Brunch in NYC isn't just a meal. It's a full blown event and one that usually involves a 30 minute wait for a table while being slammed in the tiny foyer of a downtown restaurant with 20 or so hungry and hungover strangers (the politist and most accomadating of crowds...insert dramatic eye roll here). And while the experience leading up to the meal is moderately to completely inconvenient, it has somehow become a right of passage that only makes the meal itself that much more enjoyable. Weekend subway construction tripled the time it took to get to the restaurant? Bloody Mary so good you'll forget how you got there in the first place. Bitchy hostess continuing to seat people in front of you? Coffee so delicious you'll fondly think of the hostess as "european". Having to apologize for being in at least one person's way every minute of the 45 that you had to wait for a table...? French toast so heavenly you'll forget you're sitting in a room full of people and let out a full blown food moan. That's just the magic of brunch in NYC.
While we are definitely not food critics (in fact, if anything our waistlines would probably thank of us if we were a little more critical), we have spent our fair share of time sampling this city's brunch offerings. In honor of this weeks theme here are some tried and true (yet not totally , as well as a recent addition we stumbled upon in the west village a few weeks ago.
Best Places to Munch Your Brunch:
1. Norma's @ The Parker Meridian - Ridiculously decadant (they give you an amuse bouche at breakfast), totally over-priced and yet somehow completely worth it. We won't recommend a particular dish to order because they are all amazing, but we will recommend you wear lose fitting clothing because portion control is not an option.
2. Hundred Acres - Owned by the same people that own Cookshop and Five Points, this little soho spot is the perfect balance of cool and relaxing.
3. Schiller's Liquor Bar - Part of the Keith McNally family (Pastis, Balthazar) serving NYC-ified French/Continental. Have seldom waited more than 5-10 minutes for a table here - the waitstaff is super efficient and keeps things moving. The huevos rancheros and eggs benedict are to die for.
4. Cafe Mogador - Their morrocan sauce could make lima beans sexy. Enough said.
5. La Isla (Hoboken) - Featured on "Throwdown" with Bobby Flay back in 2010 for their stuffed french toast (filled with strawberry-guava cream cheese, dipped in a cornflake crust and deep fried - you get the picture). The wait for a table may take a while but this place is 100% worth it. The best cappuccinos in Hoboken are an added bonus.
And last, but definitely not least, our new restaurant crush, Corsino. We recently stumbled upon this gem of a restaurant in the west village and couldn't help but take a break from our photo snapping at one of their outdoor tables. This place is not your typical NYC brunch spot (i.e. the hostess is actually delightful and waits for a table are minimal and relaxing), but the food is delicious and the atmosphere is exactly what you want after a hectic week at the office. We snapped some pics of our visit to give you something to look forward to, but regardless of where you end up this weekend, bon appetit!
<3,
Emy & Po
Corsino Cantina
637 Hudson Street
at Horatio
New York, NY 10014
(212) 242-3093
