Location: 366 Union Ave @ Grand St, Williamsburg

Menu: not online yet, but here’s their website http://santosanne.com/

Brunch Hours: Sat & Sun, 12p – 4p

My Rating: 

Long Story Short: An adorable fusion of French and Mexican.  I was super sad when Elote closed, but this place soothes the loss.  The fare is mostly spicy, but not un-doable (even for a wuss like me).  Overall, this place is awesome – friendly staff, great food – and I highly recommend you try it, especially in the warm weather as their backyard is outstanding.  And they give you a free tequila shot at the end of the meal.  Nice.

Long Story Long: 

Do not be fooled by the picture above.  That is NOT a bloody Mary.  That is her mexican cousin, a bloody Maria, containing housemade, rosemary infused tequila.  I’m not gonna lie – it was scary.  I could tell it would be spicy (that thick, seed-filled jalapeño slice is what tipped me off) and I could tell it would be strong (the whiff of tequila as the glass was placed on the table was my clue there); I was disappointed on neither count.  It was overall pretty delish except that as a direct result of a VERY drunken going away party the night before, I was almost unable to finish it.  Almost.

Indulge me as I backtrack a little here – Elote, as I have expressed often, held a very special place in my heart.  Aside from being quite taken with their bloody (I still remember it as the best in the neighborhood), Elote was also a place that I felt comfortable stumbling into in a spectrum of states, a place I probably brunched at with every single person I know at least once, a place where I held court at almost every table I occupied, blearily recounting some of the craziest, weirdest, most memorable, fun, and yes – on occasion – most humiliating nights of my life.

I have noticed that in its absence, those nights have occurred less and less – I mean, clearly this has nothing to do with Elote closing.  I guess you could say that I began acting my age: slowly realizing that I’m not always able (aka shouldn’t) do things in the same ways that I used to.  Yes I said “not always,” which doesn’t equate with “never.”  Case in point, the night before I tried Santos Anne.  It was definitely a doozy – fun, but maybe a little more than my old bones can take these days.

Did I leave for brunch with my head-aching, bursting with ridiculous stories for BFFF?  Yes.  Was I trying to recreate some version of that old “me”?  Well…

It would be super poetic and appropriate if I said I was, wouldn’t it?  But the truth of it is that the appropriateness of us going there on that particular day just occurs to me now.  In truth, it was a total a fluke- we were actually trying to go to Barricou, but the wait was too long.  In fact, I don’t even think I knew anything had opened up in that spot.  But, admittedly, I do like the symmetry of it all.

In any case, it was a lovely experience on all counts and I have gone back there several times since.  And though my state of mind is typically less altered, and I am markedly more well rested,  thankfully, I still tell really hilarious, ridiculous stories. Hangover before: retro Hangover after: nostalgic

Pictured: 1. The deadly bloody maria.  It even looks scary in the pics 2. Chilaquiles with shredded chicken (already gone from the menu) 3. Steak tartare, mexi-style with jalapeños.

Use the categories on the right or click on the map to find the place for you. More places rated every week, so check back often!

Click here to read more about Brunchkill…

Location: 92 Calyer St, at Franklin, Greenpoint

Menu: http://www.calyerbrooklyn.com/brunch-2/

Brunch Hours: Sat & Sun, 11a-3p

My Rating: 

Long Story Short: Since this place is a sister restaurant to Anella, I would have to say run, don’t walk.  The food is creative and amazing.  Can get a little pricey if you let it, because you’ll want to literally try everything, but if you can control yourself… more power to you.  Oh and the bloody was amazing and garnished with cornichons. yum.

Long Story Long: 

I was super-psyched about this place for the one week in between an AMAZING dinner here with Monster and P-nasty et al and our scheduled brunch here last saturday.  Sadly, M & P had to bail, but luckily I had my long walk into Greenpoint (and some gaga) to help me deal with my lame passive-aggressiveness and change my attitude.  By the time I arrived at my destination, I was in a much more pleasant state of mind to meet my brunch companion – let’s call him Muse (mostly because the direct result of his urging/discipline/commitment to a monthly brunch date in 2012 is what served as my inspiration to start this blog up again…).

In any case, as a result of my dinner, I knew this to be a small-plates-sharing-type place.  And I am NOT good at sharing, especially during brunch.  Ask my siblings.

Call it a side effect from my skipping kindergarten if you want, but really, I’m just not that into it.  Since Muse and I are new-ish friends, I was mildly concerned that this would be an issue.  I was pleased to discover, however, that their brunch menu features larger plates, still pretty much designed for sharing, but it’s not mandatory if you don’t dig that kind of thing.  Clearly Muse and I were not feeling it, and we ended up ordering the exact same things.  No sharing necessary.  Hangover before: mine Hangover after: MINE!

Pictured: 1. My bloody 2. Twin bloodies 3. Twin beet salads 4. Twin chicken sausage and egg sandwiches with tomatillo salsa.  yum.

Location: 79 Berry St, between N. 9th & 10th, Williamsburg G

Menu: http://cafe-colette.com/images/brunchmenu.jpg

Brunch Hours: 10am – 4pm

My Rating: 

Long Story Short:  Incredible signature cocktails, passable bloody (the pickle spear is a nice touch).  The food is consistently awesome – and the portions are exactly right.  Expensive, but worth every penny.

Long Story Long:  I have to confess that if I had written this post after the first time I went to this place, I don’t know that I would have given it that 4th stalk.  But after many MANY MANY returns to this adorable (if not a teeny bit too hipster in decor and clientele for my taste, but it’s subtle enough to not be annoying) establishment, I have absolutely softened.

Anyway, in the months and months and months that I have been coming here and not writing about it, one visit in particular springs to mind.  It was the first time in known memory that I ordered a cocktail other than a bloody… yeah. I know.  It’s huge.  Here’s the sad part:

Well, there’s 2 sad parts actually – one is that the cocktail in question is no longer on the menu.  The other is that I cannot for the life of me remember the name of it, but it was bourbon based and had lapsang souchong-infused…. something.  Argh.  Regardless, it was delicious and I hope they bring it back.  Oh – and the food was great.  I ordered the egg sandwich – as far as the quest goes, it was a pretty unmemorable entry, but pretty solid as an egg sandwich in general.  The small plates and sides here are also amazing and I always leave here perfectly satisfied, but not overly full.  Which is nice.  Hangover before: i need a bloody Hangover after: bloody who?

Pictured: 1. The mediocre bloody 2. Amazing mystery cocktail 3. A lighter version of a pina colada – the Johnny colada 4. A delicious heirloom tomato salad to start 5. Egg sandwich  6. BFFFs “eggs in purgatory” – hard to describe but totally order.  I think it now goes by “baked eggs”

Location: 632 Manhattan Avenue @ Nassau Ave, Greenpoint

Menu: http://www.themanhattaninn.com/?page_id=16

Brunch Hours: Sat & Sun, 11am – 3pm

My Rating: 

Long Story Short: Food is fine, bloody was pretty great… BUT be warned.  There is a real person playing piano in the back room.  A plus for those of you into that sort of thing (they have very talented performers) but if you are like me and have this weird issue about talking while someone is performing… just remember, you and your awkward brunch companions were warned.

Long Story Long:

On this chilly(ish) winter day, I am reminded a roof party at P-Nasty’s.  I believe this particular gathering (there were many) occurred at the very height of 2 summers ago, and I believe it was not tied specifically to any occasion –  it was… just because.  It was fun.  Maybe a bit too much fun.  Regardless, we all somehow managed to make it to brunch the next day in Greenpoint.  It was a bunch of us – including our previous night’s host who, out of all of us, was a bit worse for wear.  I was in the midst of my egg sandwich journey at the time but hadn’t bothered to consult the menu to see if they had one.  Which reminds me…

Fuck.  You see, one of the bigger problems with my being a huuuuuge slacker and not writing these posts till way after the fact is that menus change.   Like all the time.  So that puts a bit of a damper on my story.  sigh.

I was gonna talk about how much I hate reuben sandwiches and how the thought of corned beef, russian dressing & sauerkraut with eggs while wickedly hungover was rather distressing, but I had to order it anyway in the name of research and it was totally awesomely delicious and I love when trying something new actually works out.  It would have been a beautiful tale of accepting and embracing change.

However.

I just checked and it’s not on their menu anymore.  Bummer for you guys.  They do have another sandwich on there, scarily named “the porker” – sausage patty, braised bacon, roasted tomato & cheddar scrambled eggs on brioche.  Sounds pretty stellar, but knowing me, I’d probably be too self-conscious to say “I’d like the porker please.”  I guess I could always just point to it on the menu.  Ordering something regardless of how scary it was the last time really had it’s benefits.  Hangover before: unspeakable Hangover after: empowered

Pictured: (not that it matters – none of this is still available) 1. Bloodys 2. Amazing egg sandwich, you will be missed 3. P-Nasty’s granola and fruit 4. An omelette with grits 5. Green Eggs and Ham, i believe this was called.

Location: 222 Franklin Ave between Green & Huron, Greenpoint

Menu: http://www.anellabrooklyn.com/menu/anella-brunch.pdf

Brunch Hours: Sat & Sun, 11am – 3pm, Cash only

My Rating: 

Long Story Short: A little on the pricey side (because you definitely want to hit up some of those apps & sides, trust me), but worth every single penny.  So fresh and delicious, and I should mention that all the breads and pastries are baked on the premises by the (incredibly hot) chef.  Bloody was passable but nothing special though I sincerely couldn’t give a shit about that.  Try this place, it’s amazing – worth the price and the hike into Greenpoint.

Long Story Long:

In my long, winding, journeys around the hood with BFFF in search of new places to dine (aka, she’s goes running, thinks she may have seen a restaurant, we go seek it out and realize it was a plant store or pharmacy IF it even exists…) we often come up empty and return again and again to the same places.  This story is similar, with one major exception - this time, instead of being a product of runner’s high-induced hallucinations, she actually stumbled upon a truly hidden gem up in the far reaches of Greenpoint, namely Anella.  Monster, P-Nasty, BFFF and I hit this place up for dinner one night and we were truly blown away.  There was this one roasted broccoli side dish we had that was… well, more on that later.  The next morning, visions of florets dancing in our heads, Monster called me to discuss brunch plans.  We were having trouble picking a place… we both knew what we wanted to do, but neither of us could say it.  Finally, he took the leap.  ”You know… we could just go back to Anella.  I mean, who cares, right?”

That was all the reasoning any of us needed.  Anella it was.

Brunch was just as tasty as dinner was the night before AND as luck would have it, they had run out of one of the menu items we wanted and in exchange were offering the roasted broccoli, watercress, parmesan we had the night before.  Amazing.  And even better the second time around.

Who cares that we sat at the exact same table and ordered the exact same dish? Who cares that the staff totally recognized us?  And though we didn’t return for a third meal in a row there later that night, I hear a rumor that P-Nasty and Monster may have returned the following day.  Just sayin.  Noooo judgement… Hangover Before: Deja vu  Hangover After: Deja vu all over again…

Pictured: (apologies, I was attempting some kind of “birds-eye” experiment thing… not my best idea…) 1. 2 bloodys and a pickled green bean 2. Yum – homemade pastry basket 3. Broccoli from heaven 4. My egg sandwich from above 5. Ricotta frittata 6. Tomato omelette

Location: 352 Bedford Ave @ S. 4th, Williamsburg

Menu: http://rabbitholerestaurant.com/index2.html

Brunch Hours: All week long (!), 8am – 5pm (!!)

My Rating:

Long Story Short: Good lord this place is good… and they serve brunch every day.  Bloody was awesome and if that’s not your thing they have many signature cocktails to choose from.  And you can get them at 8am on a Monday if you wanted.  Yay America!

Long Story Long:

All this annoying snow has got me thinking…. (aka i’m stuck in my house, dvr is empty and there is NOTHING on tv at all…)

Didn’t I used to have a blog?

YES! a BRUNCH blog. This one, as a matter of fact. Duh.

I started this post a few months ago and never finished it which is a shame because this egg sandwich quest has carried on, even in my long absence from writing about it.  In the new year, I am going to do my best to kill brunch more regularly (now that I only have one job I can’t complain about having no time anymore), but until then, here’s the tale of how I began an epic journey (aaand I had to hold myself back from writing “egg-pic”… oops, guess not.)…

So basically, I have been on a mission lately.  An egg sandwich study, if you will.  You see, ever since that fucking amazing Good sandwich, I have developed a bit of an obsession.  And in my brief (ahem almost 6 months) hiatus from this blog, I have taken the opportunity to revisit some of my favorite haunts to check out their entries.  Some highlights – there was the potato sandwich at Roebling Tea Room,  the amazing bacon on the Prime Meats entry, a lovely torta at Mesa Coyoacon, some ridic pesto concoction at the Lodge and…. well, I’m still not sure what the fuck this was (from Enids).

But it all started on this day at the Rabbit Hole.  I was joined at an outdoor table by Monster, P-Nasty, BFFF as well as special guest stars Brunchbabybro & his lovely (now) fiancee Jen the Therapist (not her real name or occupation… it’s a long story).  Anyway, once I saw the sandwich on the menu, I, of course, began rambling on and on about the Good sandwich which naturally sparked a debate.

And thus, the study was born.  As for the Rabbit Hole entry; personally, I am not a fan of tomatoes cooked in eggs – they always seem to make things way too soggy.  So yeah, not my fave.  I will say this: the bread and bacon were amazing,  I loved the bloody and the fries were delish.  Oh, and the company was pretty terrific too.  Thanks for the challenge, people.  The quest continues in 2011…

Pictured: 1. There was literally a parade blocking us on the way there 2. Bloody! 3. BFFFs mojito 4. Free mini muffins were a nice surprise 5. Rabbit Hole egg sandwich 6. Egg Sandwich, angle 2 & fries 7. Benedict with some kickass hollandaise 8. Fries were stellar

Location: 146 Wythe St @ N. 8th, Williamsburg

Menu: http://nitanitabk.com/

Brunch Hours: Sat & Sun, 11am – 4pm, cash only

My Rating: 

Long Story Short: This place has the best mac & cheese I have ever had.  Plus, your 12 bucks and under entree comes with a bloody and coffee, tea or juice.

Long Story Long:

Hey – you guys remember the world cup? I sure do… kinda.  I mean, it wasn’t anything I really gave a shit about, but I do remember how inaccessible it made BFFF.  Annoying.  In any case, brunch being the great equalizer, we decided one sunday to come to Nita Nita, as they were showing some country kick balls at another country on a giant screen – whatever, they had bloodys included with my entree.  Sold.

I was early as usual, and met special guest star, iknowthingsdotcom.  Since we arrived so early, we were able to get a table with a great view of the screen… not that either of us cared.  Anyways, I ordered a bloody, it was good… food was really really amazing (this place has awesome food, seriously.  And a great garden)…blah blah…

The point is, this brunch was very bittersweet for me.  Bitter because it was one of the last times I saw a very good friend and fellow blogger who has since moved back to Germany.  Let’s call him Städtischer Beobachter (or “Urban Observer” – I used babelfish so apologies for butchering anyone’s native language).  Sweet because iknowthingsdotcom came all the way to Wburg just to be a part of my little blog here… and also provided me with this gem: when deciding what to order, he ultimately chose the cornmeal pancakes over the french toast with pecans because, quote – I don’t like nuts on my things. Endquote. Interesting.  Hangover before: Normal Hangover after: Nuts

Pictured: 1. Included bloody 2. Bloody & some lame juice 3. Non-included bloody 4. My simple eggs, bacon and french toast – it was spectacular 5. Croque Madame for BFFF 6. The nut-less pancakes

Location: 465 Court St @ Luquer, Carroll Gardens

Menu: http://www.frankspm.com/menumorning.html

Brunch Hours: Sat & Sun, 7am (wtf)– 3pm

My Rating:

Long Story Short: This place won me over almost instantly.  I love the vibe here, the bloody was excellent (but $11!!!)  and the food was wonderful – not as heavy or intense as the name may imply.  And though it was quite far from home, it was definitely worth the trip.  On the G.  That says something.  Food is not too pricey but cocktails… jeez.

Long Story Long:

What brought us here on this day – BFFF, Monster and I – was an article somewhere which claims this as one of the best sandwiches in the city.  After my experience at Good I was, needless to say, skeptical.  That fucking sandwich was AMAZING.

In any case, Monster loves this place and has wanted to take us here for ages.  This is odd considering he is a vegetarian but whatever.  The first thing I noted on the menu was “brunch punch”… intriguing.  Don’t get me wrong, I would never order such a thing when there are bloodys available, but interesting nonetheless.  Since this brunch happened almost a month ago, I can’t recall what exactly was in the one pictured, but it doesnt really matter as they make different ones each day.  It was served in the most adorable glass though.   Point for Prime Meats. 

Anyway, my bloody arrived with a giant cocktail onion in it – and while I give them more points for originality, that’s not really my thing.  The bloody itself, however was amazing.  So amazing that I had 2.  Even more points.

Then came the moment of truth – my egg sandwich (with bacon) and Monster’s (with avocado) were good.   Very good.  The bacon was insanely awesome (as it should be at a place called “prime meats”) as was the cheese – some fancypants cheddar.  As a sandwich, however… well let’s just say that I ate most of it with my fork.  The biscuit couldn’t quite contain all that goodness, apparently.   That point goes to Good.

In any case, overall it was a lovely brunch – the atmosphere they have created in the space is amazing but not in a over-the-top way, including suspendered waiters (surprisingly not an obnoxious touch- it’s actually pretty charming) and the meat was really, really tasty.  But, I’m sorry, Grub Street, Good’s egg sandwich is still the winner in my book.  Hangover before: skeptical Hangover after: smug

Pictured: 1. Brunch cocktails 2. Bloody with a HUGE cocktail onion 3. Artsy brunch punch with blackberries 4. Cheese plate… for the table 5. Egg sandwiches, featuring bacon 6. Egg sandwiches again, feat. avocado 7. Mushrooms with Poached Egg & Bratwurst 8. Side of fries… for the table 9. Extra bratwurst… also for the table

Location: 89 Greenwich Ave, between Bank & W. 12th St, NYC

Menu: http://www.goodrestaurantnyc.com/BrunchPdf.pdf

Brunch Hours: Sat, 11am – 4pm, Sun 10am-4pm

My Rating:

Long Story Short: Holy crap – the BEST egg sandwich I have had in a very very long time… And the bloody wasn’t too shabby either.  A little pricey (bloody is $9.50), not in the hood, but well worth the trip. wow.

Long Story Long:

Who but the notorious Girlfriend Jones could get my ass to the city for brunch on the weekend?  I consented only when he promised it would be amazing.  And he delivered.  Oh man, did he deliver.

That being said,  it is a very bold move to name your restaurant with such a positive name.  Fortunately, in this case, they are right.  Actually, they should have called it FUCKING FANTASTIC.

Seriously.  The bloody was so good that even after the first sip I wanted to order another round.  But it was early, and we are working gurlz so I had to take it slow.  Also, they were ten bucks and though definitely worth it, all those mitigating factors dictated that I hold back.   Since everything sounded amazing,  I had a lot of trouble deciding on an entree, but finally settled on the goodEgg sandwich – country ham, gruyere, caramelized onions… If you think it sounds amazing you are absolutely right.  It was.  The bread was perfect, the flavor combo was ridiculous – it was not too heavy, but totally filling.  GFJ had the lemon ricotta pancakes with minted strawberries and maple syrup.  They were light, and delicious – and I am so not a pancake person.  Overall it was, to be honest – and as much as it kills me to say this about a place outside of the burg – one of the tastiest brunches I have had in a very long time.  Thanks GFJ, you’re a good egg.  Hangover before: good Hangover after: better.  no – best.

Pictured: 1. awesome & gorgeous bloody mary 2. so nice, had to capture it twice 3. the egg sandwich sent from heaven 4. … and i don’t even like pancakes but wow.