne to give it a zing. 

Chew on this:

Cold Citrus Crab Taco

Cold Citrus Crab Tacos  $16 / Chilled lump crab meat, mixed with mango, orange, lemon zest, cilantro, jalapeno, avocado, topped with pico de gallo; three tacos per order

The tacos were overflowing with a mixture of ingredients and tasted very juicy and refreshing. This would make a perfect summer dish. Matt thought the dish was pretty unique, and he hasn’t tasted anything like this during brunch. 

Eggs Benedictowitz $16 / Poached eggs, set on top potato pancake, smoked salmon, hollandaise sauce

Eggs Benedictowitz

I liked the creative name for this version of eggs Benedict. I really liked the freshness and taste of the potato pancakes. The salmon was just OK. I personally thought some bites tasted overly fishy. Although the dish looks a little small, it was pretty filling thanks to the potatoes. The eggs were fine and the side salad was the perfect amount. After the meal I was able to get a bite of sweetness with the strawberry that was served on the side.   

Shoestring fries

Shoestring fries $7

When Matt asked for the fries, the waiter politely and in a funny manner tried to convince us to try the truffle tater tots. Being a fry type of guy, Matt decided against the tater tots.  The truffle fries were so good that we ate every last crumb. Originally I wasn’t in the mood for fries, but I couldn’t resist after I tried the first bite of these fresh and tasty fries. Although I didn’t eat the cheese on top, it added to the presentation. 

Entrance to Sons of Essex

The final bite: We enjoyed brunch, but I felt like some items were overpriced for what we were served. The drinks weren’t bad at all, but for the prices, I want something a little more innovative.

Reviewed by: Victoria

Place:

Location: East Village, 65 Saint Mark’s Place (between 2nd Ave. and 1st Ave.)

Mimosa Rating:

Live jazz at Jules

The scoop: I’ve been to Jules Bistro a couple of times before. Every time I take people to Jules, they are always impressed with the food, ambiance and the live music. With that said, I thought it would be a perfect place to brunch with two of my friends.

I made a reservation for 1:30 p.m., and to my surprise it wasn’t really needed. The place wasn’t packed, but I am assuming it’s because it was a rainy and gloomy Sunday. There is a bar at the front of the restaurant, which is perfect for those who want to just have a drink and enjoy some music. Right when I entered, I noticed the main dining area which is ideal to sit if you want to be near the band. If you walk toward the back, there is a long hallway with tables lined up. I personally wouldn’t want to sit there because I feel like it is far away from the fun.

Live music

We decided to sit at the corner of the table near the band. Even though we were pretty close to the band, it wasn’t too loud and we were able to converse without a problem and enjoy the music. Jules is known for jazz, however, the music sounded more Caribbean to me. The service was fine, and we weren’t rushed at all.

Bottoms up:

Mimosa

Mimosa $3.75

The mimosa special was a little confusing because the waiter provided us with a piece of paper that stated mimosas were $3.75 with select dishes. The dish I wanted wasn’t one of the items mentioned on the paper, so I asked the waiter about the special and he said mimosas are $3.75 with all brunch entrées. Nonetheless, Marissa and I enjoyed the mimosa. It had a good balance of fizzy champagne and OJ.

Chew on this:

Poached eggs Antoinette

Poached Eggs Antoinette $10.50 / Smoked salmon, sautéed spinach, hollandaise sauce, on English muffin; home fries, mesclun

Sue was very pleased with her dish. The eggs were perfect and she enjoyed the hollandaise sauce. Her only minor complaint was that the English muffin was soft and she would have preferred it was crunchy and toasted more. She thought it was a good amount of food and was glad that nothing on her dish was overly greasy.

Jules Burger

Jules Burger $11.50 / Tomato, red onion relish, chipotle mayo, french fries and mesclun salad.  Add swiss or cheddar for $2

Marissa wanted a lunchy item. She went with the Jules Burger. She ordered the burger with cheddar and thought it was pretty tasty and very big. The bun was huge, so she removed the top piece and ate it with just the bottom. She enjoyed the side salad and the crispy fries. The chipotle mayo served on the side was very good and she thought it was very flavorful.

Traditional quiche Lorraine

Tradition Quiche Lorraine $12.95 / Mesclun salad

I wanted eggs, but I was very hungry and wanted something filling since it was afternoon and I really didn’t eat much of a breakfast. I figured a quiche would be a good option. The quiche was pretty cheesy and had chunks of bacon bits mixed throughout. It was pretty good, but very heavy. Luckily the quiche comes with a side salad with a light dressing to balance out the dish.  

Outside Jules Bistro

The final bite: If you are looking for solid brunch dishes and a lively atmosphere,  Jules Bistro will not disappoint.

Reviewed by: Victoria

Victoria’s got the stage!

Hello fellow brunchers! I love chowing on dishes that are not only flavorful, but also different and satisfying. Below you will find my best of brunch for 2012!

Huevos Rancheros at ALMOND
Review originally posted 12/13/12

I was in the Mexican mood, so I figured Huevos Rancheros was my best bet for a dish. The waiter told me I had the option of having a sunny side or poached egg so I went with poached. This dish was very filling, satisfying and flavorful. My only minor complaint was that it was very messy, but that’s what happens when you have so much going on in one plate. At the bottom of the dish there were hard tortillas which gave the perfect crunch with the black beans, egg, and salsa. The second I pricked the eggs, the yolk added to the mess, but everything was perfect. Also, the potatoes that were served on the side of the dish were very flavorful and probably the best side potatoes that I have had in a while.

Cookshop Scramble at COOKSHOP
Review originally posted 11/13/12

I was debating between three egg dishes, but I was leaning toward this dish because of the buttermilk biscuit. Hely told me that the Cookshop Scramble is one of the most popular dishes, so I decided to give the smoke trout option a try since I wanted something a little different. The eggs were served in between a yummy, warm homemade biscuit. Everything meshed well together with the fluffy eggs, and the combination of trout and onions made every bite extremely flavorful and enjoyable.  Also, an ample salad was served with the dish. I was extremely impressed with the dish and everything was delicious. This was without a doubt the best scramble eggs I had this year. 

Beer Sangria at BLUEBIRD SKY
Review originally posted 7/17/12

I initially inquired about the fruit sangria, but the waitress  suggested that I try the beer sangria. Ommegang Witte is probably one of my choice beers to order, so I figured why not go with her suggestion. Served with ice, this drink was very refreshing. The lemon juice added a slight lemony twist and the syrup gave it a simple sweet taste, all balanced well together. If you are ever craving beer but want something a little sweet, this beer sangria will satisfy your craving.

Ropa Vieja at CUBA
Review originally posted 12/11/12

Ropa Vieja is one of my go-to dishes at a Spanish restaurant. I normally request yellow rice, but I forgot to mention it when I placed my order. I was a little bummed when I saw the white rice, but you know what? The dish still rocked. The shredded meat was served in a plantain-like holder and I was pleased because the dish didn’t even mention it was coming with plantains. I mixed the flavorful meat with the white rice, and it was delicious. I always throw hot sauce on my rice, but the meat was so tasty it didn’t need anything else. The edible plantain dish which contained the meat was good, and to my surprise there was mashed plantains served under the plantain holder. More plantains? Yum! The beans were served on a side dish for me and Viviana to share, so I just threw a couple on top of my dish.

Baked Vanilla Creme Brûlée French Toast at KITCHENETTE
Review originally posted 10/19/11 (went for seconds on 12/22/12)

I have been to Kitchenette several times before and it is definitely a brunch lover’s haven. I was craving something sweet, so I went with the creme brûlée French toast. This was definitely one of the best sweet dishes I had all year, and I am glad I chose it. The outside was somewhat hard (but not in a bad way) with powdered sugar on top and the middle of the toast was deliciously soft that it just melted in my mouth. The vanilla taste was prominent without being overpowering and I only used a small amount of syrup. Strawberry butter was served on the side, but I thoroughly enjoyed the toast without it. Matt isn’t a huge fan of sweet brunch dishes, but he could not get enough of the toast. 

Place:

Location: East Village, 111 Avenue A (at 7th St.)

Mimosa Rating:

The scoop: I hadn’t seen my high school buddy Isabel in forever. I was looking forward to brunch with her on a Saturday afternoon at Yuca Bar. Yuca Bar is located right across the street from 7A Cafe, on the corner of 7th St. and Avenue A. Yuca Bar doesn’t accept reservations, but I was told the wait for two people wouldn’t be too bad. I arrived at the restaurant before Isabel, so I went in to give the host my name. He told me not to worry and he didn’t bother taking my name. When Isabel arrived, we went inside the restaurant, and the host said the wait would be 20 minutes. I reminded him that I was in the restaurant not too long ago and he didn’t take my name. When he realized his mistake, he told me we would be the next ones seated.

Merry Christmas from Yuca Bar

While we were waiting, we sat on high stools against the window and we sat facing the direction of the bar. Luckily, we only had to wait for about five minutes before the host pointed us to our table. We sat at a table for two, and I was on a booth against the wall. Seating was OK, but the restaurant was extremely loud. In order for us to talk to each other, we had to talk pretty loudly. Isabel said she felt like she was shouting.

When the waitress came to take our orders, she had a hard time hearing me, and I honestly felt a slight attitude from her. Also, when she brought over Isabel’s soda, she slammed it down in front of me. Bartenders don’t even slam beers that hard.  The most homey part of the entire restaurant was the Christmas decorations.

Bottoms up: Yuca Bar offers a brunch prix-fixe for $16 which includes a choice of Bloody Mary, screwdriver, frozen margarita, sangria, mimosa, fresh squeezed orange juice, and coffee or tea.

Sangria

Red sangria

I’ve read great things about Yuca Bar’s sangria so I had a good feeling about it. I haven’t had an amazing sangria in a while. I was very happy after sipping the drink. The sangria was very flavorful without being overly sweet and it also had an ample amount of alcohol. The glass was a decent size, and it lasted me throughout my entire brunch. 

Chew on this:

Crab Cakes Benedictos

Crab Cakes Benedictos (add $1) / Served with poached eggs, guacamole and chipotle hollandaise

I am not sure what happened to the eggs because they weren’t poached at all. I felt like the overly-cooked eggs took away from the dish. The crab cakes needed more moisture. The best part of the dish was the tasty guacamole that was spread on top of the crab cakes. Some of the prix-fixe dishes come with your choice of Latin home fries or rice and beans. I went with the rice and beans, and unfortunately yellow rice isn’t an option. The rice and beans were standard. Needless to say, I wasn’t too impressed with my dish.

Churrasco and Eggs

Churrasco and Eggs / Grilled skirt steak with three eggs any style topped with garlic and parsley chimichurri

Isabel asked for her steak well done and it was cooked to her liking. Since she wasn’t a fan of the chimichurri sauce, she scooped it off of the steak to the side of her dish. Her eggs were perfectly scrambled and she thought they were good.  The churrasco also comes with home fries or rice and beans. There was so much food that she was unable to eat everything. 

Outside Yuca Bar

The final bite: I would not recommend this spot for brunch because not only was I unimpressed with my meal, the atmosphere is extremely loud. If I am brunching with a friend, I want to be able to talk without feeling like I am screaming. The sangria was pretty solid so maybe it would be a good spot to grab one drink at the bar and go.

Reviewed by: Victoria

Place:

Neighborhood: Flatiron, 12 E. 22nd St. (between Park Ave. & Broadway)

Mimosa Rating:

The scoop: Prior to some Black Friday shopping, we checked out brunch at Almond. It worked out perfectly since Almond is located in the Flatiron District, just blocks away from a bunch of stores on Fifth Avenue.

Happy brunchers munching

To our surprise, Almond is a pretty large restaurant. The two of us sat comfortably at a table near the window, and from our view, the back of the restaurant seemed far away. Throughout the restaurant there were large tables that would be perfect for big group brunches. At the back of the restaurant, there was a candle display on the wall and a wine room. Although the restaurant was spacious, it was very homey and cozy. The wooden decor gave off a rustic feel and would probably fit perfectly in the Hamptons area where Almond Bridgehampton is located.

It’s brunch, baby!

Our waiter was knowledgeable about the menu, and when we asked him questions about several dishes, he gave his opinions and recommendations. Victoria dislikes when she’s at brunch and a server doesn’t know what a dish consists of, so she was glad he was on point. When we checked in on Foursquare, we received a discount for $5 off our bill.

Bottoms up: On this day, Almond was offering a special boozy brunch for Black Friday. For an additional $12, brunchers could enjoy unlimited mimosas and bloody Marys. Usually, they only offer pay per drink, with a mimosa for about $10.

Mimosa

Mimosa

We both had three mimosas, and each glass was stronger and was evident by the lighter color of the orange juice. Every time we asked for another mimosa, the waiter brought out fresh glasses.

Chew on this: 

Biscuits

Biscuits / Complimentary

We received a basket of three biscuits after we were seated. The biscuits were yummy — flaky on the outside and soft on the inside — but they could have been a little warmer. They were served with a side of butter. 

Buttermilk Waffles $14 / House-made nutella, whipped marscapone

Buttermilk waffle

I haven’t had a good waffle in a long time. I recently tried the strawberry coconut waffles at Penelope, and I was extremely disappointed. I was hoping Almond could break me from my waffle rut. The house-made nutella was appealing enough in itself and impressive that it’s made in house. I was pleasantly surprised when I was served the waffle and both the nutella and marscapone were served on the side. That doesn’t happen frequently. I could have done without the sweet cheese. In fact, I only tried a taste. I didn’t spread it on my waffle. The nutella, however, was a different story. It was creamy and delicious. I dipped pieces of my buttermilk waffle into the hazelnut spread. The waffle was good, too. It was soft and light, but it wasn’t as fluffy as I had hoped. I enjoyed the few pieces of fresh pineapple on the side. Whereas pancakes can sometimes leave you feeling very full, waffles satisfy me but not to the point of feeling overly stuffed.

Huevos Rancheros $14 / Red and green chili, black bean refritos

Huevos Rancheros

I was in the Mexican mood, so I figured Huevos Rancheros was my best bet for a dish. The waiter told me I had the option of having a sunny side or poached egg so I went with poached. This dish was very filling, satisfying and flavorful. My only minor complaint was that it was very messy, but that’s what happens when you have so much going on in one plate. At the bottom of the dish there were hard tortillas which gave the perfect crunch with the black beans, egg, and salsa. The second I pricked the eggs, the yolk added to the mess, but everything was perfect. Also, the potatoes that were served on the side of the dish were very flavorful and probably the best side potatoes that I have had in a while.

Outside Almond

The final bite: We really enjoyed the atmosphere at Almond. Their brunch menu has great food options and the mimosas were tasty. We picked a great day to go because of the bottomless offer. Pay per drink is pretty pricey.

Reviewed by: Stephanie and Victoria