3/16/14 - CraftBar in Flatiron

Just like in Parks and Rec, sometimes you got to Treat Yo Self. And this brunch was certainly that. On my own, and on a Sunday, I was wandering around the Flatiron district looking for a place to munch. And that's when I saw CraftBar. I had been here once before for lunch and the food was spectacular, and so I knew I had to see what their brunch would provide.

It was already after 1:30 but there was still a sizable brunch crowd still lounging and eating. As soon as I walked in they asked me if I wanted to sit at the bar or a table, and as I am wont to do when I'm solo, I made my way to the bar. I was handed a brunch menu and a large drink list as well. I was the only one at the bar initially, but even as more people sat around me, the two bartenders were incredibly attentive.

The menu apparently rotates, so each brunch might have different items. The "snacks" seem to be constant though, and consist of small appetizers and cheese plates. I ordered a pickle jar to start with, and chicken and waffles as my main course. As for drinks, I went with the classic bloody mary to begin with, and then tried one of the signature cocktails, Garden of Fire, as my second.

House Bloody Mary

The bloody mary came out garnished with celery, a pickled carrot, a green olive and a slice of lemon. The drink itself was particularly spicy, with a strong kick of horseradish and cayenne pepper. But the nice thing was the spice didn't overpower my palette and finished clean at the end. Overall, a great bloody.

Pickle Jar

The pickle jar consisted of an assortment of pickled vegetables in a small jar. Cauliflower, carrots, cucumbers, radish and cabbage all presented a variety of tastes. Each one had a slightly different flavor profile, but all were delicious. Overall, there was a bit of sweetness, a bit of sour and some mustardy heat coming through. My favorite of the veggies was the cauliflower, which absorbed the brine perfectly and took on a slightly yellow tinge. The pickles went perfectly paired with the bloody as well, and so I wound up downing the whole thing along with my snack.

Garden of Fire

The Garden of Fire was a surprisingly refreshing drink, and not overly spicy despite the name. Consisting of muddled cucumber, vodka, cocchi americano, some lemon and some peppercorn, it was similar to a really refreshing martini, with a kick and some coolness from the cucumber. I really liked this drink, and would easily order it over and over.

Chicken and Waffles....drooooool

And finally, the chicken and waffles came. It consisted of three wedges of waffles, topped with three buttermilk fried chicken pieces and drizzled with a chili honey and smothered in sausage gravy (the best kind of gravy). This was absolutely amazing, sweet, spicy, savory, succulent, crispy. It hit on every level. Easily one of the best things I've ever eaten at brunch. My one critique is the use of bone-in chicken parts, but that may have contributed to the juiciness of the chicken. And thankfully, they do warn you that there are bones and give you a small dish on the side for them.

The service at CraftBar is impeccable. From the moment I walked in, until I left and they said goodbye, I felt I was always in their constant care. My water was never empty and I was attended to at a regular pace, but not overwhelmingly. I never once felt like I was waiting for something and all my needs were met instantly. Plus, everyone had a smile and seemed genuinely happy to be working there. Perfect service.

My only knock is the lack of an all you can drink special and the high price of drinks. While they were excellent, there was a definite markup (considering they had Victory Golden Monkey on the beer list for $8.50 a pour, and you can get a sixpack for about 11 bucks). You can tell this place makes a lot of money from the bar. Granted I knew this would be a bit pricier, it's something that prevents it from being a go to brunch spot.

Overall, this place was amazing. If you're looking for a great time, or a cool place to take a date, I definitely recommend it. Just be prepared to shell out so money. 4.5 out of 5 bloody marys.

3-8-14 Calle Ocho in the UWS

My buddy Miller and I decided to run out to go see the new Wes Anderson flick and I invited him to join me for a spot of brunch first. If there has been one drunk brunch I could do over and over, it would be at Calle Ocho. This place hit on all the levels: great food, great drinks, a vibrant atmosphere and good service.

Stock Photo of the Dining Room

There was a momentary panic when we got there and they said an hour and 45 minute wait, but that was just for the bar/lounge area. We were led through the bar and into a large dining area, and sat at a table within five minutes. The place does get crazy though, so do show up early. Despite the large open space and voluminous conversation going on around us, it was rather easy for my friend and I to still have a private conversation and hear each other perfectly. The atmosphere was warm and colorful and reflected a sense of life and vibrancy.

Sangria List

The menu itself consists of Cuban inspired dishes, eight different kinds of sangria and a variety of additional cocktails and wines. Samples include Pan Rellano (a stuffed French Toast), the Calle Ocho Omelet, and a vegetarian paella. The real treat is that you get unlimited sangria with your entree (within reason) as long as you are eating.

Within moments of us sitting down, a server came over and asked us what Sangria we wanted. I started with the Spanish Harlem, and my friend got the Blanca. The Spanish Harlem was a dry, a little earthy, and overall nice. The Blanca was incredibly light, refreshing, and slightly sweet. As soon as our sangria came, a server ninja showed up right behind with a basket of baked goods. The real prize inside it were these little rolls that were baked with some kind of cheese, and a side of whipped strawberry butter that went perfectly alongside it.

First round of sangria

The server returned and we ordered our meals. I got the Frita Cubana, a pork and beef hamburger with fries. My companion got the Latin Benedict, a Cuban inspired eggs benedict. I also ordered us a plate of fried plantains to start.

The plantains came two ways: a younger green plantain, sliced and fried, and ripe plantains chopped and also fried. The young plantains had a light herb sauce on top, were fairly salty and savory and went really well with the accompanying pickled onions. The ripe plantains were lightly breaded and fried and very sweet. Both were perfect and complimented each other.

One course down and our next round of sangria was ordered. I switched to the Havana Banana, a white and my friend got the Fresa, a red. The Havana Banana, as the name implied, had a banana flavor to it, but also fresh lychee and white rum and was sweet and refreshing but not cloying. The Fresa tasted like fresh berries but was still off-dry, very nice.

Frita Cubana

The Frita Cubana consisted of two pork and beef spiced patties on a fluffy sesame seed bun. A light glaze of chipotle ketchup and some lightly sauteed red onions were the only compatriots on the bun, and it came served with a mound of seasoned shoestring fries. The burger itself was slightly spicy, delicious but also slightly dry, most likely from the pork. But overall it was really good. The fries were excellent and the seasoning on them complimented the burger nicely.

Latin Benedict

My buddy's Latin Benedict consited of a duck and pork sausage, topped with some herbs, which was in turn toped with poached eggs and then finally doused in a chipotle hollandaise sauce. He admitted that he had actually never had an eggs benedict before, which made me a bit curious as to why he ordered it. But he said that the dish was delicious, creamy and slightly spicy.

The server came around one more time to offer us a final round of sangria. This time we both wound up getting the Roja, though neither of us realized we each got the same thing. At this point we did have a little bit of a buzz going, because as I may have neglected to mention, these sangrias weren't exactly tiny glasses. The Roja was a slightly sweet, but off-dry red sangria with a hint of citrus and loaded with fresh orange pieces.

The service at the restaurant was great considering how incredibly crowded it was. Within moments of our sangrias being empty someone would come over to take our order. Our water rarely ran out for long. The only knock I have is that I ordered a second side of fries and they never came. But we told the server and she was incredibly apologetic for it.

Overall, Calle Ocho may have been one of the best brunches I've been to ever. It was fun, scrumptious, and wonderful. Only a few small knocks on it that kept it away from perfection. 4.5 out of 5 bloody marys.

3/1/14 - Mayfield in Crown Heights

So originally I was going into panic mode and making a list of all the unlimited booze brunches I needed to hit when the news that they became illegal came out. And then New York pulled a New York, and said 'nope, just kidding.' So that no longer became a crazy priority and I was free to return to the point of this blog; To enjoy good brunches. And Mayfield in crown heights didn't disappoint.

View of the crowded restaurant

The Mayfield is a very popular spot it seems, even in the restaurant rich Franklin Avenue. My buddy and I arrived at 1 PM on Saturday and had a half hour wait. Thankfully they take your name and number and give you a call to say your table is ready, so no worrying about losing your spot. We were shown to a high table in the back with a good view of the action in the kitchen. The decor is rather simple. Brick motif, some small pieces of art on the walls, just straight forward but nice. Not overpowering in any way or distracting.


 The menu is deep and varied, with a mixture of riffs on brunch classics and tasty lunch options. Items included Corned Beef Tongue Hash (which I almost got), Dry Aged Steak & Eggs, and Challah French Toast. With my view of the kitchen I noticed that a lot of people were ordering the Shredded Kale Salad, so that might be something to try in the future too. I opted for a Maple BLT and a Bloody Mary, my buddy got the Burger. I also got us a spoonbread to try, since that's not something commonly seen in this part of the country.

Bloody Mary

The bloody mary was very tasty, though a little small. It was served in a lowball glass, filled to the brim. The overall drink was more savory than spicy, and didn't taste like vodka at all (though it was definitely in there). It came garnished with olives and a lime, and rimmed with a hot spice mixture that when sipped added a whole new dimension to the drink. Overall, it was good, and so I wound up having two.

Berkshire Maple BLT

My BLT was served on a small french demi that was pressed down. The balance of tangy mayo, lettuce, sweet tomato and salty bacon was nice, though I do wish it had a little more bacon on it. Overall, it was pretty good, but not in the top tier of BLTs I've had. The maple was present but only because I knew to look for it.

The BLT and burger both came served with a figurative mountain of hand cut fries on the side. They were salty and crispy and really good. On top of that it came with a side of standard Heinz ketchup (I saw a guy refilling a ketchup bottle) and a side of remoulade. The fries dipped in the spicy remoulade were amazing and definitely a nice touch.

Burger

My buddy's burger looked unbelievably delicious. It came covered in gooey, melty cheese, topped with sauteed mushrooms and the regular fixins and served with sweet bread and butter pickles, and placed on a toasted brioche bun. I watched as he ate it, and it dripped with delicious meat juice, the sign of a well made hamburger in my opinion. I got a small bite of it at the end, and it was meaty, savory and had a nice amount of char from the flat top. I'd definitely order that in the future.

The spoonbread, for those that don't know, is kind of like a mixture between a corn meal souffle and a bread pudding. It's a little savory and a little sweet, with a nice crispy texture on top that carries through the rest of the dish.

Service at Mayfield was great, from the moment we stepped in the door and put our names down to the second we left. I've said in my young blogging career before, excellent service can really make a meal much better. And this is definitely a case where the service added a little extra punch to an already good meal. Again, only thing I wished was that there was unlimited drinks.

Overall, Mayfield was pretty delicious. Good service, good food, and a great menu, I'd definitely recommend the place. I wish the BLT was baconier (that is a word!) and the bloody could have been bigger but those are just small knocks on an otherwise great brunch. Four out of Five Bloody Marys.