Brunch Buffet in New Orleans: Court of 2 Sisters

Posted on August 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

We attended a surprise engagement in New Orleans back in June and had an incredible weekend.. and brunch buffet any seafood lover could have experienced.  The Court of 2 Sisters in New Orleans’ French Quarter was amazing.  The photos should tell it all.. in addition to the amazing live Jazz Band and Southern class:

One of many bottles of Court of 2 Sisters branded Champagne for the newly engaged!

Shrimp.. and more shrimp..

Buffet!

Brunch Buffet Carving Station

Half Cajun omelet, half shrimp creole

More buffet..

Eh Eggs Benedict, eh catfish ratatouille, but incredible ceviche!

So.. much.. food. Amazing gumbo and Cajun seafood salad. The Andouille sausage was also incredible!

Cheers to Nicki! And to another bottle of bubbly at brunch :)

Dessert! Some traditional New Orleans King Cake and pecan pie.. mmm mm

Live band. Lovely

Heart of the Historic Center in Old New Orleans

The montage to sum up the day, and congrats Nicki!!

Last Call
Overall, this experience was wonderful. Great service and ambiance and great choices.  You will find some food you don’t love, and some you do.  In New Orleans there are great restaurants, but the grand experience here is worth the trip.. at least once!

Brunch Review:
3 out of 5 mimosas

The Information:
The Court of 2 Sisters
613 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504)522-7261

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Posted in AYCD, brunch, Brunch Drinks, Fun, Great Service, mimosa, Vacation Brunch

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1st Annual Bacon Bash: Celebrate the Candy of Meats

Posted on June 6, 2012 | Leave a comment

Bacon. Bacon. Bacon.  Who doesn’t love this incredible brunch-time treat?

We know we do and now, you can indulge in the best of all things bacon-related under one roof with bacon-inspired libations, treats and souvenirs!  Join us on Saturday, June 23rd in Times Square and enjoy some luxurious bacon treats from Baconery, Tommy Lasagna, Little Town,  Lucky 777 Chili and more!

With the code “mimosa” you can receive 20% off your ticket price!

Ticket Packages
Bacon Bash General Admission Ticket $25
Ticket Includes: Admission + 50% OFF craft beers + 1 bacon vodka shot

Oink Oink Ticket $80
Ticket Includes: Admission + 50% OFF craft beers
+ 4 craft beers + 10 Bacon Tastes (1 – 2 oz. each)

Go to the iAdventure site and select the time of the event you’d like to attend, either 12-2:30 & 3:30-6:00, then use code “mimosa” at checkout for 20% off!

Details:
Location:  Area Event Space in Times Square, 135 West 41st Street
Date:  Saturday, June 23
Time:  12-2:30 or 3:30-6
Checkout Code:  mimosa

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Posted in bacon, brunch, favorite brunch, NYC Brunch, Party, times square

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Memorial Day Weekend Brunch: Sunburnt Calf in UWS

Posted on June 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

Rather than spending the first weekend of New York City Summer out East or at the Shore, I enjoyed  this wonderful city. Lucky for us, The Sunburnt Calf in the Upper West Side began their weekend brunch one day early: on a Friday!  Honestly, is there a better way to kick off Memorial Day Weekend, or even Summer in the City? Absolutely not.

Review:

CHEERS MATE!

After experiencing The Sunburnt Cow,  honestly,I  had relatively mediocre expectations for Sunburnt Calf (Moo Life Group owns both of these Australian establishments).   The place was empty – which we expected for the Friday before Memorial Day – yet the service was still slow.

We started with our choice of a Fosters, Moomosa, Bloody Mary, Screwdriver or a Greyhound.Lucky for us, the bar tender handed us some specialty shots on arrival.

The menu is still pretty basic, with limited choices but we tried some hearty and lighter options:

Steak Sandwich

  • Hanger steak, tomato, egg and lettuce
  • Was greasy and perfect for a hangover cure

Two Eggs Scrambled, whites

  • Simple, with no complaints

Shrimp, tomato and feta omelet

  • Decent omelet

Two eggs scrambled.

  • A standard, no frills option

The Burger with the LOT

  • Burger with tomato, cheese, fried egg, bacon, onion, pineapple and beets
  • This burger was delicious, greasy treat

Last Call
For a consistent, no frills, drunk brunch – Sunburnt Calf is a great place in the Upper West Side.  The service was not great, even with the restaurant being dead, so we sometimes refilled our own “Moomosas.”  The food was nothing special, but for $20 of unlimited drinks with your brunch, can you really complain?

Brunch Review:  2.5 out of 5 mimosas

The Information:
Sunburnt Calf
226 79th Street, NYC, NY 10024
646 823 9255

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Posted in AYCD, Bloody mary, brunch, Brunch Drinks, Decent Food, Holiday brunch, Hung Over, Inexpensive, Manhattan, mimosa, NYC Brunch, Poor Service, Seedy, Upper West Side

Brunch at Hotel Chantelle

Posted on May 18, 2012 | 2 Comments

Get ready for the best new brunch to hit the Lower East Side this summer. Once you recover from a night out at Hotel Chantelle, come back for an incredible outdoor brunch.

Starting with the ambiance you will be immediately brought back to the old New York City feel.  From the street lights, table settings and incredible jazz band Dandy Wellington, your brunch festivities only just begin…


Review:
Thanks to Hotel Chantelle’s PR agency BWR PR, the brunch bunch of the summer received a special invite to come and try the new brunch menu at Chantelle.  Although the service started a bit slow with a little wait for water and cocktail orders, the service quickly picked up.

South of Delancy

The specialty South of Delancey cocktail includes:

  • Kettle One Citron
  • Sweet Tea odka
  • Peach Schnapps
  • Lime Juice

The crepe brunch menu was unreal.  Although it was difficult to choose which crepe, we opted for 2:

Saumon Fume

  • Smoked Salmon, asparagus, fresh dill, lemon creme fraiche
  • A perfect blend of creamy and salty

Champignons Sauvages

  • Wild mushrooms, baby spinach, Applewood smoked bacon, goat cheese
  • This dish had more mushrooms and bacon than anticipated.  Definitely filling and delicious

During our meal we met the chef Jeff Kreisel and he served us the Maine Lobster salad.  This delicious salad was perfect as an appetizer to share with the table:

Maine Lobster

  • Vanilla infused cauliflower puree, fava beans, radish opal basil, ruby grapefruit vinaigrette

Of course, we had to try the remaining 3 out of 4 brunch cocktails:

  • Mimosa:  they were in the old school glasses, a great touch
  • Bloody Mary:  tasted freshly made, with the perfect amount of horse radish: but still tasted like it was missing something
  • Mint Julep:  I’m not a Mint Julep fan, but it was tolerable ;)

Last Call:
We will definitely come back to brunch here this summer.  The food was fresh, the drinks were delicious and the ambiance was perfect.  The staff will learn to accommodate the busy brunchers from the get-go.  We’re looking forward to trying the rest of the crepes on our next visit.

Brunch Review:
5 out of 5 mimosas

The Information:
Hotel Chantelle
92 Ludlow Street (and Delancy)
New York, NY 10002
(212) 254 – 9100

DISCLAIMER:  This was a partially compensated brunch – but all reviews, posts and opinions are that of Mimosa Maven with no influence from the venue.

And in case you are looking, the brunch menu is here:

And there’s me in the reflection ;0)

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Posted in Bloody mary, brunch, Brunch Drinks, favorite brunch, Fun, Great Food, live music, Lower East Side, mimosa, NYC Brunch, Outdoor brunch

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Brunch at The Cottage in La Jolla San Diego!

Posted on January 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

After a gorgeous wedding in San Diego this past summer we finally tried The Cottage restaurant in La Jolla.  Since the fiance went to college in San Diego his buddies were always talking about this place.  I was so excited when they decided this was the place for the post-wedding meal.

Although they are known for their stuffed french toast, we tried it all.  From the tuna salad-stuffed avocado to the Chilaquiles everything on this menu was outrageous. Even Pretty Things had to try the house-like restaurant on her trip to San Diego… and has incredible photos of her brunch too..

courtesy of The Cottage

LaJollaFrenchToast

La Jolla French Toast

Not only was the menu phenomenal, but the service and gorgeous “front lawn” seating made the experience even better. If you’re ever in San Diego, this is a DEFINITE recommendation.

For more than just brunch, but a great burger, Food Smackdown has some other insight for The Cottage too!

The Information:
7702 Fay Ave
San Diego, CA 92037
858-454-8409

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Posted in Bloody mary, brunch

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Brunch at Phillip Marie in the West Village

Posted on January 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

After reading rave reviews of Phillip Marie we knew we had to try this brunch.  The West Village charm is incredible, and the food is even more.  Upon arrival there was already a line out the door – good thing we had a reservation.  However, similar to most hot-spots, we needed the full party in order to sit.

wall decor - ain't that the truth

Review:
After we finally sat down we were immediately served with brunch cocktails – mimosas all around served with a  splash of vodka.  (Yes, champagne, OJ and vodka)!  Of course, I started with a bloody mary – it was not the best.  So I quickly switched to the mimosa cocktail. These were serious mimosas for the serious bruncher..

  • a perfect fruity starter

Crab cake Benedict

  • 2 Crab Cakes Topped with Poached Eggs & Hollandaise and Skillet Potatoes 
  • The crab cake and eggs benedict was “perfect”

Traditional Egg Benedict

  • Traditional and perfect!  Served with 3 eggs and skillet potatoes

Buttermilk Pancakes

  • Topped with Fresh Whipped Cream & Strawberries
  • Pancakes were tasty with homemade cream (no syrup needed)

Frittatta was runny and delicious - the potatoes were incredible!

  • Unfortunately, this frittata is no longer on the menu

But no worries, we enjoyed our meal before having all of our refills of the strong mimosa cocktail.  Next thing we knew, we ended up having a major Sunday Funday throughout the West Village!

Last Call:
This is hands down one of the best brunch experiences thus far.  The food was overall fantastic, the price was fair,  the service was incredible and most of the all, the laid back yet preppy atmosphere was perfect for a summer-time brunch.  I’m looking to head back this winter!

Brunch Review:  5 out of 5 mimosas

The Information
Phillip Marie
569 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
(at 11th ave)
212-242-6200

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Posted in AYCD, Bloody mary, brunch, favorite brunch, Great Food, Great Service, Greenwich Village, mimosa, NYC Brunch, West Village

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Brunch at Diablo Royale West Village

Posted on December 12, 2011 | 2 Comments

Thank the devil for Diablo Royale West Village!  We’ve been here twice but this review is for the first time experience…

Review:
Without a reservation three of us walked into Diablo and sat immediately with incredible cinnamon chips that tasted similar to Stacy’s Chips.  Since we were in the West Village on a Sunday for brunch there were several large and

Bloody Mary Bar at Diablo Royale

loud parties around us which seemed to cause our server some anxiety:  he was alright but clearly the only person working the floor.

While we waited to order the food we also immediately opted for the $25 unlimited drink special with our meal and went right to the Bloody Mary Bar (or Maria for those who chose Tequila instead of vodka) and created our own concoctions.  This is an immediate plus for the maven! (Note:  This was not an option in the Fall and perhaps is only available in Spring/Summer).

Grilled Steak and Eggs

  • Grilled steak with tomatoes, onions & pico de gallo served with two fried eggs
  • Delicious and tender steak
  • The home fries and chipotle sauce was perfectly marinated and the perfect mix of peppers and onions

Chillequiles

  • Tomatillo & tortilla chip casserole with eggs over easy, chihuahua cheese & your choice of chicken, carnitas, or vegetables
  • So savory and delicious – like nachos for breakfast

Of course, after all the food we couldn’t help but want to try all of the cocktails at the venue, since we also have enjoyed a happy hour or late night bar stop at Diablo.  The drinks were sinful:

The Ricky house specialty cocktail

  • Dos Equis and frozen margarita mix – a devilish duo

Mimosa, Bloody Maria and Sangria

Although the service was great and the food was incredible.. since we were only a party of 3 the server asked that we move from our table to the bar because people were waiting. We understand the need to turn over tables.. but we had not been seated for the 1.5 hours noted on the menu and the two other large parties had been there before us.. and they did not have any food in front of them for nearly 20 minutes.  We were a little tiffed when asked to move and close our tab…

Last Call
Hands down the best Mexican brunch in NYC – but we recommend coming with a large party as you may get a bit better service.  The Bloody Mary Bar in the warmer months is a plus as well.  We have already been here twice and still receive the same less than mediocre service, but the ambiance, food and decor even it out.

Brunch Review: 4.75 out of 5 mimosas
The Information:
Diablo Royale West
189 W 10th St
New York, NY 10014
(between Bleeker & W 4th St)

East Village Location:
167 Avenue A
New York, NY 10009
(between 1oth & 11th St)

www.diabloroyale.com

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Posted in All you can drink, AYCD, Bloody mary, brunch, favorite brunch, Great Food, Greenwich Village, Mexican Brunch, mimosa, NYC Brunch, West Village

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