Sunday, October 10, 2004
Essex
TEXT
After a long hiatus (okay, we never really got started), the Brunch Bunch reconvenes to offer our thoughts on every New Yorker’s favorite meal.
Today’s Brunch Bunch episode takes place at Essex, the hip Lower East Side weekend hot spot at the corner of Rivington and, you guessed it, Essex. Our BB group consisted of Lacy and myself, with Ryan McWilliams filling in for founding member Jenny Williams. Our special guest this weekend was the ever-so-charming Caryn Ganz, upcoming associate editor for Spin magazine (congrats again on the promotion Caryn!).
Essex offers a brunch menu of eclectic fare and traditional favorites. Each dish comes at a set price of $14 with up to three mimosas, screwdrivers, or bloody marys included, making this a perfect choice for getting your drink on early in the day. And since you are hitting the sauce during a meal as civilized as brunch, no one can judge you for having a buzz at three in the afternoon.
Serious brunchers don’t mind waiting for a table at Essex. We arrived around 2:30. The place was crowded as usual and the BB-ers were told we’d be waiting 30 minutes for a table. We are a patient and polite sort (actually, I think we still hadn’t really woken up yet), so we took the wait in stride despite a few general complaints concerning hunger pains. Thirty minutes later we were seated on the lower level of the restaurant which, incidentally, allows diners who like a little skin with their eggs (more on this later) to glimpse the bloomers of all the skirted young ladies climbing the staircase to their tables on the upper deck. That’s just a tip for all you dirty, dirty folks out there.
We debated what to order while nibbling on onion rolls and sipping cocktails. We all agreed on the importance of bacon and shared a common desire to taste some biscuits and gravy. And finally, we ordered.
Caryn – 3 eggs (over-easy) with bacon and assorted fruit. Cocktail - Mimosa. Rating – “Really good.” Caryn also noted, “This song is too old” in reference to Nelly’s “Ride With Me.” The Essex soundtrack also consisted of 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” and Outkast’s “Hey Ya.” Don't get us wrong - these are all good songs. But Caryn was right. They are a bit past their prime, but haven’t been around long enough to really be retro, making them a little out of place among the culturally aware patrons of Essex.
Lacy – Steak and Eggs (over-easy). Cocktail - Bloody Mary. Rating – “Damn good, as always!” I should note that if steak is offered on a menu, Lacy will order it. He also ordered a side of bacon which was served in a bowl. Lacy was kind enough to share his bowl of bacon with his fellow BB-ers.
Ryan – The Southern (a dish of eggs served over biscuits and gravy, with a side of sausage patties). Cocktail - Mimosa. Ryan’s eggs were served sunny side up. Rating – “My mom makes it better, and it’s free.” This statement was made in regard to the gravy. Ryan is from Virginia and knows from whence he speaks.
Laura – The Southern (eggs served over-medium). Cocktail - Mimosa. Rating – as a fellow southerner, I’ll have to agree with Ryan’s assessment regarding the gravy. Biscuit gravy should be white and milky, not brown and chunky. However, both Ryan and I made happy plates today, so we really can’t complain that much.
Earlier I mentioned the unmentionables that can easily be spotted from the bottom floor of Essex. In addition to the panties on the staircase, a woman seated to our right treated us to the sight of her lacy blue thong showing prominently above her low-rise jeans. Not only did this thong reveal enough of her ass-cheeks to make the Brunch Bunch snicker, it also matched her blue long-sleeved sweater and hair clip perfectly. There was even a little plastic strawberry appliqué sewn to a blue satin ribbon covering the small fabric triangle above her crack, which complimented the fruit on Caryn’s plate quite nicely. If this teaches us anything, it is that brunch is a meal one must coordinate their clothing for.
After a long hiatus (okay, we never really got started), the Brunch Bunch reconvenes to offer our thoughts on every New Yorker’s favorite meal.
Today’s Brunch Bunch episode takes place at Essex, the hip Lower East Side weekend hot spot at the corner of Rivington and, you guessed it, Essex. Our BB group consisted of Lacy and myself, with Ryan McWilliams filling in for founding member Jenny Williams. Our special guest this weekend was the ever-so-charming Caryn Ganz, upcoming associate editor for Spin magazine (congrats again on the promotion Caryn!).
Essex offers a brunch menu of eclectic fare and traditional favorites. Each dish comes at a set price of $14 with up to three mimosas, screwdrivers, or bloody marys included, making this a perfect choice for getting your drink on early in the day. And since you are hitting the sauce during a meal as civilized as brunch, no one can judge you for having a buzz at three in the afternoon.
Serious brunchers don’t mind waiting for a table at Essex. We arrived around 2:30. The place was crowded as usual and the BB-ers were told we’d be waiting 30 minutes for a table. We are a patient and polite sort (actually, I think we still hadn’t really woken up yet), so we took the wait in stride despite a few general complaints concerning hunger pains. Thirty minutes later we were seated on the lower level of the restaurant which, incidentally, allows diners who like a little skin with their eggs (more on this later) to glimpse the bloomers of all the skirted young ladies climbing the staircase to their tables on the upper deck. That’s just a tip for all you dirty, dirty folks out there.
We debated what to order while nibbling on onion rolls and sipping cocktails. We all agreed on the importance of bacon and shared a common desire to taste some biscuits and gravy. And finally, we ordered.
Caryn – 3 eggs (over-easy) with bacon and assorted fruit. Cocktail - Mimosa. Rating – “Really good.” Caryn also noted, “This song is too old” in reference to Nelly’s “Ride With Me.” The Essex soundtrack also consisted of 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” and Outkast’s “Hey Ya.” Don't get us wrong - these are all good songs. But Caryn was right. They are a bit past their prime, but haven’t been around long enough to really be retro, making them a little out of place among the culturally aware patrons of Essex.
Lacy – Steak and Eggs (over-easy). Cocktail - Bloody Mary. Rating – “Damn good, as always!” I should note that if steak is offered on a menu, Lacy will order it. He also ordered a side of bacon which was served in a bowl. Lacy was kind enough to share his bowl of bacon with his fellow BB-ers.
Ryan – The Southern (a dish of eggs served over biscuits and gravy, with a side of sausage patties). Cocktail - Mimosa. Ryan’s eggs were served sunny side up. Rating – “My mom makes it better, and it’s free.” This statement was made in regard to the gravy. Ryan is from Virginia and knows from whence he speaks.
Laura – The Southern (eggs served over-medium). Cocktail - Mimosa. Rating – as a fellow southerner, I’ll have to agree with Ryan’s assessment regarding the gravy. Biscuit gravy should be white and milky, not brown and chunky. However, both Ryan and I made happy plates today, so we really can’t complain that much.
Earlier I mentioned the unmentionables that can easily be spotted from the bottom floor of Essex. In addition to the panties on the staircase, a woman seated to our right treated us to the sight of her lacy blue thong showing prominently above her low-rise jeans. Not only did this thong reveal enough of her ass-cheeks to make the Brunch Bunch snicker, it also matched her blue long-sleeved sweater and hair clip perfectly. There was even a little plastic strawberry appliqué sewn to a blue satin ribbon covering the small fabric triangle above her crack, which complimented the fruit on Caryn’s plate quite nicely. If this teaches us anything, it is that brunch is a meal one must coordinate their clothing for.
Monday, February 09, 2004
Banania Mania
I would like to state for the record that Banania is one of my absolute favorite brunch places. The food is excellent. They serve each table a bread basket which includes a chocolate croissant. Really, can you ask for much more?
I ate there yesterday morning with Alex and Elana. We discussed video games and opening a new school.
I had hanger steak, eggs over-easy, mesclun salad, and home fries. YUM!
4 Stars -- A solid showing, but I think I've eaten there too many times to consider it fantastic.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
All brunch. All the time.
coming soon.
