Abigail Cafe & Wine Bar - Prospect Heights

Abigail is a place that has potential. This potentially could have been a good meal with good ambiance, good food, and good service. Unfortunately, this place is far from realizing that potential.

Abigail Cafe & Wine Bar is located on the corner of Classon and St. Johns. The place is dark and candlelit and had a jazz band playing. Inside there are a cluster of little cute tables near the front with a large stocked bar. The bar itself has a good amount of seating that makes for a nice spot. The back is more open with larger tables but a big party (which our server warned us about) was occupying those tables when we were there. The jazz band was good and added to the atmosphere but they were a bit loud and it became sort of hard to hear conversation when they were playing.

So we were seated promptly but then no waiter appeared for minutes. Finally, the guy who seated us came over and to take our order though there were a bunch of guys who appeared to be waitstaff and were not taking our order. First, they were out of the smoked mac and cheese which I was very disappointed about. It was sort of the standout of menu but no luck. They were also out of the fish burger and a host of other things too. We finally ordered small plates of the Peppadews (South African sweet & sour peppers) and the roasted head of garlic. The dishes were good - a good appetizer size for $5 each. The peppers were stuffed with goat cheese and had a spicy kick which made the dish unique and delish. The roasted head of garlic was served with toast which was good. They cut off the top of the garlic so it was nice to serve and eat. Good appetizers even if they took awhile to come out.

Now the entrees. Justin got his red-wine braised oxtail which was poorly plated - it looked like a big bloody mess. Justin said it was actually quite good though once gets through the mess that is that dish. We got the garlic shrimp to split which came with lettuce and a pesto sauce. To me, it was the best dish of the night with nice, large, and well seasoned shrimp.

I had ordered a bean burger which never came out. We kept trying to find waitstaff to inquire as to the burger but no luck. When we finally found someone, he had no idea where the burger was and then said it was never ordered. By that time, my frustration had set in and I didn't even want the burger anymore. Then, another waiter told us the burger was on it's way up from the kitchen. 5 minutes later and no burger. Again, we said cancel the burger and we were promptly handed our check. Our check still had the burger on it. This should give you an idea as to the inefficiently of the staff.

When we went to fix the bill, a mysterious burger came up and a waiter timidly approached our table with it but after seeing my face of annoyance - he and the burger quickly disappeared. After our bill was figured out and we applied our 50% scoutmob discount (which may have been the motivating reason for going there) - our bill came out to something like $17. A good deal considering the oxtail dish was $19. What food we did get was quite good, however, not good enough to make up for the poor service and bungling of all the food. Sure, they had a big party but should that equal bad service and a forgotten entree? Overall, a bad dining experience.

Suffice to say, I won't be dining here again.

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.

The Farm on Adderley - Ditmas Park

The Farm on Adderly is the reason that some people trek to Ditmas Park. This traditional American/semi-organic restaurant in an outer borough neighborhood is a bit of the beaten track yet its inventive and playful cuisine is one that shouldn't be missed.

The Farm on Adderley is at 1108 Cortelyou Road, near the Cortelyou B/Q stop. Cortelyou has a bunch of other restaurants that looked interesting so all and all - this area does require a return trip on my end. The Farm on Adderley itself is a long narrow restaurant that opens up to a backyard garden. A large, dark wood bar is located in the front of the restaurant with tables squeezed in the front. In the back seating area and the backyard, there's more seating with more room between the tables.

Wait staff was prompt and eager to answer questions. The bread was a cross between an herb focaccia and standard sourdough bread (very delicious!) and was served with olive oil for dipping. While they only give you 3 pieces to start with, they are eager to refill the bread, even without prompting. Fabulous bread. I'd go back for the bread alone. We split a bottle of wine that wasn't cheap ($30 range) but they do have an extensive wine list starting at around $30 and ranging to the $80s. They also have a list of their own inventive cocktails ($10-14). Overall, the wait staff was very attentive except when it came time to get the bill – then they were nowhere to be found.

The menu isn't that extensive but there's more than enough to pique your interest. I settled on the Roasted Summer Squash dish with polenta fries and basil for $17. The dish itself was beautifully plated with a bright green base with zucchini and other various green squashes followed by a yellow squash middle with breaded pale yellow strips of polenta on top. The polenta was expertly cooked with a crispy shell and a rich creamy inside. The best cooked polenta that I've had in awhile. The rest of the dish didn't live up to the standard set by the polenta though in all fairness, it was still very good. I had assumed that there would be some sort of starch underneath the squash but I was mistaken, as there wasn’t anything hiding under the squash. The squash was cooked well and was the right amount of crunchy and soft but I did feel like I was eating the equivalent of a vegetable plate. If there had been less squash and more polenta (as there was only about 4 small pieces of polenta in total), I think the dish would score higher in my mind. My friend, Caroline, got skate aka a white fish dish for $19 which was expertly cooked and tasted delicious as well. The skate with a healthy serving of vegetables, which shows the restaurant, takes the ‘farm’ part of their name very seriously. High marks from her on the dish.

Desert left much to be desired. We got an apple crisp dish ($6), which was too heavy on the ice cream and granola with little apple to be found. It felt more like granola ice cream than anything else. I'd recommend forgoing desert in favor of a cocktail.

All in all, I liked the playfulness of the menu from the combination of dishes to the tasty and unique flavors. It has options for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike which can sometimes be a challenge to find. Definitely worth the 2 subways and bus that it took me to get there.

Chez Oskar - Fort Greene

Chez Oskar is located in the heart of Fort Greene's restaurant row at 211 DeKalb Avenue. The restaurant is your standard French bistro with a large and appetizing brunch menu - full of brunch classics from eggs benedict to omelets to crepes. If you are looking for a place with reasonably priced brunch classics, this place may easily become your new brunch go-to location.

The restaurant is a bit dark as they typically use sunlight to provide lighting; however, on a dark day, it makes the spot a bit too dark for my liking. Others say that the darkness creates the right amount of ambiance. There is a large bar on one side of the restaurant that provides for a good waiting spot as you typically will wait to sit down. There's also a patio full of outside seating which makes this a very popular spot in the spring, summer, and early fall. The day that we were there, the hostess immediately informed us that their cash registers were down and so the service was going to be extra slow. A fair warning as the service did prove to be exceedingly slow. Our wait staff took 10 to 15 minutes to just take our order.

I settled on Eggs Norwegian - Eggs Benedict with salmon, which comes with potatoes and a small masculine salad (really just lettuce and vinaigrette dressing) for $8.50. The dish was good with a delightful flavors and a good portion of potatoes with rosemary seasoning that was a bit salty for my taste. The eggs themselves were cooked wonderfully and were still warm when I took my first bite. Justin got an omelet with House Cured Salmon, Dill, Capers & Ricotta Cheese for $9. A good combination of flavors but Justin felt the Salmon tasted a bit overcooked. Both dishes tasted as one might expect which makes this a reliable and must-try spot, especially for those who live in the area.

Linger Cafe - Boerum Hill

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.

Puerto Alegre - Mission District, San Francisco

On a trip to San Francisco, we decided to look for a Sunday morning brunch place. After we successfully took a ride on an antique streetcar down Market Street which is really fun and only slightly touristy, we got off and looked for a place to eat. A few places that were noted for Brunch had long lines so we decided to go off the beaten path and look for something else. Justin knew a place that he used to go to in the Mission but it was gone, so we settled on a cheap, hole-in-the wall Mexican diner at 546 Valencia between 16th and 17th.

Reasonable prices, unlimited chips and salsa, and coffee at $1.35. Fine dining - its not, but instead, it's pretty darn good Mexican. The decor was tacky, diner-tastic meaning dark, pleather booths, and wood paneling. Yet the place was fairly packed and the service was fast and friendly.



The brunch menu is fairly extensive (2 pages!) and all entrees are between $6-9. All come with your choice of flour or corn torillas in addition to your entree. I got Huevos Rancheros which also came with a small salad and rice/beans. It was a hearty portion and the 2 eggs were cooked perfectly. They weren't overly runny which you sometimes get. It was filling and delicious. The beans and rice were fairly standard but a good compliment. There was a torilla on the bottom of the eggs but it got too soggy to eat. Justin got a sort of egg and meat scrambled dish that also came with a small salad and rice/beans. Again - a big hit. With coffee, the total came to under $20. All in all - a very good meal and one I'd highly recommend.

General Greene - Fort Greene

Today's expedition was to the General Greene, located at 229 DeKalb, in the heart of a restaurant row of sorts in Fort Greene. The place itself is small but light, bright, and airy with wooden tables and whitewashed walls giving you the feeling you are in a barn or in the country. There's some outdoor seating as well as a small store in the back selling various organic and local treats, which was a nice surprise. Initially, you feel very relaxed....yet for me, that initial feeling soon faded. Here's why:

First the food. I had the Pressed Egg & Gruyere mustard aioli sandwich. It was literally a piece of egg with a little bit of cheese and mustard. Justin put it best when asked to describe the egg ‘ they did whatever they do in McDonalds to make an egg sandwich’. It came on a dark, hearty, multi-grain (perhaps pumpernickel) bread that completely overpowered and overwhelmed the egg and cheese. It was a sandwich of bread, bread, and more bread but not even good bread but hard and overly crummy bread. It supposedly came with a small side salad but in reality, it was a few pieces of lettuce doused in some sort of vinaigrette. Not enjoyable at all. I rather eat McDonalds and I’d save money too.

Justin got a ranchero and pinto bean skillet with Monterey jack, lime sour cream, and cilantro. The eggs were overcooked and smothered in the various sauces. To me, it looked and tasted like a bad child experiment where you just throw tons of stuff into a skillet, bake it, and hope it tastes good.

It was also fairly overpriced with Justin's entree costing $14 and my terrible egg sandwich costing $8 - neither of which came with anything additional. The coffee was $3 though the wait staff did come around often and offer to refill the coffee.

Next the service. We walked in and were immediately offered a table by the door, literally in the doorway. When we declined to take the table, the hostess was sort of shocked. I typically take any table but I really didn't feel like sitting in a doorway with constant traffic coming in and out. We got a table by the window, which was fine before a table of adults, and kids took the longish table next to us. Three 7-10 year old boys at brunch = complete and utter insanity. The boys were constantly fighting, moving seats, and leaving the restaurant. A fun dining atmosphere - note the sarcasm. The adults were very apologetic which I appreciated it but it was a rough dining experience to say the least.

So the General Greene’s brunch is not one that I'd recommend, as there are plenty of good brunch places in this area. Save your money and don't dine with the general.

Soigne - Park Slope

As Easter is apparently the day of brunch - we naturally had to give brunch a try. So we headed down to South Park Slope to try Soigne, a relatively new wine bar and restaurant on 6th Avenue (486 6th Ave to be exact). Off the typical Park Slope brunch path, this was a pleasant surprise.

First, the place is really more restaurant than wine bar – it’s a restaurant with a bar really. It's good sized with outdoor seating and tables for two near the windows with larger tables in the middle and back of the restaurant. It's on the dark side with brown and green decor choices but with great natural light and home-y touches of 1930's art deco mirrors, it is warm, cozy, and bright. As it was Easter and in Park Slope, it had a rather eclectic crowd of young professionals, families, and older adults.

Onto the food, I got a crabcake benedict (jumbo lump crabcake over poached eggs with chive hollandaise sauce) as it sounded delicious and I had not had crab cakes in forever. It came with 2 petite crab cakes with a poach egg on top of each. Just the right size! Deliciously flakey and flavorful. It came with a small vinaigrette salad that was mediocre but it was a good compliment to a sort of heartier breakfast. Justin got a mushroom quiche with some sort of bacon which was also quite good. The menus aren't posted anywhere except literally outside restaurant as they change them quite often to ensure they are in season and using fresh ingredients.

The brunch entrees are between $12-16 but come with free coffee which it makes it alot more reasonable since most brunch places charge between $3-5 for coffee. Overall, a lovely brunch spot with good tasty brunch that I will definitely be returning too!

reBar - DUMBO

So this isn't a brunch entry but it is a Brooklyn restaurant that serves brunch so I think it qualifies as brunch blog entry.

reBar is a gastropub located on the main strip in Dumbo - literally underneath the Manhattan Bridge at 147 Front Street between Jay and Pearl. reBar is part bar, part restaurant, part movie theater playing indie and old movies. The last part was a pleasant surprise to us and we'll going back to give it a try in the future. They have a full menu (food and drinks) in the movie theater so it looks like a good time. Now back to reBar as a restaurant. It's dark and gothic looking with metal gates and high backed leather chairs. In the dining area, there are a bunch of small 2 person tables and then 2 very large banquet style tables where you will be sharing table space with your neighbor. The space is dark with candlelight and a good mix of music from Kid Cudi to Adele. A huge beer list - like 3 pages just for bottles and then another page for whats on tap.

The menu is seasonal with both small plates and entree-size portions. I opted to try mainly small plates with a salad for my main while Justin had the entree-size portion along with the small plates. They give you olive bread to start with olive oil. Great bread - the olives were big pieces and the bread was soft and warm. It was a step up from the usual white or sourdough bread that you typically get at restaurants.

We tried 3 small plates: Polenta with an egg, salmon rolls, and buffalo mozzerella served with flatbread crisps. The polenta was a great dish - the fried egg took up a large portion of the bowl with polenta served underneath. The polenta was just the right amount of creamy and flavorful. The salmon rolls were interesting - it's Asian-inspired American cuisine - thin wrapping with salmon served sashami style along with some other vegetables. It was an interesting combination of flavors but they seemingly worked. The buffalo mozzerella ended up being a small bowl of fried cheese which was just too cheesy. One small bite of it and I knew that we had misordered. So one small plate - delicious, one small plate - good, and one small plate - gross.

My salad was an iceberg wedge with snow peas, preserved lemon, manchego, and pistachio vinaigrette. Mistake - an iceberg wedge is just too much lettuce. The other bits were nice but after I had ate a healthy portion of salad (including lettuce) - I still had tons of lettuce left over. Justin got the lamb which he thought was well-cooked and flavorful. It was interesting cut of meat since it was fatty but the fat made the lamb very tasty so essentially - it was a good piece of lamb. It also came with vegetables that needed salt.

Last we got a strange desert - marjolaine cake. It's no flour but yet it stays together somehow with custard and almonds/nuts. Not sure how to describe it except cold, custardy, and confusing.

I liked reBar but didn't love it. Yet, with an ever changing menu and a movie theater inside, I would return in the summer time to give it another try.

Peaches Hothouse - Bedford-Stuyvesant

From the owners of The Smoke Joint in Fort Greene, Peaches and Peaches HotHouse feature an updated twist on Southern cooking and fried chicken. So in an effort to try and a new neighborhood - we trekked out to Bed Stuy to see how good this fried chicken really was. We opted to try Peaches HotHouse @ 415 Tompkins, the newer, cozier, and slightly cheaper sister to Peaches. The Hothouse is located half way between the Nostrand Avenue & Kingston Throop stops on the A and C or you can take one of a million buses. However none are that close so you will have at least a 5 block walk.

The place itself is small - maybe 10 tables. There's a small bar in back with 4 chairs as well. We got there and were told we'd have about a 10 minute wait. With the NCAA game in the background, we were content to wait....but where? Since there's no space in the restaurant to stand and we didn't want to stare at someone eating their food, we squeezed into the bar area. After about 20 minutes with a good 10 of them including me giving the evil eye to diners who had already paid but were lingering and watching the game - we got a table.

The menu is about a page with Southern classics: fried chicken, salmon, short ribs, and meatloaf. Each come with one side and there are alot of sides to choose from: collard greens, garlic kale, mac & cheese, french fires, bacon creamed corn, etc. There's also a bunch of non-traditional Southern dishes including rice bowl dishes including jambalya and lump crab. The place also features salads and sandwiches for those looking for lighter options. We had a really nice waiter who sat down and introduced himself and gave us food suggestions. First all drinks come in mason jars. I got a fruity coconut rum drink that was delicious, colorful, and also really strong. One was plenty! Also this isn't the sort of place where you get champagne. As our waiter said to a lady who ordered champagne and wanted a flute- "This is the HOTHOUSE, it's going to come in a cup". Suffice to say, she ordered a Coke.

I got the Nashville-style fried chicken because well it's the Hothouse. Also staring at the signs advertising the chicken and watching satisfied diners proved to me that I should get it. For $12, you get three pieces and they are big pieces. It's served on the top of white bread which doesn't really seem to add anything to it. Now a word about the entree: among the best fried chicken I've ever had!! Crispy but not overly crispy. Flakey, flavor-ful, and just darn good. Also liked that I also got to get a side (garlic kale) which was had alot of spice which made it hot and good. We also got mac & cheese and corn with bacon. The mac & cheese was a little bit too cheesy and basically the same that you get at Smoke Joint. The corn with bacon was alright but a bit too much bacon and not enough corn for my liking. Justin got the jambalaya which was a whole bowl of rice, sausage, shrimp, veggies, and some other things all thrown in together. It was good with alot of flavor and spice. Both of us were a fan of this dish and I'd consider getting this dish on my own. Too full for desert even with our waiter's suggestions even though the options did look really good.

Overall this place is worth the trek! Peaches Hothouse features good Southern food at reasonable prices and a welcoming, warm atmosphere. The waitstaff was very helpful and let us sit for awhile after we were done with our meal, which added to our experience. The menu has a wide variety of choices that makes this a place I want to return to.

Char No. 4 - Carroll Gardens

A favorite cited by a bunch of my friends, I was eager to try the brunch menu at Char No. 4 located on Brooklyn's restaurant row, Smith Street. The place itself has a different look with its black-brown siding than other area restaurants, which intrigued me. The bar area is located in the front of the restaurant so it looks super crowded and almost cramped when you get in. Yet once the host leads you to your table, the place seems to grow in size with a narrow dining room and then a comfortable large back room. The placement itself has dark woods and black painted walls - yet it still feels bright, light and airy.

The menu itself is Southern-inspired with Southern takes on egg and ham dishes. I was torn between ordering shrimp & grits or the house smoked artic char over crispy potato cake with a fried egg and egg remoulade. I decided to go with the artic char as I was interested in what exactly the potato cake would be. The dish itself was a fairly small portion despite its $15 price tag. The char was well cooked and seasoned and I liked the placement of the egg on a fish dish. Yet the rest of the dish was blah. The potato cake turned out to be a typical potato pancake (like the frozen kind you warm up in the oven) and there was an overabundance of sprouts on my plate. There were more sprouts than food. It was the kinda dish that might have worked better had the potato pancake been swapped for a biscuit on the bottom. Perhaps I should have opted for the shrimp and grits? I also got a buttermilk biscuit on the side, served with tasty pumpkin spice jam. Loved the biscuit as it was soft, flakey, and completely delicious.

Justin got a meat two ways sort of dish – the Char No. 4 Biscuits Benedict with house smoked ham, poached eggs & bacon gravy. It was sort of a meat and eggs dish that he seemed to like while I did not. I like the idea of a biscuits benedict but I don’t think it needed that much meat. Coffee was a bit pricey at $3 each which involved us trying to find our waiter for 20 minutes when we needed a refill. While we were seated fairly fast, it took awhile for us to order and then my biscuit came out 10-15 minutes AFTER our dishes came out.

All in all, a good brunch with an interesting and new take on what Southern brunch food can be. However is it really worth $46 for brunch – I don’t think so.

Traif - Williamsburg

Many entries to update but first a dinner update. Located near the JMZ and not much else, we journeyed to Traif in the southern part of Williamsburg. A pig on the front door gives you a good idea of what the menu is going to be like even before you walk in.

The decor is similar to many newer restaurants on Smith Street with lots of tables crowded on one side with a long bar on the other. We waited for about 5 minutes before we got a table though the Hostess had told us to anticipate a 20-30 minute wait. We were lucky enough to sit in the enclosed patio in the back of the restaurant with a view of the sky above and a garden behind us. It was cozy and comfortable.

Chef Jason Marcus is a chef well-known in Manhattan and so many people trek to Williamsburg to give this outpost a try. The menu is mainly small plates/tapas style with alot of bacon. Ironically enough, Traif is the Yiddish word for food that is not kosher. Dishes featuring shellfish, bacon, and cheese are decidedly not kosher so Marcus’s clever play on words is appreciated by this blogger.

We had inconsistent service. We waited for about 10 minutes before we were finally able to flag down a waiter. First, we got the bacon-wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates over spinach. This was the dish that food critics had raved about. It was good, not great. The blue cheese sort of overpowers the rest of the dish. You taste cheese and a slight crunch from the bacon - that's it. However, the tuna tartare and broccoli rabe dishes were each excellent - just a perfect dishes. Standout dishes period.

We also got pork belly, clams, and roasted carrots to round out our dishes. These dishes were pretty tasty too. The portions were all fairly small so I'd recommend 5-6 for 2 to split. After a long wait, we finally found our waiter to order desert. We HAD to order the bacon donuts for dessert because....well...bacon donuts, need I say more! They were great and a delicious way to end the meal. However, finding our waiter to get our check was a challenge. After debating where in the restaurant we’d sleep, our waiter emerged with the check.

All in all – Traif is recommended. For a bacon lover, this should be number one on your list. For someone who likes to try different and eclectic combinations of food, this is also a must visit. I’d give the food a 8 as the dishes are fun and unusual combinations but also delicious. I’d forget the bacon-wrapped blue cheese dates and order more tuna and broccoli rabe as they were truly spectacular dishes. Including service, I’d give Traif a 7 as the service was so spotty.

Heights Cafe - Brooklyn Heights

After a not-so-successful brunch at Teresa’s next door, we tried Heights Café. We had walked by the place a few times and they have an interesting menu so we decided to give it a try.

Strike of the frozen butter again! Our bread basket came with butter on the side. Like Teresa’s, the butter was completely frozen and unusable for a good 10 minutes. Note to restaurants on Montague Street – stop serving frozen butter!

I got a Spinach and Feta Cheese Tart with a tomato-asparagus salad and mixed greens. It was very spinach-y (which I loved) and tasted almost a quiche though there were no eggs. I could barely taste the cheese though. It was a nice, healthier brunch for me. Justin got a roast beef – egg sandwich with fries that tasted good (though not great) but he seemed to enjoy it. Neither dish was amazing nor were they unappetizing. The place did have the standard egg/pancake/bacon dishes as well as some healthier options which I liked. It was the sort of place that I’d totally recommend for a group as they have a wide variety of menu options.

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.

Bubby's - DUMBO

So Justin and I trekked to DUMBO to try out Five Front near Grimaldi's. DUMBO is a Brooklyn neighborhood lacking in public transportation so there was an extensive walk underneath the BQE. Once we got in the general area, we started to scope out the place. We walked in a full circle past the long line of customers at Grimaldi's looking for Five Front. When it was clear that we weren't going to find it - we headed to Bubby's (the other DUMBO restaurant on the Brunch Blog) for brunch instead. We found out later that Five Front has since closed.

This is the second Bubby's with the original location in Tribeca, somewhat close to City Hall. A place that's proximity is what many have said was the only good thing about jury duty. This Bubby's, located at 1 Main Street, is nestled between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges with a great view of both bridges and lower Manhattan. The place is quite large with two floors and an expansive dining room and separate bar area.

The brunch menu is quite large with alot of different and unusual brunch ideas like trout scramble and sourdough pancakes. They served hot, flaky biscuits with butter and jam as we waited for our entrees. The biscuits were delicious but very crumbly. I settled on the Applewood House Smoked Lox Scramble with with cream cheese & scallions, served with toast & homefries or anson mills whole hominy organic carolina grits. I opted for toast and homefries. The dish itself was interesting. The cream cheese wasn't as mixed in as it could have been but overall I liked the dish. The scallions gave it an onion-y taste which I liked it. The combo of lox and eggs was great. I only had one piece of bread and a few homefries, as I was stuffed, as they were good but not particularly special.



Justin got one of the specials, a tenderloin florentine, which our waiter said was a good choice. It was usual eggs florentine with the addition of steak which he felt was a perfect addition and raved about the dish throughout the meal. I took a bite but felt that while it was good, eggs and meat should just be left alone.

Bubby's Brooklyn is a great brunch spot with both the standard brunch faire and fresh new takes on brunch. While it's a bit pricey with most entrees running between $14-$21 and $4 coffee - the food is filling and the views are priceless. Plus they also have a photo booth for old fashioned pictures and it's nestled between DUMBO art galleries, bookstores, and bakeries making it a great place to start a Sunday afternoon.

Le Grand Dakar - Clinton Hill

To explore some new food options, Justin and I trekked to Clinton Hill to try African-inspired cuisine. I wasn't sure what to expect - would it be more meat or fish or vegetables?

Le Grand Dakar located at 285 Grand Ave is a cozy, inviting spot painted in warm colors. The tables are large wood blocks with benches and wooden chairs surrounding them. African tribal art lines the walls to make you feel like you are in West Africa. The place was lit by soft lightening and candles yet it was a bit too dark to read the menu.

For an appetizer, we tried Accara (black eyed pea fritters), a specialty of Benin. They were fried, soft on the inside, and a bit spicy. We had a good portion (about 6) and they came with a yummy dipping sauce. They were pretty good and I would order it again.

For my entree, I chose the Okra Stew (savory okra, palm oil and served over plantain fufu). I had had Southern okra before so I was excited to see how it was different. This okra, however, was a bit hard and less vegetable tasting. I wasn't really sure what the other elements of the dish were but it did taste interesting. The stew had a meaty-quality to it, even thought it was meatless, which I wasn't really a fan of. The okra tasted sweet which I liked but the other elements didn't provide enough balance. Justin got a chicken dish which he seemed to like. They used some interesting spices to differentiate it from other kinds of chicken.

Le Grand Dakar is fun place to bring a group of friends and relax over a bottle of wine, and some shared appetizers. The waitstaff lets you sit as long as you like, such a rarity in New York. All in all, a fun exploration of a often-unknown cuisine.

Egg - Williamsburg

This spot has been on the 'best of New York', 'best of Brooklyn', and 'best brunch' lists for years. Thus I had to check this place out and see if it really lives up to the hype.

Egg is located in the heart of Williamsburg, the Williamsburg that closely resembles Alphabet City. Egg is located less than a 2 minute walk from the Bedford L stop at 125 North 5th, a few stores away from Bedford Avenue. The place itself is small with maybe 14 tables inside and about 3 outside. Since it was freezing, we opted for a table inside. The decor is reminiscent of a country inn with white washed walls, chalk boards, and ceiling fans. Egg is known for it's organic food and they don't let you forget it with stories of their recent trip to a farm in upstate New York strategically placed around the restaurant. The place is warm and cozy which makes it easy to forget the increasingly chilly weather of New York in late October.

Now onto the food. A big caveat - we went to Egg for dinner where you can order off the brunch menu and lunch/dinner menu, which increased our options considerably. Interesting options on the brunch menu include Egg Rothko (easy-cooked egg in a slice of Amy’s brioche and topped with Grafton cheddar. served with broiled tomatoes and a side of meat or seasonal vegetables), Duck Hash (braised duck leg seared with potatoes and green onions and served with 2 eggs any style), and Chorizo & Eggs.

We opted to go off the dinner menu so look for Egg: Part 2 Brunch soon.

We split an appetizer of Preserves Plate (Chicken live ate, souse, toast, onion jam, mustard, and pickles). The pate was good – not too salty – but the rest of the food was a bit disappointing. We weren’t really sure what anything was and even taste-testing didn’t seem to solve the problem. Next time, I’d pass on the preserves plate. Egg gives you roasted peanuts as the standard appetizer (instead of bread). I appreciated the effort to be different and stay their local/organic theme. However, the peanuts tasted sorta strange. They were soaked in something but I have no clue what. Needless to say, I will be skipping ordering any appetizer next time.

The coffee came in my own personal French press, which was great fun. French press coffee tastes delicious but it’s also just fun to play with the machine.

For dinner, Justin got the Duck Sandwich (seared duck breast on baguette with mustard, onion jam, greens, duck liver pate. served with french fries or salad) or as he puts it ‘duck two ways’. This excited Justin greatly. I had a few bites of it and loved the onion jam but ‘duck 2 ways’ does not excite me in the same manner. I had the Fried Oyster Sandwich (Cornmeal-crusted oysters, spicy mayonnaise, lettuce on a roll. French fries or salad) which I was really pleased with. There were about 5 oysters as the meat of my sandwich, which I feel was the perfect amount. The oysters weren’t overly fried or oily which I liked as well. The oysters were delicious. The salads supposedly had a grapefruit vinaigrette on it was but I couldn’t taste it. It was a nice complement to a heavy sandwich. This dish was by far the standout of the restaurant.

Egg likes to play with food. It takes Southern Food staples and puts their own playful, organic spin on it. I’m really interested to see what brunch brings.

Bacchus - Boerum Hill

This one is absent from the brunch blog list but I figured you might be interested nonetheless.

Alright, so we've walked past this place about 4 times before and always opted to move on. Today, though, we decided to try it. The place itself is a nondescript French bistro with a nice shady outdoor garden. We sat in a wooden booth inside near the front with lots of natural sunlight. If you are super light sensitive or have one functioning eye, this booth may be your worst nightmare. They have a well stocked bar and the waitresses were actually speaking in French in a French restaurant (tres super), so I was eager to give the menu try.

I got a crab and avocado sandwich that came with a small mixed green salad. The crab and avocado combination was great yet the bread was a major snoozefest. We're in a French restaurant so I was expecting baguette or even sourdough. Nope - classic American white bread though, thankfully, this bread was toasted. The salad was fine but it was literally salad and vignette dressing. Would it have hurt to throw in an onion or pepper or two?

Justin got a croque monsieur. I’m not a huge fan of mixing meat and egg but he is. The sandwich seemed to be your average croque monsieur but using extra crusty French bread, which gives it additional points in my book.

This place will let you relax over a cup of coffee even when you’ve been done with your food for a half hour, so a big plus. Bacchus is a good French brunch but I could write the same for dozens of other places. If you live in the neighborhood, check it out, it could become a local fave. Otherwise, keep checking back for a local favorite in your neck of the woods.

Maggie Brown - Clinton Hill

Weekend Brunch in Brooklyn returns with the eclectic spot, Maggie Brown at 455 Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill.

Maggie Brown has a funky decor with 30's style art deco wallpaper, comfy patent leather booths, and lots of light streaming in. Like other area brunch spots, they have a lot of outdoor seating in a covered patio in the back. The music was a combination of every popular indie pop group of the moment. They only offer a brunch menu on the weekends until 4:30 but it has a good assortment of both brunch and non-brunch things, so you have plenty to choose from. Yet you might feel restricted since they only give you the brunch menu.

Onto the food. I got the Grandma Harriet, scrambled egg with fresh dill, tomato, and onion. The dill made this dish go from standard scrambled egg faire to utterly delicious. When I make eggs on my own, I will certainly be adding in dill! The standard sides weren't anything special. It came with a small mixed green salad, home fries, and toast. The home fries weren't really home fries but small pieces of a hard baked potato with some herb added in. A bit of false advertising if you will. The potatoes were fine but I was looking forward to home fries. I substituted the plain toast for biscuit with raspberry jam for $2 more and it was completely worth it. The biscuit was soft, flaky, and certainly not out of a Pillsbury can. The raspberry jam was super tasty and I ended up putting it on the eggs too.

Justin got a salmon bagel platter aka bagel with lox and cream cheese. It also came with a side mixed green salad, lettuce/tomato/onion adds, and capers. While the lox was perfectly done - just the right amount of salty - the bagel was a big disappointment. It was just a plain untoasted boring bagel. Even a quick trip through the toaster would have improved this bagel. It also had some strange ridges - questioning where they even got this bagel. They had some different and interesting combination mixed cocktails but I made it a sober brunch. Next time, I will be trying one of those drinks.

It's a hit or miss place - with the dill scrambled eggs and biscuit being a bit hit though lots of other things being a big miss.