NYC Brunch Roundup 1

I've been brunching my way around New York whenever I can because, well, I live for brunch. Since I want to get back into the game, here is my first official brunch roundup post!

Cafe Blossom

Ginger lemonade
Avocado BLT - smoked tofu, sunflower sprouts, mayo, cashew cheese
Marinated tofu salad 

Cafe Blossom was a short walk from the office and supposedly offers the best organic, vegan and gluten- and soy-free food in New York. A lot of health-related words for one place, huh? The avocado BLT sandwich was the most tasty dish. They did such a good job making the tofu taste like smoked meat!  The salad was average -- the kimchi in it was more pickled than spicy so it made for a pretty sour tasting dish. Good thing the huge blocks of tofu balanced the flavors out.

Cafe Henri

Spinach, goat cheese and mushroom omelette
Muesli with yogurt and fresh fruit

Cafe Henri is a low-key but well-executed French cafe also near my workplace in the West Village. It serves a HUGE and mean cafe au lait (think a bowl of coffee!) and an overflowing mug of cappuccino. The omelet was big enough to share and the muesli with yogurt and fruits was very refreshing and healthy -- not sweet at all which I appreciated because real muesli doesn't make you feel like you're downing sugar. I've been back twice and because Cafe Henri is known for its crepes, I ordered a savory crepe which was delicious. It's one of the few places I frequent on my lunch break because of its cozy interiors and tasty but reasonably-priced meals.

Jane

Egg white omelette -- goat cheese, sautéed spinach, mixed greens
Vanilla Bean French Toast - brioche bread, creme brûlée batter, vermont maple syrup

Jane is a raved-about brunch spot in Greenwich Village near Soho. We came on a weekday though so  we weren't able to sample the full brunch menu but instead ordered breakfast items (all of which are on the weekend brunch menu) from the lunch menu. The omelette was HUMONGOUS, though and was very tasty. Can you actually get an omelette wrong? Jane's vanilla bean french toast is supposed to be bomb so although I am more of a pancake person, I gave it a try. I wasn't too impressed because it had the texture of toasted bread, instead of a pudding consistency, which I felt took away from its vanilla flavor. We had french toast leftovers and oddly enough, I enjoyed it more when it was fresh out of the fridge the next day because the bread became more like cold bread pudding. Am I weird or am i weird?

Jeepney

Longgsilog - Longganisa, garlic rice, fried farm egg, relish
Halo Halo - shaved ice, coconut gelatin, house candied fruit, coconut milk,
homemade flan, ube ice cream and rice crispies

B came to visit from Philly so naturally, we decided to reunite over Filipino food. Because I enjoyed my Maharlika experience last year and won't be having authentic home-cooked Filipino food until December, I was eager to try Jeepney and see how different/similar it was to Maharlika (they are owned by the same person). I ordered the longgsilog, which you can never go wrong with. Filipino breakfast at its best. P ordered the Bulalo Hash which consists of short rib & potato hash, an egg, soup, and a GIANT piece of artery-clogging bone marrow. I wasn't able to take a photo of everyone's food but they were all pretty tasty! We ended with the Halo-Halo, which tasted just like it was from Razon's or Chow King (lol) although I don't think you can really mess up Halo-Halo. The verdict? I think Maharlika wins.

Maialino

Contadino - poached eggs, baby turnips, snap peas
Ricotta pancakes - market fruit jam & fresh ricotta
Porchetta - roast pork & fried egg sandwich

Maialino is one of my go-to brunch places in the flatiron district. It's an italian restaurant with a warm atmosphere and an excellent wine list. We went on a weekend and got served their full brunch menu which made all of us extra happs. I ordered the contadino, which was surprisingly filling. D ordered the Porchetta and K went for the best dish of them all -- the melt-in-your-mouth, heavenly ricotta pancakes. I wasn't able to capture the toffee brioche bun we ordered which was tiny but sweet enough that you wouldn't want more than a tiny piece of it so early in the morning. Maialino is the perfect place to hit up for a solid and not-so conventional brunch.

Union Square Cafe

Blueberry Pancakes - crown maple syrup
Brioche French Toast - peach compote
Soft-shell crab omelette with hollandaise sauce

Union Square Cafe is another brunch spot in the flatiron district with an ever-changing brunch menu. To call it a cafe wouldn't be incorrect, but it definitely is more of a slick and posh spot without being overly-pretentious. R, J and I decided to try it out after mass one very, very hot Sunday. We spent quite a bit of time walking in the sweltering heat so when it was time to order, we pulled out all the stops. The blueberry pancakes were great, they melted in your mouth, still retained the acidity of the blueberries and paired well with the scrumptious maple syrup. The soft-shell crab omelette was nothing to write home about -- the soft-shell crab wasn't actually mixed into the eggs but rather, was blanketed by it. The star of the meal had to be the french toast...it was like eating soft and gooey bread pudding. So, so perfect. J decided he wanted dessert and ordered the goat cheese cheesecake with fennel brioche, mint cream, and rhubarb preserve. The goat cheese was such an unexpected and initially doubtful ingredient but it was so delicious!

Pio Pio

Matador Combo: rotisseri chicken with rice, beans, tostones,
salchipapa & avocado salad

Pio Pio is some serious bang for your buck. That entire spread was around $40 for four people and it was delicious. I've heard a lot about this peruvian family-style restaurant and the chicken is indeed very, very tasty! I also really liked the avocado salad and the little hotdogs. Overall, a great place to visit for when you're dining with a large group (casual) and in a rush.