Brunch in New York

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Buttermilk Channel came highly recommended it to us, and we have to say: the recommenders were right. This is simply the best-value brunch we have been lucky to eat in New York. Why the name? Buttermilk Channel is the mile-long tidal strait that runs between Brooklyn and Governor’s Island. When the area was still farmland, dairy farmers would cross it by boat to sell milk in Manhattan markets. Smith Street (where the restaurant is located) was defined by this channel, just a few blocks west. Read the rest of this entry »

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You want to see and be seen? In one of the hottest nabes in the city? The Diner is that kind of place. (And we hope you can appreciate the irony of it being called ‘The Diner.’ Please note: It’s not a diner.) Make sure you wear something hip and ripped—the ‘hood is crawling with actual models, male and female. G-Star Raw, baggy pants, and a skull cap for guys; something tight and revealing for gals. Incorporate the color black. Pay special attention to your shoes. Tennis sneakers? You just don’t get it, do you? The outdoor tables here are especially coveted, facing one of the city’s hippest and highest tech-traffic intersections: the corner of West 14^th Street and 9th Avenue. You can probably throw a stone from a table and hit ten social media startups, the city’s first Apple Store, public art, a photo shoot in a park, and a homeless guy and/or transvestite urinating in public. Okay, that’s 14 stones. But still. Read the rest of this entry »

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If you did not try them here, you don’t know really the Eggs Rothko ! You have to come in this hip Williamsburg’s spot close to Bedford Avenue to order this dish :  an easy-cooked egg in a slice of Amy’s brioche and topped with Grafton cheddar. Served with broiled tomatoes and a side of meat (the best bacon we had in town !) or seasonal vegetables, it’s just fantastic and so cheap ($9). Maybe one of the best dishes we ordered in New York. Moreover, the rest of the menu is pretty varied ; the food always amazing.

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Any restaurant that so shamelessly promotes heavy drinking is probably trying to cover something up. At Essex, it’s bland food and very spotty service. But, still: $20 for any entrée on the menu and three brunch cocktails? At that price, you can forgive some inadequacies. And there are plenty.

The menu is extensive, and almost half of the options include a tacked on surcharge (which is understandable). We love potato pancakes, but the spinach-shitake-black bean hash that accompanies them just doesn’t work. Fortunately, the sautéed apples and honey cream sauce do work, and help to offset the dryness of the pancakes. We suggest The Essex Cubano with tostones and salsa, or for the very hungover, The Southern – biscuits, sausage, patties and eggs with sausage gravy. A safe bet is The Sunday Platter – house cured salmon gravlax, Read the rest of this entry »

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Café Colette is a small café located on North 9^th Street and Berry Avenue very in the now famous and trendy area of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The place is cosy and well decorated with some black and white pictures and contemporary paintings ; some may say that you could almost feel like you are somewhere in Europe. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Lodge is one of the best spots in Williamsburg to ogle hungover hipsters in their bloodshot, flannel, unshaven Sunday best. Catering to hard-drinking late risers, brunch is served until 5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays and includes 2-for-1 Bloody Marys.

If you arrive before noon, expect to have the place almost completely to yourself. Otherwise, expect very slow, inattentive service – the staff is more interested in socializing amongst themselves than catering to your every whim. Read the rest of this entry »

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Just a few meters from the noisy St Mark’s Place, welcome to a cosy place to brunch in a sumptuous garden. One of the most beautiful in the city ! On a sunny day, impossible to resist to a table in this perfectly arranged patio with paving stones, a little fountain, abounding vegetation on wall and above you. It’s gorgeous and lovely.

Inside, it’s not bad either. When you penetrate in the main dining room, you also understand why the restaurant is called The Cloister Cafe. Its stained glass windows procure a real sensation of peace… You don’t have other options : you just fall in love with the place. Read the rest of this entry »

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The name means hugs and kisses in Italian, but Baci & Abbracci is not your grandmother’s home-cooked Italian. On a slightly weathered stretch of hip South Williamsburg, it is mostly a destination for locals, but some Manhattan folks will cross the East River for the award-wining pizza.

Unfortunately, the brunch menu only offers a single pie, the Margherita Festiva ($12): a breakfast “spin” on the traditional fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato pizza; with eggs and your choice of breakfast meat. It is more substantial than it looks – chew slowly, or share. Read the rest of this entry »

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Jane is Soho’s New American staple, and a solid choice for brunch if you plan to spend your Sunday shopping in the neighborhood.

Because of the size of the dining room, there is rarely too long of a wait – and even if there is, you won’t be waiting on the sidewalk. Read the rest of this entry »