Mesa Grill - Union Square

Mesa Grill is Bobby’s Flay’s signature restaurant located on 5th Avenue near Union Square in Manhattan. The restaurant has opened in a few other locations, including Las Vegas, but this was the first one and has been recommended by a host of people. Since Bobby Flay is now a Food Network personality and a household name, I was curious to try the place that made him famous. Justin had tried the brunch and liked it, so we decided to try it in mid-January.

Onto the experience….

With all the construction on 5th Avenue, we missed the entrance a few times. The place itself is brightly colored with colorful art lining the walls and a large bar area. It felt warm inside because of all the bright décor though not sure if it really reminded me of the southwest. There’s a main level with an upstairs balcony that overlooks the downstairs area and bar prime for people watching. Our table was near the kitchen but still had a good view of the rest of the restaurant. We had a celebrity sighting with Kelsey Grammer (aka Fraser and current divorce drama) sitting in the table next to us with his family.

Onto the food…

The menu is mostly standard brunch faire (eggs, pancakes, etc) but with a southwestern flair. The bread basket had cornbread, muffins, and cakes – a good selection of different grains. They refilled our coffee numerous times and we had very attentive server.

I ordered the Cornmeal Crusted Chile Relleno (eggplant and manchego cheese with sweet red pepper sauce and balsamic vinegar) which is one of the signature brunch dishes. The dish was sort of fried which I wasn’t expecting but nonetheless, it was delicious. It was an interesting combination of soft, melted cheese and harder, flavorful eggplant. The presentation was also beautiful.

Justin got the Ranch Style Eggs Tostada. I liked the idea of the dish as it was a fun play on what could be a standard egg dish. I tried a bit and thought it was really good – the crème fraiche was a great addition to the dish. Justin got a side of chorizo which I thought was majorly blah. It was like something you’d get a basic diner.

Mesa Grill has a fun, inventive brunch that is definitely worth a try. Get there early as the place fills up quickly.