Sunday, December 18, 2011

Five Leaves - Greenpoint

Five Leaves in Greenpoint at 18 Bedford Avenue is a place where you are going to wait for brunch. Doesn’t matter what time you go, expect a wait of at least 30 minutes. Five Leaves is right near the end of McCarren Park and a strip of shops on nearby Manhattan Avenue so there’s enough to occupy you while you wait. So as you wait, here’s some background on Five Leaves.

Five Leaves was the late Heath Ledger’s idea and investment and was opened a bit after his death in 2009. Five Leaves positions itself as Australian/American but realistically, it’s a lot more American than Australian. They offer both indoor and outside seating. Inside is a small bar with a well-stocked collection of liquor and a maritime bistro feel. There are a bunch of old-timey signs advertising coffee, oysters, and cocktails. Outside is your standard bunch of small tables overlooking Bedford and Lorimer as well as waiting customers hungrily staring at you while you eat. It’s a bit crowded both inside and out as this is a place that has an earned a reputation as the place to go to in the neighborhood.

For food – the brunch menu ranges in price from $4 for grapefruit to $14 for their signature burger (that will be discussed later). There are various dishes from standard brunch dishes like sage eggs, gravelax, and granola to more adventurous dishes like ricotta pancakes, Moroccan scramble (merguez sausage, eggs, sourdough, and avocado), and mushroom toast. Many other diners (seated near us) ordered the ricotta pancakes which looked appetizing and I will admit to having a bit of order envy when staring, I mean glancing, at their plates while I awaited my food.

I ordered a hamachi tuna sandwich with an avocado spread for $14. As of today, this dish is not on their menu. I am in complete agreement with Five Leaves staff for removing this dish. Basically, the dish was an open faced sandwich with hamachi tuna, a whole bunch of minced veggies, and a strong helping of avocado spread. After my first bite, the sandwich fell apart and I finished the rest of the sandwich with a fork. It was a strange combination with the vegetables overpowering the tuna and the bread soaked with the avocado spread. Justin got the signature burger, primarily because it came with a sunnyside up egg, fried pineapple ring, and beets on a burger. The burger came and it was obvious that it wasn’t meant to be eaten like your standard burger and would involve a fork and knife. I felt the combination of elements was really unappealing. One bite of that burger totally proved my instincts right and I declined any further tastes. Justin liked the combination after reading the menu online but I think he was really enthused about the idea of an egg, pineapple, meat, and beet combo. After a few bites, I think that enthusiasm left. This burger really isn’t for everyone and they do offer a more standard burger. Both dishes came with blah shoestring fries.

The bill came to over $38 with coffee and tip. The service was bleh. Our coffee came out seconds after we ordered but our food took quite some time. Also trying to find our waitress for coffee refills and the check (despite the long line of customers waiting for a seat) was a challenge.

I won’t be making a return trip as I think this place is a bit overhyped and overpriced for what it really is. I think your money could be better spent at one of the many, many other places on Bedford.

Vanderbilt - Prospect Heights

Yes, I've been brunching but neglecting to blog. Here comes the first of many blog entries with the places you should avoid and the ones that you need to check out.

Vanderbilt in Prospect Heights is located at 570 Vanderbilt (between Dean and Bergen). I've heard good things about dinner, especially their small plate options, so figured it might be a good place to try for brunch. When you walk in, you are struck by a very large bar on your right. This bar has places to seat 10-15 comfortably. It definitely could seat way more than that 10-15 if they squeezed in seats like many other nearby spots. On the other side - there's a bunch of small tables next to windows overlooking the street. If you pass the bar and go down a few steps, there is cozy dining room with a bunch of tables and alot less distractions. The decor is rustic with dark wood planks on the walls, chalkboards listing specials, and a wood floor. It's definitely going for a sort of country feeling.

For brunch, they have some unusual faire such as Oyster Mushrooms and Bacon & Onion tart. Most of the brunch options are around $12 which is about what you'll pay at nearby brunch spots. However, they offer a $20 prix fixe option which includes a bunch of options. You get a beignet which I must admit it I never had had before. A beignet is deep fried dough with confectioner's sugar on top. Sort of like a grown-up, more dignified funnel cake. The beignets were small but delish! My friend Elisa (my brunch companion for this entry) had previously had beignets in New Orleans (apparently home of the beignet) and commented that it tasted pretty much the same. FANTASTIC START to the meal.

On the prix fixe menu, they offer a choice of three options: eggs vanderbilt (really eggs benedict with your choice of spinach or Mortadella aka a type of pork sausage), smoked trout crepe, and french toast. Elisa opted for the eggs vanderbilt with the Mortadella and instead of poached eggs - eggs scrambled. They are (or appeared to be) happy to accommodate however you want your eggs cooked instead of sticking straight with the menu. The dish looked good and she was very pleased with her choice. I opted for the smoked trout crepe which came with melted leeks, roe, and a sunnyside egg. Fabulous dish. It was on the small side (meaning if that's all you ordered, you might need something else) but beautifully plated. I felt like the crepes with the trout were the perfect combination with the sauce (leeks and roe) as a great compliment. Trout can sometimes have no taste but the creamy leek/roe sauce brought out the trout taste without it being too fishy. All dishes on the prix fixe menu also come with your choice of cottage fries (really potatoes), bacon, or sausage. We both got the cottage fries which were salty and crunchy - a nice addition to the meal.

The prix fixe menu includes coffee and your choice of brunch drink (bellini, bloody mary, dew drop, or something non-alcoholic) which makes this prix fixe menu's price ($20) totally, totally worth it! I got the dew drop drink which was an unusual bright pink and had a nice fizzy taste. The waitstaff are great and did not bug/rush us out at all. Though we were there for more than 2 hours and even past the time that brunch is served (3pm) - all the staff was courteous and brought refills of coffee and water throughout our time there.

All in all - totally recommended! Rustic setting, offbeat brunch menu, and a great value ($20 for all that food and drink!) - I totally suggest this spot and think it's worth the trip....even from Manhattan.