Monthly Archives: March 2011

AYCD Brunch in NYC is Revamped: BYOB Brunch

Posted on March 31, 2011 | Leave a comment

Thanks to NY Magazine and Brunch Critic, we have started compiling some BYOB Brunch locations throughout NYC!  Take a peak at our quick list of some Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan BYOB Brunch locations.  I think this is a MUST for the upcoming weeks.. maybe I can make my Kahlua Coffee cocktail!

Manhattan

Tartine: West Village
253 W. 11 St. (at 4th Street)
(212) 229-2611

Nook: Hell’s Kitchen
746 9th Ave (b/w 50 and 51st Street)
(212) 247-5500

Elephant and Castle: West Village
68 Greenwich Ave
(212) 243-1400

Donatella: Flatiron/Chelsea
184 8th Ave
(212)493-5150

Piccolo Cafe: Midtown West
274 W. 40th Street
(212) 302-0143

Brooklyn

Juventino: Brooklyn (Park Slope)
370 5th Ave
(718) 360-8469

Queens

Cafe Henri: Queens (Long Island City)
10-10 50th Ave
(718) 383-9315

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Posted in brunch

Cozy Brunch in the East Village NYC: Pangea

Posted on March 31, 2011 | Leave a comment

Saturday was a big day, The Florida Gators were in the Elite 8 (Go Gators!) and one of my best friends was visiting from the CIA (Culinary Institute of America in Upstate NY).  While waiting for her arrival and tip-off, the bf and I decided to grab a quiet brunch.  Just what I needed before an afternoon of beer…

Since Spring has yet to hit NYC, we wanted to stay in our neighborhood.  Luckily, we stumbled upon Pangea.

Review:

Pangea Frittata

The ambiance was outstanding:  plush pillows, comfortable couches, and natural light.  There were no crowds, yet, and it was already 2 PM.

We ordered the fritatta and egg whites with herbs and tomatoes.  Much like our order, the menu was simple, yet splendid.  For such simple meals, the taste was phenomenal.

 

Tomato and Herb Eggs

 

Last Call: Pangea was a great, quiet, and relaxing experience.  The service was phenomenal and the food was delicious.  The plush couches, sun-lit front dining area and overall calmness of the venue truly enhanced the intimate brunch experience. Not to mention, the bread basket was clutch.

Brunch Score: 4 out of 5 mimosas

Price: $10 brunch item and coffee, $14 brunch item, coffee and breakfast cocktail (I had the mimosa.. of course!)

(for more photos of this venue, please check out the Brunch Photos section!)

The Info:
Pangea
178 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 995-0900
www.pangeanyc.com/

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Posted in brunch, East Village, Great Food, Great Service, mimosa

Metro NY’s Top 5 Brunch Spots in NYC

Posted on March 25, 2011 | Leave a comment

 

thanks Bohemian Trails for the Essex photo. Check out their top 5 Bohemian Brunch list of NYC here: http://www.bohemiantrails.com/best-boozy-brunches-nyc/

Metro NY, the free NYC paper handed to you on your rushed commute to work had a HUGE article about NYC Brunch this morning.  And what perfect timing, Friday, the day everyone is frantically trying to get reservations to the hot new brunch spot (unless you’re prepared of course).

Check out their list from Fancy to casual:

Where are you brunching this weekend?

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Posted in brunch, Manhattan

Half Marathon and Mimosas: Lilly O’Brien’s

Posted on March 23, 2011 | Leave a comment

Unfortunately, Stone Street Tavern and Bailey Brasserie wouldn’t take reservations, so I joined my Camp Interactive running team at Lilly O’Brien’s in TriBeCa / Financial District for an early morning brunch after the NYC Half Marathon!

Winning! (and original..?)

This was my second half marathon ever.. and ran it in a whopping 1:46:25!

Toot toot.  Did you hear that.. it was me.. tooting my own horn.  To bring me back down to reality.. here are some funny photos of me looking like hell at the NYC Half Marathon.  So I digress, my parents and boyfriend met me at the finish line for kegs and eggs! (Well.. mimosas).  Here is what we thought:

Review:

Water, Bloody and 2 Mimosas..

We arrived just before the rest of the crowd from the Half Marathon.  Luckily. we had a reservation for 50 so the entire team could come and bring their supporters.  We were early so just had a table for 4 and quickly ordered brunch with our

Irish Breakfast

complimentary cocktail. Clearly, all I needed to hydrate was right here:  Some water, 2 mimosas AND a bloody mary!  The drinks were weak and small.. but to be honest, who wants to drink that much after being awake since 6 am?

Egg Whites with Asparagus and Artichokes

The food was mediocre.  This was an Irish Pub, so my dad ordered the Irish Breakfast. Not only was that just ok, I had the egg white omelet with asparagus and artichoke, but honestly, I am not a huge fan of artichoke. The boyfriend ate the potato pancakes and eggs, but these potato pancakes just don’t compare to Essex.

Potato Pancake Breakfast

Last Call: This place was great because we sat and ordered right away, but under any different circumstances I wouldn’t go back.  But, I bet this place was great for St. Patrick’s Day!

Brunch Review:  2.5 out of 5 mimosas

Information:
67 Murray Street
New York, NY 10007
212-732-1592

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Posted in brunch, Financial District, Fun

NYC Half Marathon Means Great Brunch Deals

Posted on March 17, 2011 | Leave a comment

Just because we train hard, doesn’t mean we don’t brunch hard. Unfortunately, my last week and a half of training was more challenging with a terrible sinus infection and a fever (womp womp), so I missed 2 weeks of brunching, and some half marathon training.

photo from NYRR.org

But thank you New York Road Runners! NYRR has partnered with some of our favorite downtown establishments to reward runners and their support system for post-race brunch deals! See some of these post-race Funancial District and Downtown Manhattan Brunch spots providing deals on Sunday, March 20 aka Race Day:

  • The Bailey Pub & Brasserie:  Complimentary mimosa and dessert with all Brunch orders with NYC Half-Marathon bib presentation. Valid Saturday, March 19th & Sunday, March 20th and Saturday, March 26th & Sunday, March 27th. 
    Battery Gardens:  Receive 20% off your party’s bill when you show your NYC Half-Marathon bib.  Tax and tip excluded. 
  • Harry’s Italian (MimosaMaven recommended): Present your NYC Half Marathon bib for you and your guests to receive 10% off our signature $15.95 brunch including a complimentary mimosa!
  • Stone Street Tavern:  Visit Stone Street Tavern after the race and receive a complimentary mimosa, bloody mary or pint of beer when you show your NYC Half-Marathon bib.  Also available to friends and family of runners with food purchase. 
  • Ulysses Folk House:  Opening at 10:00 AM for NYC Half Marathon runners and their guests on Sunday, March 20th!  Enjoy their ALL YOU CAN EAT brunch buffet – including a complimentary drink – for only $20!
  • California Wine Merchants:  Show your NYC Half Marathon bib any time after registration bib pick-up Thursday March 17th through Friday March 25th and receive 13.1% off any celebratory bottle of wine or sparkling wine in the store. 
  • Energy Kitchen:  Swing by this Downtown location after the race and show your race number to get $3 off a healthy meal ($10 minimum order). Offer available to friends and family of runners.
  • Heartland Brewery: 
    Visit Heartland Brewery’s South Street location after the race and show your NYC Half Marathon Bib to receive a free half-pint of their special drafts with any food order. Offer available to friends and family of runners as well with food purchase. “Under 21″ patrons receive a free half-pint of Heartland Brewery’s homemade soda.
  • Les Helles Downtown:  Visit Les Halles Downtown and present your NYC Half Marathon bib to receive a complimentary dessert for you and your guests.  One dessert per person with food purchase.  Offer good from registration day Thursday March 17th through race day Sunday March 20th. 
  • Mad Dog & Beans:  Mexican Brunch for $15 that includes a frozen Margarita, Mimosa, Bloody Mary or Tequila Mary.
  • Merchants River House:  Come into Merchants River House after the race between 11:00am and 9:00pm and present your NYC Half-Marathon bib to receive 15% off your entire purchase, excluding tax and tip.
  • Southwest NY:  Come into SouthWest NY after the race between 11:00am and 9:00pm and present your NYC Half-Marathon bib to receive 15% off your entire purchase, excluding tax and tip. 

Hope to see you all out there! And good luck on the race!

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Posted in AYCD, Financial District, Manhattan

Top 10 Brunch Spots: From OpenTable

Posted on March 11, 2011 | 1 Comment

OpenTable announced their top 10 Diner’s Choice for Brunch spots in the tri-state area yesterday!  As predicted, most of these are, of course, in NYC.

One of our fave’s, Essex, has made the list!  Some of these include AYCD and some of these include limit to 3 drinks.. or even less.  Regardless of the drink special, these restaurants have great food, ambiance and everything!

Top 10, in no particular order:

Norma’s at Le Parker Meridien – Midtown West

Cupping Room Cafe – SoHo

Sarabeth’s Central Park South – Midtown West

Ana Beall’s Tea Room- Westfield, NJ

Sanfords Restaurant - Astoria, Queens

Sarabeth’s East – Upper East Side

Peacock Alley – Midtown East

Bedford Post – The Barn – Bedford, Brooklyn

Essex – Lower East Side

Poco – East Village (MUST try the Lobster Mac n Cheese)

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Posted in Alphabet City, AYCD, brunch, East Village, Great Food, mimosa