#brunchbrat

So no one likes to admit it but the Upper East Side has become way cooler than it used to be and it not longer reserved for stuffy and/or jappy moms or your grandmother. What I like to call the “post Murray Hill” is now crawling with young New Yorkers desperate for something more than 200 sq. foot studio in the East Village that will cost you your soul. So what if every now and then you have to climb over a few strollers to get to the cashier at H&H Bagels?! 

Here is the Brunch Brat’s guide to the UES.

DRANKS (priorities)

The Gilroy – super chic cocktail bar that looks like it could be in SOHO. They also have decent small bites. Great date spot.

The Penrose – this place screams “young UES” – so much so that it makes the UES look like the new Williamsburg. Unfortunately, I had a bad food experience here but have heard good things otherwise. I’ll stick to the dranks.

Pony Bar – when you want to impress out of towners with a crazy craft beer selection, and then they’ll hear you say “I’ll have the one that tastes like Blue Moon”

The Jeffrey – another place that may as well be in Brooklyn. While it’s in a weird location essentially under the Queensborough Bridge. The Jeffrey has an amazing patio great for day drinking in warm weather season. They also have shadily good food, snacks, and there’s TRUFFLE POPCORN.

Seamstress – another spot great for a date. This dark trendy bar brings young chic to the UES. They have great cocktails – also you must. try. the. burger.

Supply House – casual bar, a great spot for one last drank after taking your grandmother to dinner.

EATS

Serena’s – an adorable wine bar/bistro in the 60s. Great for a catch up with the ladies. Menu is heavy on cheese – but yes, I’ll have some cheese with my whine. Gossip Girl pun intended. 

Jones Wood Foundry  - this British gastro pub is straight outta the UK sans lanky pale brits with bad teeth. Great ambiance and food. I even took a British friend here and they were impressed. Down side: no hard alcohol

Baraonda – old school turned new school Italian joint that comes without UES side stuffiness. Prices are reasonable and staff is great. I highly recommend the truffle gnocchi.

Beyoglu – the kind of place that is literally good for everything. Simple Turkish/Mediterranean cuisine that is affordable and amazing.

Sushi Para – an all you can eat sushi joint that won’t give you the heebie-jeebies. Not to mention it’s BYOB. Great spot for a group date.

Heidi’s House – I kid you not this place has maybe 5 tables. They don’t take reservations but you can call after 5pm to get on the WAITING LIST to get in. Food is fresh, seasonable, and changes nightly. Truly a neighborhood gem that I contemplated leaving off this list.

Felice (63rd and 81st locations) - Consistently food Italian wine bar.  

The Writing Room – elegant yet trendy bistro. I recommend it for a casual lunch.

Uva – I’m not sure why UEsiders love Italian food so much, but Uva is another happenin’ spot with great food and a trendy ambiance. They have great outdoor/patio seating in season.

BRUNCH

Petaluma – A secret bottomless brunch option.

Infirmary – New Orleans style cocktail bar/restaurant. Better for drinks than for brunch but they offer a bottomless special. Good for girls night or dates.

Sojourn – Probably my favorite brunch option on the UES. People are catching onto this though and I hope it doesn’t spoil this gem.

Maya – Unlimited brunch drinks and unlimited mediocre small plates. What more could a girl want?

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Luke’s Lobster – for making lobster rolls accessible to me.

Up Thai – the best Thai on the UES – both dine in and seamless!

Cascabel Taqueria- not impressed by the food but they have a good young crowd, margaritas, and a bottomless brunch.

Pizza Beach – you will have to crawl over stroller to get a small table sitting directly next to a baby. It might be worth it.

Brother Jimmy’s – for when you’re feeling classy fratty and want a place to watch the game. I’m not so secretly obsessed with their pulled chicken nachos.

Boqueria- I have heard mixed reviews but once had a delicious lunch hear and drank and entire pitcher of sangria.

SKIP

Pil Pil – I might be picky with my Spanish food since I’ve lived in Spain but this was just not worth it, although it is always hoppin’

Bar Coastal – so many other better sports bar options.

La Nuit – overly sketchy and gimmicky hookah bar meets Mediterranean restaurant. They also have terrible service.

STILL ON THE HIT LIST

ABV/Earl’s Beer and Cheese

The Milton

BKB

Sfoglia

Taking more suggestions! [email protected]

Pig and Khao - which you may have heard of unless you live under a rock or don't watch Bravo, is a breathe of fresh air in a world of tasteless bottomless brunches.  

You probably didn't even know that Pig and Khao has a bottomless brunch so..you're welcome. Started by Top Chef alum Leah Cohen, Pig and Khao is nestled on the Lower East Side which has just enough grunge and just enough trend.  

Contrary to popular belief, this place does actually take reservations. I went on a quiet winter Saturday so it wasn't overly packed but, still glad I made the reservation since there is very limited table seating. There's also a back patio which must be bomb during the warmer months. 

We started off with a round of various mimosa flavors - they offer orange, lychee, and mango. No question, the lychee was AMAZING and the perfect mix of juice and champagne. The others were good also but the lychee was different and essentially perfect. 

Service was standard, nothing to gush about but pleasant. The menu is a fused mix of Filipino and Thai cuisines in dishes that are meant to be shared. We dove right in and ordered garlic rice, Sizzling Corn Beef Hash, Bahn Xeo (sizzling shrimp crepe), Shan Noodles (ground chicken with rice noodles), and the Khao Soi (red curry noodles) to share. Everything just comes out as it is ready which is kind of fun. The garlic rice was good, nothing special to be honest. The main dishes though were amazing and interesting. The sizzling corn beef hash comes on a skillet plate with a raw egg in the middle and is delicious and rich. The Shan Noodles were my favorite - full of flavor and really interesting. 

The shrimp crepe was not what I expected, the crepe actually fried but still really good and interesting. The curry noodles were my least favorite mainly because it was too spicy for my liking. 

We were four people and after all of this we were still hungry so we ordered the powdered sugar donuts with pandam custard. Boy, these were the perfect ending to the meal - Fluffy, delicious donut bites with sweet (but not too sweet) dipping sauce. 

My only other complaint is that they ran out of lychee juice. 

The Damage: Not cheap but definitely worth it for the amazing and interesting food. The bottomless option adds $15 and includes mimosas or yuengling. Entree dishes run $8-16, with extra dishes to share and dessert it adds up. But again, worth every penny.  

The Deets: 68 Clinton Street (Between Rivington and Stanton) LES

Overall Consensus: Just do it. Side note: the kitchen is open so you will leave smelling like corn beef hash and curry noodles. 

Good For: Boozy Brunch, small groups, group dates, essentially everything 

Post Brunch: Anywhere on the Lower East Side/East Village. If you're willing to walk, The 13th Step has ridiculous happy hour specials (and college kids) - I literally thought something was wrong when they charged me 12 dollars for 3 drinks. 

As part of constant search for the cool/young Upper East Side dining options, I decided to check out Infirmary for their Brunch. I had been their for drinks and had a grand ol' time. I was intrigued by the New Orleans decor/concept and wanted to try the food. You can take the girl out of Tulane but you can't take the Tulane out of the girl #whodat. 

The place is definitely "new upper east side" - filled with young people in their post Murray Hill phase of life (Thank god I never did that). In fact there were approximately 3 tinder dates each time I've been there and the waiters are hipster. 

We did not get off to a good start when we were seated in the front bar area as opposed to the main dining area. Even though we made a reservation there was "no room" in the restaurant section. The bar area table was okay but quite small and we sat on bar stools. Honestly, sitting on a backless bar stool does not really go well with a bottomless brunch. I will say that I enjoy the New Orleans inspired decor which is no overdone or cheesy. 

We started with a round of drinks - a little complicated since some of us only wanted champagne sans orange juice but the waiter was understanding. The menu is interesting - a selection of po'boys with a mix of delicious sounding soul food (both egg and lunch options). I was torn between the fried chicken and the baked eggs - the waiter recommended fried chicken so I went for it. #fatsunday. My friends all ordered different versions of the Infirmary Po Boy. The food took a long time but we were enjoying our mimosas/champagne. We sometimes had to push for a refill. We were told there was a 4 drink maximum although the website now says unlimited on the website. I hope they changed that rule anyway, it was stupid.  

Our food came and my fried chicken looked perfect and it came with a hefty slice of jalepeno cornbread. I will say, it was as good as it looked - juicy and tender while not being overly heavy or greasy. Unfortunately, the cornbread was a little dry. 

Also unfortunately, all of my friend's po'boys turned out wrong. To the waiters defense we were being obnoxious confusing - one with no cheese, one with no bacon, one with egg whites blah blah blah. So it was not really surprising that this occurred. After trying to explain what happened for 10 minutes they brought out a side of cheese and a side of bacon to appease everyone. He also offered an extra round of drinks which was appreciated (although not applicable if this is considered bottomless). At the end of the day, this restaurant probably hated us. We were gearing up for, and very excited for beignets for dessert since I’ve heard they are amazing..to put the icing on the cake (or powdered sugar on the beignets) THEY WERE “OUT” of beignets. HOW DOES THAT EVEN HAPPEN.  

The Damage: Reasonable/standard for a more upscale restaurant. Entree + $15 for the boozy option. 

The Deets: 720 2nd Ave (between 89th and 90th) 

Overall Consensus: Mixed emotions. Great soul food and ambiance but service can be hit or miss (or a hot mess). I would go back here but likely just for drinks. 

Good For: Boozy Brunch, UES brunch, small groups, date brunch

Post Brunch: Brother Jimmy's is across the street. Supply house could be fun too.  

I know..I’m starting to suck at this blog thing but Instagram is like tumblr for kids who can’t read good and I get caught up. Needless to say..the brat is back bringing you reviews of the best (and worst) NYC brunch spots. The good, the bad, and the ugly. In other news I’ve also branched outside of my comfort zone and have matured as a brunch brat – venturing outside Manhattan (occasionally) and also not only brunching bottomless (I call it brunching with pants).

Let’s get back into it with one of my favorite bottomless joints: Barbounia.

Barbounia is quite popular and for a good reason. The location is kind of basic (convenient, but nothing special) but the space is huge, lively, and chic. The high ceilings enhance the Mediterranean feel without being cheesy and the place is just kinda sexy. The music is a little loud but not annoyingly so. The crowd is young, eager, and beautiful 20-30 somethings. I like a good bottomless option that comes sans-trashy people (AKA trash bags). I always look at those young couples who bring a baby to bottomless brunch and think..you have a baby…in a bar…but then also think that I will totally be that person who brings my baby to a bar and to bottomless brunch. #futurebrunchbrat 

The service is okay..but given how packed Barbounia always is I can understand it. They also have a ton of hot gay waiters who might be slow but they are really friendly, funny, and nice to look at. They can be a little slow on the refills but then they finally gave in and gave us our own bottle of champagne. The waitor also messed up one of our orders but was nice (and smart) enough to comp the meal. Just a side note: the unisex bathroom is weird. 

The menu is extensive – a little overwhelming, but the food is great and all greek/Mediterranean influenced. Sometimes large menus = mediocre food but that is not the case here. There are a variety of breakfast and lunch items, but I would recommend the lunch items and insist that the trio of dips is ordered. We started with the hummus, spicy feta, tzaziki – which were all to die for. I absolutely love the spicy feta and the flatbread (straight from the oven) is delish.

After much debate, I ordered the Mediterranean Pita (Roasted eggplant, chopped salad, sliced egg, tahini and amba). Honestly, I was so full of dips and mimosas that I could barely eat. I wouldn’t actually order this dish again, it was a little heavy on the sauce but the fries it came with were amazing.

 My work-husband said that the Greek Salad was on of the best he’s ever had and it gave him a “barb-oner.”

 The lamb burger got great reviews, as did the pizza and the shakshukas. Another side note – the portions are pretty big.

The Damage: The cost of a good bottomless brunch does not come cheap. The bottomless option is 18.95 plus the price of your entre (14-19) so it’s actually not that bad. The trio of dips adds another $18.50 but well worth is. Plan on spending 40-50 a person hear but it’s worth it and you’ll leave happily tipsy.

The Deets: 250 Park Ave S (between 19th and 20th) - Gramercy. Takes reservations.  

Overall Consensus: One of my favorite bottomless brunch places. Great for not sacrificing good food for unlimited mimosas. Great ambiance, décor, and crowd - although it can get a little loud. Food is amazing and apparently it is also good for dinner. Highly recommend. #barboner 

Good For: group brunches, the all about me brunch, girls brunch, the 3rdtinder date, and obviously boozy brunch 

Post-brunch: Dukes for drink specials or Ainsworth park for not drink specials but both are still a good time (and a little fratty)

Go to as many brunches as possible

Go to as many free brunches as possible

Launch Brunch Brat as a business – contact [email protected] for partership information

Stop doing plebian things

Stop being messy – hire a cleaning lady since cleaning is too plebian

Defriend people who post annoying shit on facebook

Wear more workout clothes so I look like I go to the gym

Try not to visibly roll my eyes when my boss says something stupid

Donate all my old clothing that I no longer wear (see I can be nice..)

Brunch outside my comfort zone (a.k.a out of Manhattan)

Basically this: 

Oye...where do I start. 

I would normally include the De Santos website and brunch menu here but their website is down because they forgot to pay for it. 

Ambiance is okay..nothing special but still cute. It has a quaint feel like you're in someone's house. But it's pretty noticeable that the location is directly above a subway line and every 3 minutes it felt like an earthquake under my chair. 

The service is decent - nice and attractive staff but they recently introduced a new menu and I thought it was a little strange and a little limited. Again, I would input the link here...but the website is down. They brought us a pitcher of mimosas which was good and refilled it promptly when we were finished. At least the mimosas were good. 

I opted for the burger with parmesan butter and truffle fries..because truffle fries. My brunch date ordered the chicken BLT. You should have seen my face when my food came out and on the plate were plain french fries. I'm not talking about nice plain homemade french fries..I'm talking about the frozen variety that you eat at camp in 6th grade. Seriously. Is that a joke?! The burger bun was also stale.

The chicken club wasn't much better and also came with the same frozen fries. My work husband (clearly a fellow brunch brat) rated his meal a 3 out of 10. 

The Damage: Far more than necessary. $36 for bottomless brunch drinks and an entree. With tax and tip it ended up being $50 and so not worth it. 

The Deets: 139 W 10th St - west village. (between Waverly and Greenwich)

Overall Consensus: Just don't do it. 

Good for: nothing (aside from drinking bottomless mimosas) but there are other places to do that. I know...way harsh Tai, but this place is basically a virgin who can't drive. (#clueless) 

Post Brunch: The Happiest Hour - a new whimsical bar that unfortunately does not have drink specials but I mean the drinks come in tiki cups and they apparently have burgers that are way better than the one I ate at De Santos. 

Alright...this one might be extra bratty but I'll keep it short. Going to The Guilty Goose was a last minute decision after a friend made a spontaneous trip to NYC for the weekend. We needed a reservation and for lack of a nicer way to put it (not that I care) all other places were booked and the guilty goose wasn't..now I know why. 

The location is decent..even though I expected it to be nicer for Flatiron. It's simple, super casual, restaurant that definitely has a bar feel. The crowd was really diverse - a really random mix of young people (ranging from japs, randos, and trash bags). 

The service was okay - our waiter seemed perpetually confused but I'm not really sure why. At least my mimosa came in giant goblet (aka tulip glass) which was kinda random since other people had regular champagne glasses. The mimosa was pretty standard and the goblet seemed like it was bottomless. They were OKAY with the refills but we had to ask a few times.

 The menu is also standard - some options that sounded good - fairly basic but a well rounded mix of foods. I opted for the burger because #yolo (also #fatsunday). Also ordered were a few egg dishes and a veggie burger. My burger was good - but did not wow me at all. Unfortunately, the sherry marinated onions were way too strong and overpowered the entire dish. at least the fries were good.

They were probably the best thing at the table. My friend rated the veggie burger a 3 out of 10 (she's a fellow brunch brat). I also tried the steak and eggs and the steak was extremely under-seasoned. 

The Damage: It is reasonable but honestly not worth it. $35 for an entree with bottomless drinks (mimosas, micheladas, or select draft beers). Side note: the waiter also overcharged us on the bill and we noticed.

The Deets: (if you still want to go there) 131 W 23rd St (between 6th and 7th) Chelsea/Flatiron  

Overall Consensus: Just don't. They do have decent reviews on yelp so maybe there were just on an off day...

Good For: Chill brunch..and nothing... 

Post Brunch: Ainsworth Park or The Turnmill