Giving Joseph Leonard a Go

Joseph Leonard: Bloody Caesar & Michelada

Joseph Leonard has been on my to try brunch list for ages now, so when the opportunity arose on a beautiful spring afternoon we headed off to the West Village to give it a shot. We usually don't order drinks at brunch, but their Bloody Marys looked like a serious opportunity not to be missed. I ordered the Bloody Caesar with vodka, clamato, and sriracha garnished with a deep-fried bacon-wrapped brussels sprout and an oyster. Heck yah.

Let Penelope Be Your Constant Brunch Option

Penelope: Delicious Cinnamon Bun

Penelope has been on my "to try" list for Brunch for years now. Unfortunately for me, it's located on the Eastern side of this lovely island and I am a West side girl. Then, the couple of times that we've been over there before, we simply did not have an hour and a half to wait. This morning, we woke up early (for us) so thought we'd grab a cab and try our luck at 10:30am. 

Philadelphia Edition: Creperie Beau Monde

Creperie Beau Monde: Pears, Chestnut Cream & Chocolate Crepe

We found ourselves on an impromptu trip to Philadelphia this weekend and needed a good place for Sunday brunch. I searched around on the internet until I found a crepe place recommended by Sir Alton Brown. OK, so he hasn't been officially knighted anywhere except for in our hearts. But his word is practically gospel to us, so off we headed to Creperie Beau Monde.

Update: TBSP

BLTA

We haven't been to our old brunch favorite TBSP much since moving further away to the West Side. We had some out-of-town guests staying with us this weekend who requested a simple, classic NYC brunch spot and it seemed like the perfect place. Right away, we noticed a bunch of small changes such as the addition of water and snacks in the foyer to enjoy while you wait.

Update: Tipsy Parson

Tipsy Parson

I've been to Tipsy Parson a few times for lunch now and keep saying that I'll come back for brunch. For some reason, I never think about it when deciding where to go, but luckily today was not one of those days. We walked right in and got seated in the window seat (joy!). Then our impressively mustached waiter swung by to take our order, but everything sounded so good (cliche, I know) that we couldn't decide! 

Go Westville, Young Man

Breakfast Burrito

Westville is a Chelsea staple and for good reason. Wholesome, good food made from fresh ingredients with a lot of local flavor. We order delivery from them a lot at work, but this morning I went with my girl friend for brunch.

A Very Gilded Lillie's

Lillie's

I had had a disappointing experience with the Lillie's location in Flatiron a couple years back, but decided to give it another shot at a pre-theatre brunch because I was seeing Once and I'm a sucker for musical/meal pairings. We were immediately enamored with the Victorian decor as soon as we walked in the door. Like it's Flatiron sister, every square inch is lavishly decorated, but this location is much bigger, making it an even larger impact.

Extra, Extra read all about Extra Virgin

For some reason, we never seem to make it down to the West Village for brunch, even though it's just a stone's throw away and has a lot of great spots. Something about the end of the reliable city grid system makes it seem like another world. Who knows what possessed us to choose the bitterest, coldest day of the winter so far to trek down there today, but boy were we glad we did.

The Breslin is another Ace

I've been wanting to try The Breslin almost as long as we've lived in NYC. Unfortunately, The Ace Hotel is in the weird no-man's land that isn't quite Midtown, Chelsea or Flatiron and definitely isn't too convenient to anything. We've hit up Stumptown a few times for coffee (and it would be way more if it were closer), but never happened to be hungry enough for a meal. Finally, filled with the determination of the New Year, we hopped in a cab and headed over for brunch.

Le Grainne Cafe once more with Crepes

After trying Le Grainne Cafe last month, this little spot quickly rocketed up to one of our favorite new brunch spots. So when I was looking for a perfect place to take my out of town guests for a lovely brunch, I knew just where to head.

This time, I was determined to get some crepes, so I quickly agreed when my friend suggested we get the Nutella & Banana Crepes to share as a warm-up to our meal. Mmmmm, I was not disappointed.

Crepes Nutella Banane

A Grand Time at Le Grainne Cafe

We've lived in Chelsea for 8 months now and only a few blocks away from the highly recommended Le Grainne Cafe. Recently, yet another person was talking about it, and it was the straw that broke the camel's back. I knew we had to get to this place post-haste.

We arrived a little after 11 and had about a 20 minute wait. I was expecting this since I always see people waiting outside when we walk by. Finally, we were ushered to a table, this is a truly crammed little place in true NYC fashion. We ordered our coffee and enjoyed some deliciously crisp and fresh bread and butter.

Bread & Butter 

The Grey Dog is Top Dog

Last week I had an early Doctor's appointment and was looking for a place to grab an iced coffee on my way to work. I'd heard of The Grey Dog's Coffee before and was going to pass right by it, so I stopped by. The instant I stepped in the door I felt like I had been transported to Austin. Part coffee shop, part brunch haven, part bar, it reminded me a lot of Austin Java Co. I knew I needed to bring The Mr by here for brunch, lunch, or happy hour immediately.

New England Edition: The Breakfast Place

The Philly Skillet 

Benedict Special

It was time to head back to NY from our New England adventure, but on our way out we grabbed some breakfast at the appropriately named The Breakfast Place. It's a no frills, diner type of place which is obviously popular with the local citizens of Attleboro, MA. Low key seemed like the way to go considering it was Father's Day and there was probably a long wait at the fancier brunch places.  The Mr didn't have to think long before ordering the Philly Skillet: Eggs with Shaved Steak, Peppers, Mushrooms, Onions, and American Cheese. I opted for one of the daily specials which was a veggie Benedict with tomatoes and pesto. Instead of home fries I took their healthier option of grilled apples. If you're passing through Attleboro and need a casual, laid back breakfast place, this is your option.

LA Edition: Alcove

Alcove

Scramble with Mushrooms & Zucchini

At this point in my LA trip, I met up with my LA friend who took over the fantastic food finding duty. She started by bringing me to Alcove for brunch which was a delightful sunny and airy spot with enormous breakfast plates. I tried to keep it healthy by getting the egg white scramble with mushrooms & zucchini, but didn't count on the sheer quantity of it! A delicious start to another fun filled Californian day!

LA Edition: Jinky's Cafe

Pumpkin Flaky Toast

My last and final incredible LA find is Jinky's Cafe in Santa Monica. Talk about a huge selection of breakfast foods! Normally I'm not a big french toast kind of gal, but when I spotted the Pumpkin Flaky Toast my search was over. Their flaky toast is thick cut egg bread diped in batter and covered with Honey Nut Corn Flakes. Yum, OK, with ya so far. Top that with pumpkin marmalade, whipped cream and powdered sugar on top and you've got heaven on a plate. My only mistake was not ordering it stuffed with cream cheese and more pumpkin for an extra dollar. Although, long term, perhaps this wasn't the worst thing. For the first time in my LA trip I'm glad that this deliciousness isn't within my vicinity, because there would be no holding me back from this unhealthy holy grail of breakfast items!

LA Edition: Jinky's Cafe

Pumpkin Flaky Toast

My last and final incredible LA find is Jinky's Cafe in Santa Monica. Talk about a huge selection of breakfast foods! Normally I'm not a big french toast kind of gal, but when I spotted the Pumpkin Flaky Toast my search was over. Their flaky toast is thick cut egg bread diped in batter and covered with Honey Nut Corn Flakes. Yum, OK, with ya so far. Top that with pumpkin marmalade, whipped cream and powdered sugar on top and you've got heaven on a plate. My only mistake was not ordering it stuffed with cream cheese and more pumpkin for an extra dollar. Although, long term, perhaps this wasn't the worst thing. For the first time in my LA trip I'm glad that this deliciousness isn't within my vicinity, because there would be no holding me back from this unhealthy holy grail of breakfast items!

LA Edition: John O'Groats

Vegetarian Hash & Eggs

Pancakes with Chocolate Chips, Pecans, & Strawberries

I did some investigating on the internets and found a little place for breakfast called John O'Groats. My research paid off, and we were rewarded with a hearty breakfast of Vegetarian Hash and Pancakes. 

The hash was a refreshing blend of vegetables, home fries, apples, onion, and garlic sauteed in olive oil and topped with eggs. The sweetness of the apple gave it an unexpected dynamic which we thoroughly enjoyed. 

We felt it would be a shame to leave this charming little spot without trying some of their pancakes, so we ordered a stack to split with chocolate chips, pecans, and strawberries. The consensus was that we would have enjoyed it a bit more if the strawberries and pecans were toppings instead of fillings, but despite this ordering error, we enjoyed them immensely.

City Bakery Melts My Heart

Two dark and one milk hot chocolates

We were traipsing around the city with our good friends and found ourselves cold and with a little time to kill. I knew exactly where we needed to go. I've come to love City Bakery for their pastries, especially their Pretzel Croissant, but I had yet to try their famous Hot Chocolate. Boy were we not disappointed. Instead of drinking, we savored them slowly with spoons since they are too rich to just gulp down. The homemade marshmallows are soft and sweet, a perfect pillowy topper to the melted chocolate bars underneath. I would definitely recommend splitting since they are so rich (trust us, The Mr chugged his before we left and regretted it).

Can't stop writing about TBSP

Ok, start rolling your eyes now, this is another post about TBSP. Normally we don't really do repeat posts of favorites because we tend to get the same things. But every time we come we order something new and fall in love all over again. Come on, a delicious brunch spot down the block where everyone is friendly, it feels homey, AND everything is organic & local? What more could we want?

The Mr got the breakfast sandwich which we haven't seen on the menu before and the fresh bread "made the sandwich". We also swooned for the hash browns which were super thinly cut and the perfect blend of crisp and soft.

I in unusual form went for the Burger with the Vermont Cheddar Cheese. I have been in my rare red meat phases and wasn't satisfied by our trip to Burger Joint. As expected a beautiful, thick, grass-fed burger appeared before me with fresh veggies on a delicious fresh bun. What really took us by surprise were the french fries. Absolute perfection. A nice crisp on the outside, soft potato within, and just the right amount of seasonings.

Hmm...those grill marks might just be a little too perfect...

Brunch tastes just as sweet at Rose Water

Went to visit our friends who live in Park Slope out in Brooklyn and further explore what this charming borough has to offer. Walked about a bit before settling on Rose Water which had a long wait and good reviews. Our wait outside in the cold was worth it! The tiny little restaurant was warm and cozy and the food was fantastic. I got the special which involved eggs, pesto, butternut squash, cauliflower, kale, and feta. The Mr. got the Slow Pulled Pork Sandwich on Brioche with cheddar, pickled cabbage, apple, and mustard dressing.