Brunch in New York

Rating:

New Yorkers are pretty sharply divided about Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Asian street food-concept fusion restaurant Spice Market. Half of them see it as a smashing fusion success, blending exotic ingredients and ideas with French culinary excellence to great effect. The other half feel like the place is just a little (or a lot) too précieux—the gorgeous servers wear bright orange, vaguely Buddhist tunics—and overpriced (you can’t get a cocktail here for less than $12).

All that may be true enough. But we’re about the food… and, for the most part, Jean-Georges delivers on that count in spades. Read the rest of this entry »

Rating:

First things first : The Park takes some very serious looking to find. There’s virtually no chance this is “on the way” to anywhere else you’re ever going to need to be, and—what do you know?—there isn’t actually a park anywhere near this place. Go figure.

On the other hand, you could argue they’ve brought the park indoors, right into the restaurant. So there is that. And if it’s greenhouse-style (!) brunching you’re after, this is one of your best choices in the entire city—if you’re willing to hike all the way west to Tenth Avenue, and then ignore the West Side Highway traffic whizzing right by your ear. Read the rest of this entry »

Rating:

We have a problem with this brunch : Paul rated it 4/5 but Scott rated it 2/5… Both are great food journalists, so we let you decide!

Paul’s critic:

New York foodies have long known all about chef Tom Colicchio, a local guy whose spreading empire of niche restaurants have gradually taken over the city’s Flatiron district to rave reviews.

His latest endeavor, though, abandons his safe traditional ground for the uncertainty of far west Chelsea: parked between a gas station, a big intersection, and the back end of the food-filled Chelsea Market, this is nothing if not a gamble. A gamble that, food-wise at least, is paying off. Read the rest of this entry »