Linger Cafe is in that strange stretch of Atlantic Avenue (533 Atlantic) between Brooklyn Heights and Target. Nestled between Islamic bookstores and shops, Linger Cafe is easy to miss and walk past. However, this place is worth a look.
Inside, the decor is dark and cozy with mismatched Victorian chairs, park benches, and iron tables. A large and lush backyard garden has seating as well. An ever changing daily menu is chalked up on one wall. Today's entrees included stuffed french toast, a variety of poached egg dishes, croissants, and quiche. I chose the stuffed french toast with blueberry and mascarpone. Justin got the quiche lorraine with bacon, guyere cheese, and shallots. They didn't serve any hot drinks besides coffee so I decided upon an iced coffee.
Linger has an interesting manner of ordering. You place your order at the counter, find a seat and are served your food when it is ready, and then you pay on your way out. I think it would have been better to place the order and then pay for it upon arrival instead of 2 trips to the harried staff waiting at the counter. A small and maybe irrelevant critique.
We settled in the garden which is very large but did not have alot of seating. There were only about 5 tables when there could have been at least 10 or at least 25 in some Brooklyn brunch places. It must have been a good 10 minutes before a waitress brought out our coffees and then another 5 minutes before we got a bottle of water. There appeared to only be 2 people and maybe a chef working which was evident by the slow service. Our food came out a while later but was warm and beautifully plated.
My french toast was tasty with the blueberry adding a nice fruity touch yet it was a bit too sweet for me. The portion was a good size for $10.50 though. The french toast, itself, was just the right amount of softness. Justin's quiche was served over greens and a few slices of melon. Another good dish with a hearty crust and flaky insides. The melon looked a bit sickly. Since there was no real waiter/waitress - no one came by to ask if we wanted the check or strongly encourage us to get the check and pay sort of deal, which was a welcome change. On the other hand, by the time the food came, I was starving.
The bill was about $27 which is sort of an average price for this area of Brooklyn. The difference is service. This place isn't trying to rush you in and out - they want you (and like their name says) to linger. It's a nice place to have a lengthy catch-up with a friend though you may run out of things to talk about before you are served. Overall, the food is good and noteworthy, the decor was warm and relaxing, and is somewhere that's worth a linger, if you have the time.
