Painfully Hip Brunch

[Boo]

OK, spouse and I will be in NYC next weekend. This is my first wknd away from our small son and I am hysterically looking forward to dining out without needing to cut up anyone's food, wipe a nose, etc. I would love suggestions for brunch somewhere we would not normally go with our son (ie., painfully hip) since it will be a treat. We eat anything and price not an issue. We're also planning to visit Aquavit for cocktails and bites in the bar on Sat night. Any suggestions? Thank you.

[adamru]

Actually the brunch at Aquavit is great. It's a buffet brunch that includes a lot of dishes that appear on their cafe menu - a variety of herrings, salmon, meatballs, and much more plus the price includes bloody marys and juice. It's more decadent than hip though. For hip, I'd suggest Clinton St. Baking Co. on the lower east side which has amazing pancakes, biscuits and pies. Only downside there is no reservations and long waits, unless you get there when they open. If you want to sit outside, Cowgirl Hall of Fame in the West Village is hip; it's southern food. Norma's you can book on opentable in advance if you're worried about reservations and it's seriously decadent and as expensive as Aquavit but that does tend to be a place people bring their children.

[Alchemist]

Spotted Pig. So hip it will make your teeth ache.

Not hip or all that expensive is the Great Jones Cafe. Great food & bloodies.

[freshherbs]

OK, spouse and I will be in NYC next weekend.  This is my first wknd away from our small son and I am hysterically looking forward to dining out without needing to cut up anyone's food, wipe a nose, etc.  I would love suggestions for brunch somewhere we would not normally go with our son (ie., painfully hip) since it will be a treat.  We eat anything and price not an issue.  We're also planning to visit Aquavit for cocktails and bites in the bar on Sat night.  Any suggestions?  Thank you.

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The Mercer also makes an unexpectedly great brunch spot. it is subterranean so you don't get sunlight, but still very stylish.

shopsin's on carmine is also a pretty great place. not necessarily a beautiful person scene, but a great place and a high celebrity-sighting factor

[georgeb]

shopsin's on carmine is also a pretty great place.  not necessarily a beautiful person scene, but a great place and a high celebrity-sighting factor

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Just don't bring three friends. Shopsin's has a strict policy about parties of 4 or less.

[adamru]

shopsin's is filled with toys. maybe not children, but there's connect four at every table for example. it may not be the escapism you're looking for.

[Boo]

Appreciate all the suggestions......I am thinking of skipping Aquavit Sat night and instead booking it for brunch on Sunday. Adam or anyone else, is brunch formal or is it more casual? Website says "jacket recommended" for dinner?

[Megan Blocker]

Appreciate all the suggestions......I am thinking of skipping Aquavit Sat night and instead booking it for brunch on Sunday.  Adam or anyone else, is brunch formal or is it more casual?  Website says "jacket recommended" for dinner?

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I don't know that I would consider Aquavit's brunch anywhere near "painfully hip," FWIW (lots of families, plus, no matter how good it is - and it IS good - it's still a buffet)...it's pretty casual at that time, though. I would say a blazer with jeans would do you.

ETA: I would head for Shopsin's or Spotted Pig if you want a New York brunch...lots of people nursing hangovers in glamorous sunglasses and bedhead.

Edited April 23, 2006 by Megan Blocker (log)

[adamru]

I've seen pretty close to anything goes at Aquavit at brunch but I'd say jeans and a blazer are most appropriate for the space.

[Boo]

I would love to do the Spotted Pig, but they don't take rezzies (per the website) and we'll not have time to spend waiting in line. I'm going to check out the Shopsin's website.

[Parmhero]

There are some places in Tribeca that might fit the bill. Bubby's is one I've been to and enjoyed. It's in JFK Jr.'s old neighborhood, so it's got to be hip/cool.

"The home-baked pies and cakes are always great, and no wonder—Bubby's started in 1990 as a pie company. "

http://www.newyorkmetro.com/listings/restaurant/bubbys/

And of course, Odeon, "The original TriBeCa hangout for the hip and fabulous."

http://www.newyorkmetro.com/listings/bar/odeon00/

Edited April 23, 2006 by Parmhero (log)

[chefboy24]

yaffa cafe on st marks. huge outdoor garden. insanely affordable brunch prices. highly recommended. very east village.

or you could do eleven madison park (new chef, daniel humm)

aquagrill on spring street.......

[Pan]

I haven't been to Bubby's in two or three years, I guess, but I always found it overpriced and kind of mediocre. So, should I have had my meals somewhere else and gone there just for pie or cake? (Would they have let me is another question.)

[Bux]

. . . overpriced and kind of mediocre.  . . .

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Isn't that the requisite painful part of hip? Balthazar makes a great brunch, but you're likely to see other people's kids.

[Parmhero]

The food at places like Bubby's is good, not great. It's a neighborhood place and my wife and I enjoyed eating there when staying with family in Tribeca. Relaxed atmosphere, interesting crowd. All in all, a pleasant brunch experience.

Plus, we're talking about breakfast/brunch--eggs, pancakes, home fries, toast, coffee. Bubby's is is kind of upscale/homey. You can get a pretty good breakfast at Bubby's--inluding a pretty good eggs florentine.

When I lived on 10th St. in the East Village, my favorite weekend breakfast/brunch spots wer places like Cafe Orlin, Veselka Coffee Shop, Odessa, and sometimes Kiev, probably in that order. All cheap. Cafe Orlin is a small and pleasant cafe, and you can eat oustide at a sidewalk table. The other places are on the grungy side but I, my friends, and plenty of others, liked eating there. At Veselka, Odessa, Kiev, you can get Ukranian dishes like pierogies. I also spent a good deal of time at the "legendary" Veniero's Pastry Shop on 12th St., for Italian pastries and cappucino.

The food at these cafes and restaurants tends to be ok to good, not incredible, but the experience is enjoyable. Another spot in the village that has pretty nice ambience for romantic type brunch is the Cloisters on 9th St. and 3rd Ave. There are always new hip places cropping up in the East Village, so if you walk around you can drop in one that looks cool.

For a more lavish, upscale lunch/brunch, there are places like Union Square Cafe or Cafe Un Deux Trois, or Tavern on the Green and Boathouse Cafe in Central Park. Another very nice upscale brunch can be had on upper East side on Fifth Ave. by the Metropolitan Museum, such as a brunch on the sidewalk at the Stanhope Hotel.

[Megan Blocker]

...such as a brunch on the sidewalk at the Stanhope Hotel.

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I think the Stanhope has closed! It is being turned into apartments.

[harlanturk]

AUGUST

FIVE POINTS or COOKSHOP

CLINTON ST BAKING CO

[Parmhero]

These look great, harlanturk. Good-looking menus, nice graphics. I'll have to check some of these places out next time I'm in NY.

[Boo]

August looks interesting, I like the menu. So many choices now.... I have to pick one. That's the hard part.

[daisy17]

Brunch at August is great, but I don't think they take reservations either. If you get there early enough it shouldn't be a problem, especially if you're a small party. Spotted Pig is always right around the corner if it doesn't work out.

Edited April 25, 2006 by daisy17 (log)

[Pan]

[...]When I lived on 10th St. in the East Village, my favorite weekend breakfast/brunch spots wer places like Cafe Orlin, Veselka Coffee Shop, Odessa, and sometimes Kiev, probably in that order.[...]

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I have to ask how long ago you lived on 10th St., because I don't consider any of these places worth going to. Orlin used to be OK for a meal in the middle of the night on a weekend, but they've substituted the Kraft stuff for real Parmigiano, so I no longer go there even when no other sit-down cafes are open. True, I've never been there for brunch, but why would I go there for brunch when Teresa's is around the corner? Kiev is no longer open for brunch and seems to be only a late-night bar. Odessa is just plain gross; ever since their food became mostly salt, I stopped eating there. I can't imagine that their brunch food is so much better than anything else they serve, but who knows, I could be wrong. Nothing personal; as they say, that's what makes horseracing.

Edited April 25, 2006 by Pan (log)

[Parmhero]

[...]When I lived on 10th St. in the East Village, my favorite weekend breakfast/brunch spots wer places like Cafe Orlin, Veselka Coffee Shop, Odessa, and sometimes Kiev, probably in that order.[...]

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I have to ask how long ago you lived on 10th St., because I don't consider any of these places worth going to.

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It's been more than 10 years since I lived on E. 10th St. I'm sure these places have changed. My point (which perhaps I could have made clearer) was that you can enjoy a place like Bubby's without it having great or incredible food (and I do enjoy great and incredible food). I liked eating at Orlin, Vesleka and Odessa (which has always been a dive) because the food was good enough and they were interesting scenes. I like corned beef hash and poached eggs, so I often had that at Veselka. I didn't eat at Odessa that often, but it was interesting once in a while. They were all in my neighborhood in the E. Village, and it was usuall pretty enjoyable/entertaining to eat at them. The food at Cafe Orlin used to be pretty good. One of my favorites was a pasta with green sauce, which I would just drop in and have on walking on my way home from work. They also made homemade pies--blueberry/cherry was my favorite--which were great when they were fresh. I recall the breakfasts at Orlin being fine. I usually had scrambled eggs, homefries, toast, coffee there. Sitting outside on the sidewalk in springtime in front of Orlin on a weekend morning was pretty nice. And the scene at Odessa was usually pretty interesting characterwise. There were lots of other little cafes and restaurants in the neighborhood, like Life Cafe on 10th St and Ave. B. Another place that was right down the block was the Second Avenue Deli--I used to like to just drop in and get corned beef/pastrami sandwiches, or hot dogs and french fries.

[rozrapp]

Kiev is no longer open for brunch and seems to be only a late-night bar.

I thought I remembered reading that Kiev had closed. Well, it did, and here's the pictorial proof.

[Pan]

Parmhero, 10 years ago, Odessa used to serve decent food that was certainly a good value, and I used to go there for cheap pierogies. A lot has changed in 10 years!!!

Roz, I will walk past Kiev later today or tomorrow and check on its current condition, but I haven't noticed any evidence of its being closed permanently. If it did, that must have happened within the last 24 hours or so, I figure.

[Parmhero]

Pan, I agree that a lot has changed, and that I'm not up to date on the status of many E. Village eateries. Seems this thread veered off course a bit. I never recommended (or intended to recommend) Odessa or Veselka or Kiev to the originator of this thread (Boo), who was looking for "painfully hip" brunch possibilities (I actually recommended Bubby's or Odeon, Tribeca restaurants that are pretty hip and serve ok food).

Regarding Odessa, Kiev, Veselka, et al., I was using them as examples of places that don't necessarily serve great food but can nevertheless be enjoyable--and hip. (Of course, one man's hip is another man's lame...)

Nevertheless, I remain interested in the status of all these E. Village places. I was saddened to see that 2nd Ave. Deli was closing because of the high price of its lease.

I was lso saddened to hear that the Stanhope Hotel had closed (I spent my wedding night there). Thanks to Megan for the update.