My Life in Meals

Kittichai, a Thai restaurant located in the Thompson Hotel, has one of the best all you can drink brunch deals out there. Compared to all the other places in the city (there must be close to 100 now) that offer these bottomless brunches, Kittichai is definitely the most upscale and imaginative.

This year for my birthday, twelve of us dined outside the hotel restaurant in their beautifully draped summertime cabanas. To drink they offer you the option of unlimited lychee bellinis, bloody mary’s or blood orange mimosas. The bloody mary’s were a MUST have even if that’s not your drink of choice. They were perfectly made and had a real kick! The waitress was really great about refilling our drinks often and definitely not stingy - everyone had their fair share of drinks for the afternoon!

Here’s what we got to eat:

Asian Five Spice French Toast withThai basil and fruit compote.   

Kaffir Lime Leaf Pancake with soufflélemongrass butter.      

Eggs Benedicttopped with penang curry hollandaise.  
   

Kittichai Omelette stuffed with thai sour sausage and jumbo lump crab.



Kittichai Pad Thaiwith shrimp, garlic chive and peanuts.

All in all, the dishes were unique and delicious and I would definitely come back again (if only for the amazing bloody mary’s!). I also especially loved the yellow curry potatoes that came with the egg dishes.

They were even nice enough to put together an awesome birthday dessert plate with an assortment of goodies!

Kittichai
60 Thompson St.
New York, NY 10014
212-219-2000
Website
Price: $$$

Have you ever had South African food? Me neither. In fact, I didn’t (and probably still don’t) even really know what constitutes as South African food. I came across Braai on Wined and Dined’s trusty list of all you can drink brunch spots in the city. The menu looked interesting, and I am always up for trying new things!

This place is really a hidden gem. It’s small, but fully equipped with vaulted reed-thatch ceilings and tree trunk lined walls, making you feel like you have escaped into an African Oasis. The “mimosas” included in the all you can drink special were actually made with pomegranate juice instead of OJ. They were awesome, and I love the glasses they were served in! They also start you off with some scones for the table with butter and apricot jelly. I’m not generally a jelly fan but this was really fresh and tasted homemade.

Everyone’s food was really really good. I wish I had tried South African cuisine ages ago! Here’s what we got:

The Fish Parcel consisted of deep fried fish and calamari served with slapchips in vineger. The calamari was huge and the fish was nicely seasoned, although it could have been slightly more crispy. Nonetheless, still delicious! It was even served in a newspaper, like they do at authentic fish and chip spots in London.

The Mini Braii Burgers, consisted of two mini lamb burgers topped with grilled shitake mushrooms and caramelized onions. Perfectly cooked medium and delicious toppings.

Ostrich Benedict, which consisted of sliced ostrich, poached eggs, served on english muffins with hollandaise sauce. I had never tried ostrich before, and expected it to be very tough and gamey but this was actually very tender. A unique twist on a classic dish!

Braai
329 West 51st Street
New York, NY 10019-6422
(212) 315-3315
Website
Price: $$-$$$

Mototino has the best pizza in NYC, according to the New York Times. That’s a really big claim to make considering the multitudes of amazing pizza joints here in New York, and I knew they wouldn’t just make a statement like that without some level of certainty. After reading this article last year, I of course had to check it out for myself (and I have been going back ever since!). I have to agree with the Times on this one, this really is the best pizza in NYC.

Motorino has two locations, one in the East Village and one in Williamsburg. The Brooklyn location is much larger, and the pizza slightly better in my opinion. They serve up high-end Neapolitan style pizza’s - thin crusts, perfectly charred, but airy and chewy at the same time.

This is the first time I have gone for brunch, and I was eager to try the Pizza Al’ Uovo, the specialty brunch pie with cow milk mozzarella, chili oil, basil, pecorino and farm fried eggs. Wow wow wow!!! Of course I loved the chili oil, amazing touch!!! This was pretty messy to eat but SO worth it.

We also had my other two favorites, the Soppressata Piccante made with, mozzarella, spicy soppressata, garlic and oregano and the Brussels Sprout & Pancetta pizza, made with mozzarella, garlic and pecorino cheese. Brussels sprout on a pizza? Who would have thought that would be good! But this sauce-less pie really works! The brussels sprouts get perfectly charred in the oven and are a great compliment to the pancetta.

Motorino East Village
349 East 12th Street
New York, NY 10003

Motorino Brooklyn - CLOSED
319 Graham Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Website
Price: $$-$$$

For Mother’s Day this year we took our mom to my all time favorite brunch spot, Essex Restaurant in the Lower East Side. They have a great pre-fixe menu, which includes 3 bloody marys, mimosas or screwdrivers. My biggest word of advice for this restaurant would be to never come with out a reservation. Every weekend - regardless of it being a holiday or not - it is utterly packed, and you will be waiting all afternoon for a table.  Another word of advice - like most of its LES surroundings, its also utterly “hipster”.  I jokingly asked my brother-in-law why he didn’t break out the skinny jeans for the occasion!

We started with some bloody mary’s, mimosas, and the complimentary kaiser rolls. Skip the bread and save your calories, it’s cold and nothing special! Main entrees pictured below. They were all delicious, although we voted that next time we would replace the CEO out for something different!

The CEO – chorizo, scrambled eggs & onions served with corn tortillas.

Half-Pound Angus Burger & Fries, topped with a fried egg and jalapenos.

Mexican Matzo Brei – scrambled eggs, tortilla crisps, monterey jack & avocado with black beans & pico de gallo.

The Deep South – chicken fried steak with biscuits, eggs & sausage gravy.

Overall, Essex is my favorite brunch in the city for two reasons. First, it has awesome food, and second it includes drinks! What more can you ask for? Just remember to make a reservation on OpenTable at least one week ahead of time (if not more), they fill up fast!

Essex Restaurant
120 Essex St
New York, 10002
(212) 533-9616
Website
Price: $$

Last weekend was finally sunny and beautiful, and we wanted to find a brunch spot with outdoor seating so we could bring the pup with us. After a quick Google search, we found out that The Blind Pig offers an all you can drink brunch on Sat & Sun from 11am to 4pm, and is fully equipped with outdoor seating. Let me start by saying that if you are coming here to drink, then don’t bother coming at all because the mimosas included in the all you can drink special are utterly watered down. But, the food on the other hand was awesome! The atmosphere was also great on this particular day, as it just happened to be the same day as an Arsenal soccer match. Apparently, The Blind Pig is the watering hole of choice for local New York fans!

I ordered the Eggs Benedict off the brunch menu, and although it did not state that it contained meat (so be careful vegetarians!), it arrived with thick cut chunks of juicy ham underneath the eggs. What a great touch! The waffle fries they were served with were crispy and perfectly seasoned. I can never resist a good french fry!

My fiance (who accidentally deleted the photo!) ordered from the regular menu and got the Macaroni and Cheese, made with 4 cheeses, bacon, and breadcrumbs. He also asked them to put jalapenos in, but instead they brought them out on the side. Regardless, the mac and cheese was PERFECT and we finished every bite!

Unfortunately, we had to keep our dog Mocha on the other side of the enclosure, which she was extremely unhappy about. If you have a fussy dog like ours who wants to sit at your feet then this is not the place to bring them!

The Blind Pig
233 East 14th Street
New York, NY 10003-4113
(212) 209-1573
Website
Price: $$

Over the past two years, New York City has seen an enormous amount of All You Can Drink (AYCD) brunch spots pop up. I have taken it upon myself to try many of them - hey who doesn’t like unlimited mimosas with the company of your friends on a lazy Sunday afternoon!? Here is a great list of AYCD brunch spots compiled by Wined and Dined (some of my favorites include Essex, HK Cafe, PS 450 and Bondi Road).

This weekend I was lucky enough go to Barbounia, a Mediterranean restaurant located in Flatiron/Gramercy, for their AYCD brunch. Add on $15 to any entree on the menu and get a never ending flow of Champagne cocktails with your meal. I had been to Barbounia before for a lunchtime office holiday party and was pretty underwhelmed, especially since I had heard good reviews from those who have eaten there before for both brunch and dinner. Brunch however did not disappoint, the dishes were flavor packed with Mediterranean and Greek spices, the service was excellent, and the decor is breathtaking with its high arched ceilings and long oak carved tables.

We started with a few appetizers to share amongst the whole group. First came the platter of five spreads: hummus, tzatziki, roasted eggplant, taramousalata, and spicy feta, as well as a plate of falafel. This falafel was not your average run of the mill street cart variety, the ingredients were extremely fresh and they were perfectly crisped on the outside and moist and flavorful on the inside. Additionally, alongside your appetizers they provide you with huge complementary loaves of thick and buttery bread, almost comparable to an Indian style naan. This bread proved to be the perfect accompaniment to our assortment of Mediterranean spreads.

I wasn’t able to try everyone’s food, but here are the three dishes I was able to attack! First was my own order, the Crab Benedict, which consisted of jumbo lump crab meat, spinach & truffle oil on top of an english muffin, served with a side of home fries. It was a lot more fishy (both smelling and tasting) then I had expected, which put me off a bit. Let’s just say it was not my favorite dish of the afternoon.

Next was the Moroccan eggs with lamb, which arrived in a sizzling skillet filled with sunny-side up eggs in tomato sauce, lamb, paprika & garlic. This seems to be one of their signature dishes and I would really recommend it to anyone who has brunch here. The lamb was perfectly tender and the tomato sauce on the eggs had a bit of a kick (For all those who are vegetarian, this dish is also served with out the lamb).

Last was the Barbounia burger , the all-star of the three dishes. The burger was made with Black Angus beef and topped with pancetta, Vermont cheddar cheese & harissa aioli. It was perfectly cooked - extremely moist, juicy and flavorful. The fries that accompanied it were thin cut, crispy, and perfectly seasoned. For burger lovers, this is a must try!

We finished off the feast with a dessert to share amongst the group, Apple Crisps, served with maple ice cream & caramel sauce. Not really the most adventurous thing on the dessert menu - but nonetheless this classic was done right, satisfied everyone’s sweet tooth and was the perfect end to the meal.

Barbounia
250 Park Ave South
New York, NY 10003
(212) 995-0242
Website
Price: $$$

This is a great and easy scramble recipe to make on a lazy weekend morning! You can really make this with whatever ingredients you have in your fridge at the time. I just happened to have some fresh spinach and mushrooms that needed to be used, and always keep some spicy sausage on hand in the freezer. I noticed that the thyme really makes this dish, so if you have some on your spice rack do make sure to include it (you can also substitute it with oregano or Italian seasoning).

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 2 spicy Italian sausage links
• 1 cup spinach, frozen or fresh
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced (red or white)
• 4-5 mushrooms, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure:

1. Whisk together eggs, milk, veggies, chili powder, thyme and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.
2. Remove the casing from the sausage, crumble with your hands, and saute in a pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil for about 5 minutes on high. Remove from pan and mix into the egg mixture.
   
3. In the same pan, heat the remainder of the olive oil and saute garlic for one minute. Add the egg mixture to the pan, and cook approximately 5 minutes on medium heat, scrambling the egg every minute or so.
4. Serve with whole wheat toast or english muffins and ENJOY!