Dinner at Lokal

I was recently invited to have dinner at Lokal (905 Lorimer St., at Bedford, 718-384-6777), a Mediterranean Bistro on the Greenpoint/Williamsburg border, overlooking McCarren Park and the Automotive High School. From the outside the place doesn't look like much, and the font of the signage outside is even a little cheesy. But inside is a warm, tastefully appointed space, all blues & greens & warm orange. It's lovely and comfortable.

We started out with the Warm Spinach salad, with pine nuts, raisins, red peppers, caramelized red onions and feta cheese and served with paprika yoghurt. The salad was delicious - slightly sweet, tangy and earthy. The paprika yoghurt wasn't very potent, so didn't add much.



I ordered the special Salmon dish, served over parmesean covered pieces of yellow squash, in a light tomato & red pepper sauce, sprinkled with capers. It was nicely done, well-cooked and quite flavorful. So often a piece of salmon is ruined with either an overwhelming flavor or by being cooked to death, but this was neither.



We also got a Lamb Burger served on a Brioche Bun with grilled onion, tomato and a cucumber & dill relish that was delicious, and it was all topped with feta cheese. It was a nice alternative to beef and had a subtle flavor. The bun was excellent and flaky, and the thick cut fries, sprinkled with salt and rosemary were perfect.



We ALSO got dessert. We couldn't resist ordering the Bread Pudding, and we were impressed with the execution. Served warm, with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, with hints of cinnamon & nutmeg, it was delicious and decadent comfort food. Not overly sweet either, but just right.



So, I'm happy to report that the food at Lokal is really good. It's made with fresh ingredients, well prepared and nicely served. Check it out when you're in the area. The prices are reasonable, and they have a range of items sure to please anybody (pastas, a few pizzas, sandwiches - all with a Mediterranean flavor).

Food News!

I just got an email from the owners of a new business/cafe in Bushwick. It's called Next Door Shipping (78 Beaver St., between Park & Locust, 718-443-7447) and they are a family-run, full-service Post Office/Shipping Center AND Internet Cafe. They offer FedEx, UPS, mailbox rentals, printing & copying, office supplies and a "huge range of specialty packing & shipping services for artists, musicians & freelancers". Plus WiFi and a rotating collection of archival photographs of the history of the USPS. Where's the food you ask? Well, there's also coffee and fresh, home-baked pastries.

There's Babka, Rugelach, Danishes, sweet rolls and Biscotti! It sounds like an awesome place, and an excellent alternative to the sometimes hellish experiences we've all had at the USPS. I haven't been yet, but I'm looking forward to trying some of the Chocolate Babka! Let me know if you've been.

Then, on Septmeber 23rd, Greenpoint Open Studios is holding a Pie Bake-Off at The Diamond bar. It's free to enter and $10 to eat and enter their raffle, which has tons of awesome prizes donated by Paulie Gee's, EAT, Cafecito Bogota and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, among others. The Grand Prize winner gets to attend a dinner hosted by Edible Brooklyn Social Club. Send an email to: joann@greenpointopenstudios.org for more information or to sign up!



Greenpoint Open Studios takes places during the first weekend of October and is a three-day celebration of local art-making.

Brunch at Brooklyn Label

It seems like Brooklyn Label (180 Franklin St., at the corner of Java St., 718-389-2806) has gone through a lot in the last few years. From solid neighborhood spot to mediocrity and back again to reliably excellent Brunch food. I went recently with a friend to see if all the rumors were true. I'm happy to report that it came through on all the hype. The menu was enormous, which made it difficult to choose. So many options - Ricotta Pancakes with fruit, Granola & Yoghurt, various Southwest-inspired egg dishes. Phew.

I settled on the Borderline Benedict - two poached eggs on top of chorizo, cushioned by blue-corn bread muffins. The blue-corn bread was slightly sweet and provided a nice contrast to the spicy meat and creamy, salty Hollandaise sauce. There was a large, quarter-sized piece of eggshell in my eggs that I unfortunately bit into, but it's a testament to the tastiness of the overall dish that I got over that shock and went on to finish my meal. The egg-whites were a touch runny too, but that blue-corn bread...Mmmmmm. There was also a slab of hash brown/potato pancake on the side, but that was neither here nor there.



My friend ordered the Cornmeal Waffle topped with poached eggs and gravy. It's a bland looking meal, all beige and yellow, but it was quite tasty. The waffle was very thick, but a nice change from the regular batter waffles. It was not any less filling though, and half-way through becomes a bit overwhelming. Perhaps it would have been better to share and compliment with a side of fruit.



Brooklyn Label proudly serves Stumptown Coffee, as well as a lovely assortment of juices & teas (Passionfruit Mango Iced Tea, Watermelon Juice), and has tables outside on the sunny sidewalk. A nice and solid neighborhood joint that's worth the trip from other parts of Brooklyn.

Food News!

While not in Brooklyn, there's an amazing event this weekend at the New York Botanical Garden (in the Bronx) as part of their "Get Out and Grill" weekend. On Saturday, June 19th, there will be a talk given by Dan Barber (of Blue Hill fame). Always Order Dessert partnered with the Garden to host this event, which starts at 11:30am in the garden. There will be food to purchase, or you can bring your own lunch.

Back in Brooklyn, on Monday, June 21st, there will be a Pie Crust Workshop, co-hosted by Brooklyn Brainery's and Lauren Cucinotta from Pie in the Park. Four pro crust makers will show you how it's done, with plenty of pie tasting along the way. The workshop will take place at the Gowanus Studio Space (166 7th Street, between 2nd & 3rd Avenues, 347-351-5753), at 7:30pm. No advance registration needed. $15 gets you in, a slice of pie, and helps support the likelihood of more events like these happening in the future.

This weekend's Greenpoint Food Market has been canceled (due to NYC DOH being persnickety about food preparation licenses and paperwork ever since this article came out), but there will be a "Think Tank Potluck" on Saturday, June 26th instead, to answer questions, provide tips and info on finding affordable kitchens to cook small batches of tasty treats, and generally support one-another over this hurdle. Good luck! The GFM is awesome and I hope to see it back soon!

Food News!

On Saturday, May 22nd, this month's Greenpoint Food Market will take place at the Church of the Messiah (129 Russell St., between Nassau and Driggs) AND they've created the theme of "Picnic in the Park" - McGolrick Park that is. You can head into the church, pick up some snacks, and take it into the park to relax and chow down. It gets pretty crazy in there, what with the 47 vendors!

Brooklyn Blogfest 2010 will take place on Tuesday, June 8th at the Brooklyn Lyceum (227 4th Avenue, at the corner of President St.) at 7pm! Absolut Vodka is a sponsor this year, which has enabled the Blogfest to be FREE and will make for a very fun after-party! I was a "Food & Craft" blog representative last year and enjoyed the festivities very much. Head over to hear Andrea Bernstein of NPR moderate a panel of bloggers, or join a break-out group that focuses on the topic of your choice. Good treats and cocktails will be passed!

Food News!

Oooops! I got the date wrong. Notice, the GFM is back on Saturday!

The Greenpoint Food Market (129 Russell Street, between Nassau & Driggs Ave.) will be back this Saturday, April 10th with it's Spring Awakening! From Noon to 5pm you'll be able to sample ice cream, vegan pate, jam, kimchi and much much more. The People's Champs will perform between 2 & 3pm, and you'll also have DJ Cowboy Mark as well. They have a crazy long roster of folks gearing up to sell you some awesome homemade niceness, so check it out and support local crafters!

Then on Sunday, April 11th, there will be a fundraiser for Hot Bread Kitchen, a Brooklyn non-profit 501c3 venture that provides immigrant women training in the art of baking. "Hot Bread Kitchen uses traditional techniques and recipes to produce a range of organic ethnic breads that reflect the diversity of New York City, and they improve standard of living by hiring and training immigrant women in valuable job skills. While the Kitchen is located in the Old Can Factory in 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue, the fundraiser will be hosted by TasteBudsNYC and will taking place at Jimmy's No. 43. For information and tickets contact Heidi at Heidi(at) TasteBudsNYC.com.

AND...also on Sunday, the Carroll Gardens Farmer's Market is back this Sunday, and every Sunday thereafter until December. Yahoo! Grazin' Angus Acres, Consider Bardwell Cheese (check out the pics of baby goats on Facebook!), Bread, fresh fish, milk, veggies and eggs! Yahoo!

Dinner at Anella

I read about Anella (222 Franklin Street, between Huron & Green, 718-389-8100) with high expectations, because I really liked Queens Hideaway and was sad to see it go. I'm happy to report that Anella lived up to, and maybe exceeded those expectations, with the dinner we had there last week. The seasonally-focused menu is lovely, and has a range of dishes, from veggies to seafood to pasta and pizza (which are baked in a brick-oven). Some of the veggies and greens come from the local Rooftop Farms too! My boyfriend and I went with some family to see what it was like and had an incredible, delicious meal. The space is about double that of the previous restaurant, and has a boat-like feeling, with lots of light-colored wood, narrow corridors and booths. We started out with some veggie dishes I had read about in previous reviews. The Brussels Sprouts and the Sweet Carrots. The Brussels Sprouts are separated and the leaves are tossed with arugula, capers, lemon & garlic and then roasted to create one, incredible taste experience.



The Sweet Carrots are served with whipped ricotta and arugula. Whipping ricotta seems to make a whole other ingredient, one that's velvety smooth as well as rich and light at the same time. The natural sweetness of carrots was taken advantage of here, in a good way, so that they weren't cloying, but virtually natural candy. Probably lots of butter contributed to making this as good as it was.



We also ordered the Fried Calamari with Anchovy Mayo. This is what all calamari should be like. Light and airy, not greasy or heavy at all, with tender pieces of calamari, and a savory dipping sauce on the side.



For our entree, my boyfriend and I shared the Pork & Bean Cassoulet, which, to me, is a more stew-like version of a casserole. Made with Berkshire Pork Shoulder, Flageolet Beans, Smoked Bacon and Tuscan Kale as well as small, toasted pieces of bread, this was one delicious dish. It was hearty, flavorful, and strong. The meat was smoky and rich, the kale cut through that a little and the beans warmed it up to make for a truly incredible dish.



Our dining companions ordered the special pizza (Anella has two pizzas to choose from every night). This one came with Mozarella, Soppresata and a dollop of Brocolli Rabe Pesto in the center of each piece. It was lovely, with a nice, crispy thin crust, and the ingredients well-proportioned and evenly spaced.



We were pretty full at this point, but with four of us, we couldn't resist sharing a couple of desserts. We picked the Seasonal Roasted Fruit with Vanilla Mascarpone and Vin Cotto. This was delicious, with strawberries, blueberries and currants roasted and served over thick, creamy vanilla mascarpone. The only thing that was weird was that the green leaves on top are not mint, but some sort of grilled, savory green like kale or shard, that totally took us off guard. Not sure about that - some mint would have been nicer.



We also got an order of the Lemon tart with sweet and sour citrus fruit, which included limes, grapefruit and oranges. I liked the tart, and the slices of fruit, but the creamy tart part did not taste good to me. The Lemon Tart fans of the group loved it though. It was certainly beautiful with the slices of candied citrus peel. And look, there's the mint!



So, yay! Anella is awesome. I'm so glad it was good. And come hot weather, I think they'll start using their backyard which is spacious and airy. They have a full bar with interesting cocktails, a large wine list and a few beers on tap.

Food News!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!

I want to announce the opening of a new pizza joint in Greenpoint called Paulie Gee's, (60 Greenpoint Avenue, between Franklin and West Streets (in the former Paloma space), 347-987-3747), part-owned by fellow blogger Morta di Fame. They plan to make Rooftop Pizza from produce grown at nearby Rooftop Farms - how awesome is that!? I can't wait to try it out! (Photo courtesy of J. Galatioto)



Also, it's Dine in Brooklyn again! Over 175 restaurants are participating this year, offering $25 pre-fixe dinners ($20.10 for lunch). Zenkichi is just one of the participating places, recently named one of the Top 50 Most Romantic Places in the US! Click here for a list of all the restaurants involved, and make sure you make reservations, as this is quite the popular event. It's on from March 15th to March 25th!

Little Skips (941 Willoughby Avenue, near Charles Place, 718-484-0980) is a fairly new Coffee House/Art Gallery in Bushwick serving pastries, muffins, quiche and expanding to providing more treats in the near future. Free Wifi and an Art Raffle on March 31st (tickets are only $5!). Check 'em out and support local artists.

AND...I have 96 followers so far. Who's going to take me to 100???

Mexican Brunch at Papacitos

I love Greenpoint. I especially love walking around and exploring, which is what I got to do last weekend during the wonderful Spring-like weather, and along the way I developed a hankering for Mexican. Luckily, there are a number of options along Manhattan Avenue, and we ended up at Papacitos (999 Manhattan Ave., between Green & Huron, 718-349-7292), a fun, loud, colorful spot that offers "Mexican street food in Brooklyn".

We started out with some Chips & Guac (naturally). The chips were greasy, and some weren't cooked all the way, but I liked how thick they were, and super crunchy. The guacamole was SPICY!!! It was chunky too, with red onions, green peppers and lots of Jalapeño. Whoo! It was good though; I kept going back for more.



My boyfriend ordered the The Papa Benny with Poached Eggs, Picadas Stuffed “ Mesca cake” with Black Bean, Chorizo, Chipotle Hollandaise & Avocado Pico De Gallo from the Brunch menu. The eggs were perrrrr-fectly poached! Not a runny bit in sight. The Mesca cake was delicious, the chorizo provided a touch of spice and the sauces were strong and flavorful. Yum! And look at that gorgeous presentation of all that color in the orange bowl on top of the blue plate.



I decided to get two tacos, one with Tilapia and one with Carne Asada. The tilapia was tender and flaky and so tasty with a little fresh-squeezed lime juice. The carne asada was served in plentiful cubes, flavorful and not at all tough. Both were topped with a dollop of sour cream, chunks of tomatoes and a sprinkle of cilantro and served in two, small corn tortillas.



I liked Papacitos, although their new stereo system was not working properly (so I was told) and the bass was pumping so loudly I developed a headache during our meal. Hopefully they'll figure that out soon, I'm really curious about their dinners. Anyone been?

Brunch at Five Leaves

I've said it many times, Brunch may very well be my most favorite meal of the day/week. So many ways to have both savory & sweet flavors. Coffee is usually involved. Also eggs. And so, we made our way to Five Leaves (18 Bedford Ave., at the corner of Lorimer & Nassau, 718-383-5345) for their breakfast fare (having really enjoyed dinner there about a year ago). The amiable host greeted us warmly and seated us at the bar to wait for a table to become available.



We sat and sipped our delicious (and expertly made) lattes while listening to the first album by The Cure.



My boyfriend and I split two dishes, like we usually do, to maximize the taste experience, and to achieve a good balance of the savory and sweet flavors. I started with my half of the Fresh Sage Scrambled Organic Egg Sandwich served on a Panino Roll with Aged Cheddar Cheese. It was terrific. The sage was subtle yet strong, with flavorful eggs, a light & flaky panino roll and strong cheese.



We also split an order of the Ricotta Pancakes served with Honeycomb Butter, Blueberries, Strawberries, Sliced Banana and 100% real Maple Syrup. These were incredibly light, not very sweet, a bit tangy with a face made out of fruit and rich honeyed butter. They were perfectly browned and altogether wonderful.



I love this place. The food is wonderful, the details are attended to and the atmosphere is cozy and comfortable.

Greenpoint Food Market

If I was going to be in town this weekend, I'd be heading to the Greenpoint Food Market. Just LOOK at all the cool vendors who will be there selling their wares and treats. Plus a kissing booth, artwork and DJs! How fun! Saturday, February 13th, noon-5pm at the Church of Messiah, 129 Russell St. between Nassau & Driggs.

Donuts from Peter Pan

My boyfriend used to live in Greenpoint and on weekends we'd either go out to Brunch or head to Peter Pan Bakery (727 Manhattan Ave., between Meserole Ave. and Norman Ave., 718-389-3676) for a donut or a gigantic iced cinnamon roll as big as your head that'd last us all day. I can no longer just pop over for some deliciousness and often think about their donut holes and those cute Polish girls in their mint green jumpsuits. So it was with great delight that we found ourselves strolling down Manhattan Avenue the other day, at that point in the day when you just need a small pick me up, so we stopped in for a Chocolate Glazed and a Bavarian Cream Eclair.



Oh MAN those donuts are good. I mean, really really good. No chemically aftertaste, pure, rich chocolate frosting, light fluffy sweet bread, and the cream filing was pretty amazing as well. Thick, vanilla flavored and delicious. They were even still a little warm! Oh joy! They also have bagels, muffins, coffee, milkshakes & eggcreams and and a really good classic egg & cheese sandwich on a roll. Get there soon and see for yourself!

Brunch at River Barrel

I read about River Barrel (160 Franklin Ave. at Kent St., 718-389-8881) on Greenpointers when it first opened about a year ago and have had it on my list ever since. I finally made it over there recently for Brunch. It's in a great corner space with huge windows that drench the place in sunlight during Brunch. There's a cool chandelier in the center of the ceiling made up of what looks like water glasses, nice exposed brick walls and a tin ceiling that should be a nicer shade (copper or reddish instead of matte brown). Scanning the comments about the place, I saw a lot of complaints about the service, however our server was quite attentive & friendly, and the food came out in good time. The music was fun too - sort of an 80's mix, but with songs rarely heard (Billy Ocean & Bonnie Raitt anyone?).



I chose the River Barrel Sardou, poached eggs on an English Muffin with shaved artichokes and creamed spinach. It looks kind of intense, but was marvelous with the flavors of the artichokes and the sweet spinach mingling. The eggs were expertly poached and runny. The side of potatoes was ok - I prefer mine crispier.



My boyfriend got the Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon. The salmon was very smoky tasting which kind of overpowered the dish. The Hollandaise Sauce was good though - often where this dish goes wrong.



We also got a side of the Applewood Smoked Bacon - three thick strips of meat nicely done.



I liked River Barrel a lot, and would like to go back for dinner and drinks sometime. It seems like it'd be a cozy spot in the evening.

Sandwiches at Brooklyn Standard

I read about the Brooklyn Standard Deli back in March on Brooklyn Based and have been itching to check it out ever since. The still-new shop bills itself as the new bodega, offering the neighborhood everything it needs - convenience, food (both made to order and packaged), snacks, drinks, even condoms and smokes, but with the majority of their products being natural, organic and as local as possible. They use organic milk in their Stumptown coffee, and boast a whole line of vegan dishes to choose from, in addition to meaty breakfast and lunch deals and various pastries and desserts. I also saw a huge selection of sodas made with real sugar, not nasty high fructose corn syrup.

We got The Greenpoint (seemed fitting) which is Ham, Broccoli Rabe, Pepper Jack Cheese, Fresh Arugula and Arugula Oil on Grilled Foccacia. It was sooooo good! Melty, spicy cheese, salty ham, delicious bitter greens and a nice, soft bread, grilled to greasy perfection.



I also made sure to get a Cloud Cookie - a chocolate, chocolate chip cookie that so soft in the middle it's almost melting. It was so rich, it lasted me two days!



We also had a Stumptown latte that was pretty good, and cheaper than most of the other places serving Stumptown. I loved Brooklyn Standard and would go there many times a week if I lived in Greenpoint.

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day Everyone! Hope you're enjoying a day off with food, friends and fun! I'll be back Wednesday with more tales of Brooklyn food. Happy Eating!



But, just to give you something to look forward to, here are a few awesome food events coming up in the next few weeks!

Wednesday, September 9th: WORD hosts the debut of Brooklyn-writer Michelle Maisto's book The Gastronomy of Marriage: A Memoir of Food and Love (Random House, $15.00). She will be joined by Ben Sargent, The Brooklyn Chowder Surfer for a discussion about food and family. AND...they'll be hosting a Cream Puff Contest, how cool is that??? The fun starts at 7:30pm.

Saturday, September 12th: At 11am, the Little Buddy Biscuit Company (a handcrafted microbakery) will be having their Grand Opening, complete with ribbon cutting ceremony with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. They've been in soft opening for a while, but I'm so looking forward to this place, as I've heard such good things about their products, especially those extra-large Chocolate Chip Cookies! Check 'em out, and stay tuned for my post about them!

Also on Saturday, September 12th: The launch of the Greenpoint Food Market! I'm so excited about this. It's a place for "Brooklyn food makers" to connect with their supporters and community at large. They're still looking for additional vendors. Check 'em out! The eating will take place from 12 - 6pm at the Church of the Messiah in Greenpoint.

Sunday, September 13th: The Bell House hosts the Brooklyn Cheese Experiment, a cheese cook-off and home-brew throw-down! I have no idea what this is going to be like, but all you need to know is that it's sponsored by Murray's Cheese! The Main Event is at 1pm; the After party starts at 5pm.

AND, for all you long-term planners out there, get ready for the 35th Annual Atlantic Antic! From 10 - 6pm you can wander about two miles worth of Atlantic Avenue in the middle of the street, eating your way through the neighborhoods and soaking up some of the best Brooklyn sights. See you there!

Lunch at Eat

I'm sorta confused as to what this place is called now. For years my boyfriend and I used to go here when it was Eat Records, the pancakes, eggs and bacon were the best and crates of the real deal lined the walls while off-beat avant-garde music filled the space. Now it seems to be known as just Eat (124 Meserole Ave., between Manhattan Ave. & Graham Ave., 718-389-8083) and there are only a few crates of records there, but what remains is pretty awesome. If you do a search online, "Eat Coffee LLC" comes up, but I understand they don't sell coffee to go anymore, much to the chagrin of online commentators. I spoke with the waitress a little about the menu and was told all of it is based on what's available at farms both really nearby (Rooftop Farm) and sorta nearby (upstate a little). Eat also hosts a CSA with the produce from the upstate farm and the chef creates the menu around what's freshest and in season. What you get is really good, tasty, quality food in a relaxed, comfortable environment.

There are appetizers, crostini, soups and sandwiches to choose from and everything sounded really enticing. I started out with a green salad made with greens from the Rooftop Farm, two kinds of radishes and topped with cheese from Consider Bardwell Farms (love them!). It was slightly bitter, really fresh and very flavorful with a light dressing of lemon juice and olive oil. I highly recommend it!



I also got the special Bahn Mi sandwich made with boiled eggs, carrots, parsley and daikon. The bread was crusty, and the ingredients just popped! So fresh and bright and yummy.



My BF got the Frittata made with asparagus that was gorgeous AND delicious to boot. Served cold, with a small salad on the side, it's perfect for a hot summer day.



I was sad to see Eat Records go, and they definitely went through some growing pains, but it's current iteration is wonderful and I hope more people go there to support a true local, community-oriented business!

More Cookies!

I seriously love cookies. I think they are my favorite sweet snack, if I can go so far as to name something my favorite. But really, a good cookie is the best way to have a bit of dessert without committing to a major situation. Chocolate Chip Cookies are the absolute best, if and when they are made well, and I'm always on the lookout for good cookie.

I recently tried the Chocolate Chip Cookie from Jacques Torres in DUMBO (66 Water St., between Main St. & Old Dock St., 718-875-9772). It was incredible, almost as big as my head and loaded with huge, dark chocolate chunks. It was a bit underdone and overly sweet for me, almost uncooked in the middle. It was still a fine cookie though, and I didn't have a problem finishing it.



Then, one day recently walking in Greenpoint, I stumbled upon Cookie Road, (94 Franklin St., at Oak St., 718-383-8094), a new coffee/sweets/sandwich shop run by it's very friendly owners. They have colorfully painted the outside of their corner shop in bright orange hues which already has got opinions flying. I liked it and liked the seats outside under the awning, perfect for all the rainy days we've been having. I tried two of their cookies, but there are many other options. One was Peanut Butter and really tasted like Peanut Butter, not some imitation, or flavoring, but real peanut butter. It was flaky and dense, and really good.



I liked the Rocky Road cookie more though, I think because I prefer chocolate. This was a double chocolate cookie with pecans & chocolate chips and sprinkled with mini marshamallows on top. This was a good cookie! Chocolately and moist, it went excellently with a glass of cold milk.



I didn't try their coffee, which has had mixed reviews, but am definitely happy to go back to support them and my cookie habit!

Brunch at Enid's

I've written about Enid's before (560 Manhattan Ave. at Driggs Ave.) but for dinner. Well, they have excellent brunch foods as well, which I was fortunate enough to enjoy recently with some friends. There's lots to choose from, and it definitely leans towards the hearty and comforting, with biscuits, hash and scrapple on the menu.

One of my favorite dishes is the Leek & Potato Hash (you can also get it with Bacon mixed in for a little extra), two eggs, any style, and more potatoes on the side. I chose this, with eggs over-easy and loved it because it's SO delicious. The hash is delightfully crispy on the outside and ever so slightly salty with lots of sauteed leeks throughout. The eggs are nicely done, with runny yolks but cooked whites. The potatoes are nothing to write home about, but I was so happy with the hash it really didn't matter.



There was Scrapple on the Specials menu, which was made from pork sausage, and came with a two eggs and a side of collard greens. One of my friends was brave enough to try it (plus a biscuit because they're so damn good) and was thoroughly rewarded. It was served in slice form, like meatloaf, but was a kind of soft consistency, as if the sausage was shredded. Lightly spiced, it was quite savory and surprisingly good. The collard greens were a little over-cooked though.



Another friend ordered the Museli & Fruit with soy milk, one of the more 'healthy' options at this vegetarian and vegan-friendly spot. This was decent, but not anything too special. The fruit was fresh and the museli included dates and raisins.



There was also an order of the "Hungry Bear" - buttermilk biscuit, two eggs and grits with gravy. It doesn't look like much - being so beige - and the gravy was a bit on the heavy side. Not the favorite of the morning.



There are also delicious brunch cocktails like this Mimosa - champagne & orange juice - what a pretty way to start your Sunday!