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| Image by Bradley Hawks |
Strolling around 30th Avenue this past weekend made me feel happy and impatient for spring. Finally a nice day has come and everyone seemed to be out and about. Lots of cafes in the nabe were opening up their sidewalk seating or even their backyards, which was encouraging. I peeked around a few places and ended up dining at New York Dog House, which I'll tell you about soon. But first, how about this awesome brunch deal from Antika Pizza! I think it gives us something to look forward to for this coming weekend, when slightly warmer weather is in order.
Antika Pizza Brunch Special: $9 mimosas, sangria or bloody Mary's with free refills between the hours of 12 - 2 p.m. This all comes with the purchase of an entree, but still think it's a deal for unlimited morning cocktails. Bring a group out and enjoy it together!
Antika Pizzeria - 36-08 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.545.0555
N/Q Train to 30th Avenue
www.antikapizzeria.com
I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving last night, and that your bellies are still full (but not in an uncomfortable way). While many of you may have lots of delicious Thanksgiving leftovers you can't wait to bite into, there's also a lot going on in the neighborhood in terms of brunch. I wanted to tell you about the simple yet delicious brunch I had with my friend Julie last week in LIC at Woodbines. While the food was simple, it was classic and definitely makes for a good way to enjoy an afternoon.
Atmosphere:
Being that Woodbines is a fairly new restaurant on the Vernon Blvd strip, it was pretty darn busy last weekend. We went in towards the late-ish side of brunch - after 2 p.m. and it was still kickin'.
I remember this space from when it was Lounge 47 and while the layout remains the same, the furnishings have been revamped in a nice way. The wall accents are lovely, adorning distressed wood paneling on one side and some vintage wallpaper on the other. It's a little hipster but still feels comfy and lived in, and it seems like folks from the nabe agree, as we saw tons of parties of all types dining there - from families with young children to couples, and good pals like Julie and me. Everyone feels welcome!
Food:
It's pretty easy to make a decision here, as the brunch menu features a modest list of options. Not that there's not enough to choose from, it's just that the menu is definitive, classic and no frills. Here's what we ended up with:
Woodbines Omelette - Their signature omelette promised a medley of hearty ingredients such as bacon, peppers, onions and Irish cheddar, with a side of home fries. I thought the omelette was nicely cooked and contained a generous amount of the aforementioned ingredients. The cheddar was especially silky and melted nicely into the egg. Even though there was a little too much of it for my liking, it gave the dish a hint of decadence.
While the home fries were really tasty and crunchy, they looked a little too well done on the outside. Sure this was a bummer in terms of taking good food porn pics, but the dish didn't lack in the flavor department.
Bloody Mary - I love me a good Bloody Mary and Woodbines' version totally delivered. Again, a simple rendition of this classic drink, it contained a nice spicy mix of flavors (lots of Worcestershire sauce and horseradish) that gave it a kick with each gulp. I appreciated the fresh garnish of lemon and lime, along with a nice piece of crunchy celery. It was quite the stiff drink, and I was glad we took a stroll around the neighborhood after brunch to burn some of it off :)
Portabella Salad - Julie enjoyed a heaping portion of portabella salad, and for someone who adheres to a gluten free diet, it was a good choice. While there was nothing exceptionally spectacular about this salad, the veggies were fresh, crispy and generally of a good quality.
I'd also like to mention that Woodbines boasts 3 varieties of gluten free beer, one of which Julie tried and spoke well of. I had a glug of it too and couldn't tell the difference with this Widmer Omission Gluten Free Pale Ale.
Service and Cost:
Our waiter was nice and accommodated all our high maintenance, gluten free requests. Although we sometimes felt he could've been a little more attentive, overall we were relaxed and happy to hang out at our table as long as we liked. Note that if you're looking for a quiet place to escape on a weekend, this won't be it though, as the atmosphere is pretty energetic, but it suited us well.
Costs are moderate and for the aforementioned meal, including an alcoholic beverage, we paid about $24/person with tax and tip.
If you'd like to try Woodbines out this weekend, know that they'll be participating in LIC's Leftovers for Leftovers food event, where you can get a small-plate special of their eats for $8/person.
2.5 Mmmms
Woodbines - 47-10 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101
718.361.8488
7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Avenue
www.woodbinesnyc.com
I know it’s cheesy, but I just had to make the reference to the female rap icon who shares this restaurant’s name. Not sure if they’re in any way related, but I found the name kind of funny and random.
We trotted (again, sorry for the bad reference) upon this place while vacationing in Fort Lauderdale with our friends Matt and Kate who live there. They’ve been there on a number of occasions and are big fans. Particularly praising the brunch, we looked forward to trying this “little hidden gem,” as Kate called it.
Atmosphere:
Set at the edge of Downtown Fort Lauderdale and Victoria Park, a residential neighborhood, the Foxy Brown is easy to miss. I imagine Matt and Kate stumbled upon it, when driving through their neighborhood, or others may know it through its sister location, Coconuts, right by the beach.
Foxy’s interior is warm and inviting, with a brown and red color scheme, and its signature cartoon fox that adorns the walls. When we walked in at just before 11 a.m. it was already buzzing with brunch-goers, who for the most part were young thirty-somethings.
There’s a cute little outdoor garden in the back, which is where we sat, and it was nice and quiet. Although it didn’t exemplify the energy of the interior, it was relaxing and a nice way to enjoy a leisurely Sunday brunch.
Food:
The brunch menu was impressive and boasted a variety of pancakes and waffles, egg dishes, bigger entrees, salads, sandwiches and some inventive appetizers. The morning cocktails were exciting as well and we just had to get a little bit of everything.
BLT Sake Mary – This sounded too good to pass up, and three out of the four people in our party ordered it. It came with a big piece of bacon that also served as the stirrer, which was perfectly crispy and smoky. The most interesting part of the drink was the green celery/lettuce ice cubes that not only made the drink look beautiful, but that gave it a hint of earthiness.
Southwestern Pancake – The day’s special pancake was also intriguing, and I didn’t regret my decision to get it. Boasting a beautiful soft texture, the pancake was on the savory side, as it was made of cornmeal, which was further studded with pieces of chorizo. Further topped with some mild cotija cheese, guacamole, pickled onions and a runny egg, it was an inventive spin on a Mexican brunch entrée. I appreciated how whimsical it was, making it clear that the chefs had a lot of fun coming up with it.
Philly Pretzel Bread – Being a huge fan of pretzel bread, Dan chose this as something to share with our friends. We were impressed to see that the pretzel bread came out piping hot and was accompanied by a variety of interesting spreads such as a beer cheese and a smoked whitefish spread. There were some cornichons too, which paired nicely with the saltiness of the pretzel bread, and the whole thing reminded me of something one would have at a German beer hall.
Other Brunchies – While I didn’t try it all, everyone ordered something different and they all seemed to enjoy it. I had a bite of Dan’s savory waffle, which was marbled with ham and then topped with some melty cheese and an egg. The ingredients were simple, but the preparation was once again interesting and unexpected. Matt and Kate both got egg-based dishes, including the Short Rib Benedict and the bangers and eggs, which they devoured. Kate mentioned that the short rib dish is something they’re known for here, and I just may have to get it next time.
Service and Cost:
Given that it was Sunday morning and a holiday weekend to boot, the service was impressively on-point. Our waitress was more than attentive and totally on the ball with everything. She was pretty communicative with us, and I appreciated her honesty in letting us know when our respective dishes would come out.
Even though the food here is great, I think the costs are quite expensive, especially since you have to order everything a la carte. The entire brunch set us back about $30/person including tax and tip. Costs aside, it was so yummy, that I’d definitely go back in a heartbeat.
3 Mmmms
The Foxy Brown – 724 East Broward Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
754.200.4236
www.thefoxybrown.com
This past weekend, my We Heart Astoria colleagues and I brunched at Bear, which turned out to be a fabulous experience. After much admiration of the menu (scallops and eggs, the grizzly burger, beer battered fluke, etc.) we finally went in and gave it a try.
I must say, it was quite fabulous, as it had plenty of options and some pretty neat ones for vegetarians too, which was relevant to our party. Here's what we tried:
Scallops and Eggs - Naturally, this menu item just jumped out at me, since it's so different from what you'd see on traditional brunch menus. I couldn't be happier that I got it, as what arrived were 3 beautifully seared scallops (cooked to perfection) and embedded in to a sunny side up omelet. The dish was simple but really well executed, as the eggs were a little bit runny and coated the silky smooth scallops like a blanket. Further dressed with arugula, which gave the omelet a peppery bite, each ingredient complemented the other and overall produced a well-rounded dish. It's an absolute must!
Stuffed French Toast - We received a complimentary portion of Bear's stuffed French Toast, which looked a bit rustic, but tasted spectacular. As you can see from the above shot, the pieces of French toast sandwiched a filling of apricot-ricotta and honey. It almost tasted like a custard, which was very dessert-like and the French Toast itself was soft and resembled the texture of bread pudding. Simply put, it was some serious stuff, that I recommend splitting.
Meg, Mackenzi and Kellner also ordered other things, such as the tomato omelet you see above and also the grilled cheese sandwich. While I didn't taste these two things, they looked fabulous and the girls attested to its goodness. The tomato omelet especially looked attractive to me since it combined little cherry tomatoes with ricotta cheese. YUM!
One other thing I wanted to briefly touch upon is the crazy looking drink you see above. While we didn't try it, we admired it from afar, as it was a Bloody Mary on steroids if you will, with a giant piece of celery, broiled bacon and a whole hard boiled egg. Now that's what I call liquid brunch!
Service and Cost:
As always, the service was warm and friendly, and we were graciously greeted by Alex, Bear's co-owner as well as Natasha his sister and Bear's executive chef. We just loved how intimate and homey it all felt, and we were comfortable to just relax and hang out as long as we wanted. Think everyone felt the same, as we saw people comfortably sinking into their seats and enjoying their brunch.
Costs are inexpensive, given the awesomeness of the food:
$14 will buy you a main dish, unlimited coffee, and 1 mimosa or bloody Mary. You can't beat that!
3 Mmmms
Bear - 12-14 31st Avenue, Long Island City NY 11106
917.396.4939
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bearnyc.com
