Ken & Cook is refreshing. What exactly do I mean by that? You have Artan Gjoni, formerly of Mercer Kitchen (a NYC staple) and Norwood (a space that I have rented from to hold work events), who takes an active role in this restaurant. He doesn’t sit around and order a staff to do this and that. Rather, he will seat you at your table and pour your wine. I was in awe when I saw him outside of Ken & Cook, and was amazed when he actually came in to seat P and me and check up on us during dinner. It’s one of those things like when you have a celebrity chef who actually cooks in his restaurant. Refreshing and back to basics, like how they should be. It shows how much heart someone has for what they do. The chef for Ken & Cook is Richard Diamonte, also from Mercer Kitchen, so you know that he knows what he is doing.

I showed up on the earlier side at 7P.M., the bar was full, but the tables pretty much empty. That’s why I broke my usual no-flash picture rule. I hate disturbing other patrons with a camera flash, but since I wasn’t surrounded by anyone, why the hell not? However, Artan knows his crowd, as he has mentioned in articles that the place picks up later on in the night because by the time I left, the entire place was packed. As it got busier, I kept my flash off. So sorry for the darker photos. The restaurant has also hosted a number of celebrities already, from Russell Simmons and Kieran Culkin, to Emma Roberts and Chloe Grace Moretz. I don’t know why I wrote that, I just thought it was an interesting tidbit.

I started the night off with a Hendricks martini. Cold and tasty. When it came to the dishes, we were trying to be good and watch our waistlines, so ordered just one appetizer, the steak tartar, even though my heart desperately wanted to order the squid as well. Magically, steak tartar and squid appetizers showed up at our table. Artan stated that the Chef thought that we should try the squid even though we didn’t order it. God bless that Chef. The steak tartar had a beautiful soft-boiled egg on top, was light and flavorful. However, the squid was the shining start to the meal. Beautifully charred and so tender, it was layered and mixed with yogurt, mint, delicate slices of chili for crunch and greens. It really got your palate going to want to eat more.

For entrees we settled on the short rib that was braised in red wine and sat atop smashed fingerling potatoes. On top of that were crispy tempura onion rings and on the side were dollops of crème fraiche. It was a visually beautiful dish that was flavorful and full of so many different textures. What I really liked about this dish is that you could actually taste the red wine. So many recipes of braised short ribs in restaurants mention the red wine component, but you can never taste it. Here, it was a strong note in this dish that was wonderful. While I enjoyed the short ribs, I have to say that the NY strip steak really stole the show. Dressed in a rosemary-garlic-butter sauce, I couldn’t help but continue to eat it even though I felt my Greylin dress tugging around my rounded belly. So simple, but amazing. It was too dark to see if it was cooked medium rare, but once you bite into it, you were just like, ‘Man, that’s a medium-rare cooked steak.’ No seriously, that’s what I said to myself…and then out loud. I also got one of their biscuits, because I love a great biscuit. Theirs was definitely on the thicker side. I have read other reviews that have complained that it had too much baking powder. But I didn’t mind it at all. I felt like it needed that heft and thickness in order to hold up all of that creamy honey and butter that it was topped with. Every bite I took had honey dripping down my fingers. When of the busboys/runners stopped by the table, he smiled at my request for a wet napkin. Apparently it’s a normal thing.

Of course I had to have a sweet note to end the night. I sipped an espresso and Sambuca while I waited for our beignets and bread pudding to come to the table. The beignets were light and fluffy, but I wasn’t a huge fan of them. Keep in mind that the outsides are a bit dark, but they weren’t burned, I feel like with ricotta beignets vs regular ones, it is just a natural occurrence, so that wasn’t the issue. I think part of it was that on their own, they were a little bit too salty for my taste. I was hoping that the blueberry and lavender dipping sauce would balance it out, but there was a touch too much lavender in it that left a soapy taste in my mouth. And there was this delicious bread pudding topped with vanilla ice cream, however it was very undercooked. We ate pretty much all of it because the flavors were spot on, but it definitely needed to be cooked more. At this point the restaurant was S-L-A-M-M-E-D, so I have a feeling that that had something to do with it.

Would I go back? Absolutely. The staff was incredible. Everyone had a smile and laugh for you, whether or not they were faking it, it seemed natural. People kept coming by to refill our glasses. No one rushed us to leave no matter how busy they got. The food was delicious. Enough though I knew I would have to go home and run on the treadmill, it was worth it. If you can squeeze in and get a table there, be sure to check it out. We went for dinner, but with the wide open front, I can imagine what a great spot it would be for a sunny brunch where you can relax and people watch all day.

7.5 out of 10

Ken & Cook

19 Kenmare St
(between Bowery & Elizabeth St)
New York, NY 10012

-Joyce Huang

While I prefer the usual oven baked pizza, I certainly won’t be throwing a fried pizza out of bed. Yes, we are allowed to eat in bed in Juice’s household.

I didn’t have room for much to eat when I stopped by Forcella, but had been dying to try one of their fried pizzas. I chose the Montanara, which is a margherita pizza. The special part of this tasty concoction is that the dough has been flash fried, and then they finish cooking it in the oven. For a fried dish, it’s wonderfully light, with just a touch of greasiness. You get the crunch and flakiness of say a well-made scallion pancake when you bite into it. The mozzarella and sauce were delicious. I was very happy that I finally got to try it.

Would I eat it again? Yes. Then why do I prefer a non-fried pizza? Because the slight touch of grease does make the crust feel a bit heavy, compared to traditional pizzas that are only baked. If you haven’t tried a fried pizza before, definitely stop by Forcella. It’s worth the calories and the staff there was very friendly.

Also, did I mention that the owner, Giulo Adriani, is a 4 time Pizza World Champion? If that doesn’t sway you, I don’t know what will.

8 out of 10

Forcella

334 Bowery at Bond street

New York, NY 10012

(212) 466-3300

-Joyce Huang

One easy step to take to make incredibly fluffy pancakes? Fold in stiff egg whites. Whether you make them from scratch or use Bisquick, you will surely notice the difference. All you have to do is follow your recipe, but separate the eggs and keep the egg whites in a separate bowl. Mix in the yolks into the rest of the recipe like you normally would.

Now with the egg whites, just beat them till you get stiff white peaks.

Fold it into the rest of the batter a big spoonful at a time. By fold, I mean, don’t stir it in, you kind of want to take something flat like the utensil I’m using, cut the egg whites into it with a gentle swipe down and then swoop the batter at the bottom of the bowl and bring it up and around the top of the batter. Keep repeating till it all disappears into the batter. You don’t want to stir because you will lose all the air that took you took the time to beat into the egg whites.

Cook your pancakes like you normally would. You will notice how lovely, thick and soft as soon as the batter hits the griddle or pan.

Holy crap, so I need to talk to you about the start bread at Marmara. To put it simply, it was good, but I still daydream about their amazing bread. It’s a Turkish sesame bread I believe, and they bake it fresh there. Warm, melt in your mouth and I just could not stop eating it. I asked if I could take a piece home and they graciously tucked 2 big rolls away in my leftovers. I was so happy. But if you want to eat more than just sesame bread (though, it’s really that good, I would have been happy just eating the carbs for the entire brunch) you can rest assure that Marmara, a Turkish and Mediterranean restaurant, hits the mark really well. (You might want to stay away from the breakfast platter though. Just trust me on this one.)

The grilled calamari was incredibly tender, your teeth will slice through them like a knife. And it was light and flavored nicely.

Everyone happily chowed away at the refreshing Shepard’s salad. I ended up even making a batch for dinner that same day because it tasted so lovely.

My Marmara Pizza? Wow this was a big pizza. It was topped with Turkish sausage, mushrooms and fresh basil. I definitely had enjoyable leftovers for 2 more meals. Happy camper.

Sorry if I’m not writing more. I’m pretty tired right now. Just remember, try the bread!

Night, night.

7 out of 10

Marmara

1660 3rd Avenue

New York, NY 10128

-Joyce Huang

Spring Street Natural is one of those places that you walk by and there are always people inside. During the warmer weather, the outside areas are always packed. While it’s not amazing food, it is simple, good and well priced, which is why people always go back. They concentrate on fresh, healthy ingredients and you can taste it. Brunch the other day started with a pretty bread basket, the oats bread good, the orange one not so much. I’m guessing it had something to do with pumpkin because of the color, but the texture was off and a bit gummy. Pass.

My Mayan eggs were a nice way to start my day. It’s something that could be really heavy elsewhere (not that I would have minded), but they kept it nice and light. I didn’t feel like I had to waddle out of there when I was done eating. You could taste each ingredient that was used and I must say, they have a very yummy guacamole. This dish consisted of three eggs on a crunchy tortilla,  guacomole, black beans, Monterey jack cheese, onions and ranchero sauce. While I think it could have used a touch more cheese and the sauce could use a bit more of a punch, the bite of the tortilla was very lovely. I was expecting it to come out soggy, but it wasn’t at all. Mr. Juice was a bit disappointed in his chicken sandwich, but I thought that it was good.

Just something to keep in mind for their food, it’s all about natural and gentle. You’re not going to get something that hits you hard, but it is still enjoyable.

6.5 out of 10

Spring Street Natural

62 Spring Street

New York, NY 10012

-Joyce Huang

It’s their 100th anniversary this year! So Momma Juice and I decided to grab a leisure brunch at Barney Greengrass. We split a smoked fish platter of bagels, butter, cream cheese, nova scotia salmon, sturgeon and whitefish. I wasn’t too crazy about the white fish, but enjoyed the buttery texture of the salmon and the light smokiness of the sturgeon.

We also decided to split a chopped herring sandwich (though we didn’t need it, the smoked fish platter was plenty). I would have never thought to order it, but I saw it on a best episode of the Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Ted Allen was raving about it, but it was just way too sweet for us even when we layered it with onions and tomatoes. Bummer.

Is the food spectacular here? No, but it is good and I would definitely go back. It’s a New York institution and a cozy, family feeling brunch venue that makes it very likable.

6 out of 10

Barney Greengrass

541 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024
(212) 724-4707

-Joyce Huang

I’ve been meaning to go to Back Forty for a while, but for some reason I hadn’t gone. Luckily, the decision was made for me when a friend reserved a table for a brunch there one day. As you can tell from the picture in my meal, it definitely isn’t a low-fat restaurant to go to. The food is filling, rich and so homey.

I got to taste:

Pork Jowl Nuggets in jalapeno jam: The nuggets were basically fried cubes of pork fat, so if you are looking for lean meat, steer clear of this dish. The jowl is a part of the pig’s head. Honestly, the were OK, but even though I love fat, I wasn’t a huge fan of these. However, the jalapeno jam was freaking amazing. Sweet, spicy and so delicious. I asked if they would sell some to go, but the waitress said no. So I then tried to replicate it at home to disastrous results. Oh don’t worry, you’ll be hearing about that later. But if anything, if you’ve never had jalapeno jam before, just get this dish to try it.

Chicken liver mousse with cracklins and toast: If you like liver, you can’t go wrong with this dish, it’s very straight forward and the cracklins are fun to try in case you’ve never had them before. Think of a harder pork rind (the ones you buy in the potato chip aisle of the deli) and slightly smellier in taster. Yes, I wrote smellier in taster, after all I believe that cracklins are made from intestines.

Heritage bacon: nothing really special about it, it just tasted like lean bacon and bacon is always good no matter what.

Biscuits and roasted picnic ham with a fried egg and tomato red eye gravy: OK, so I absolutely loved the biscuits and creamy gravy, it was savory, mouthwatering and you can eat it all day. However, I had some beef with my ham, (not that I had some beef with my ham, but I had some issues with my ham) and that is because I was expecting like thick slices of ham that you get at Christmas time where is nice and pink and oh so delicious, but I didn’t. Instead I got what can be described as in taste, as really thin pork chops or slices of pork loin. Very far from that hammy flavor and texture which is why I got this dish in the first place. Bummer.

6.5 out of 10

190 Avenue B, New York NY10009

(At 12th St)

-Joyce Huang

courtesy fathipponyc.com

I’m not a huge fan of the bar scene in the Lower East Side (Not East Village, Not Chinatown, but more the Rivington, Norfolk, etc area), but I must say that I’m usually very happy with my food purchases there. Brunch brought me to Fat Hippo and the menu looked innovative and delicious.

Dishes that caught my eye from the lunch and dinner menu that I wouldn’t be able to eat included the pan fried mozzarella balls and lobster pot pie. Doesn’t that sound so homey and satisfying? I can’t wait to go back to try it.

What brought me there that morning was a birthday of a friend who was minding everyone’s budgets, $12.95 for brunch (entrée, coffee/tea and juice) and $4 cocktails (mimosa, screwdriver, hangover spiced tequila shot and bloody Mary’s). I thought that that was very considerate of her.

Unfortunately, either our waitress was either having an off day or was very, very, very new because it took about 30 minutes for our food order to be taken and then almost another hour before our food got there.  We sat at 2pm and got our food at 330PM. Whaaaaaaat? We were pretty damn hungry by then.

Luckily my crab and eggs were pretty good, because I hoovered that thing. The menu said that it was crab cakes with poached eggs, green tomato gratin and home fries. I’m not really sure where the green tomato gratin came in, but what I saw was slices of red tomatoes, topped with crab cakes, topped with poached eggs, topped with creamy sauce and a side of homefries. The food maybe have been sitting there for a bit because it was a little cold, but still tasty. The crab cakes were full of meat, not just breading, the eggs were beautifully poached, seriously, they were beautiful, and the sauce was flavorful. I was not disappointed in taste. The potatoes tasted like they were sitting out there for a while, but I don’t believe that that was any fault of the chef’s.

Nope, it wasn’t busy, there were maybe 3 other tables in there, but something was going on with the service. I want to go back to taste the rest of the food, but I don’t know when I’m going to have that kind of time to spend on a meal again, lol.

6 out of 10

71 Clinton St, New York NY10002

-Joyce Huang

courtesy of sarabeth.com

Popular locations don’t always mean they’re the best locations. Hype overcomes people at times, and takes over their good judgement. What makes it even worse is that you wait in line for something that ends up being mediocre. I could have been home sleeping still. Brunch is hard for me because of the timing. And because it’s football season, I was nicely asked if we could meet for brunch at noon, which is the early side for me on a Sunday considering I have to give myself time to shower, primp and travel there. But I dragged myself out of bed because I got myself excited all week to have my favorite brunch dish, salmon eggs benedict. Today, I’m going to have it at Sarabeth’s.  So it’s a beautiful day and the wait isn’t bad at all for brunch in New York City, about twenty minutes. I start off with a picked bloody mary which tasted wonderful. I say that because I’m usually not a fan of them, but the horseradish and worcestershire sauce weren’t overpowering at all, and it wasn’t too thick, but rather felt like a normal drink. My date started with a lobster bisque with black truffle toast. It tasted decent, however, right off the bat, it looked like it needed more cream, with it did, and I didn’t see any lobster chunks in it at all. Visually it wasn’t appealing at all, the butter or fat, separating from the rest of the sauce. The black truffle toast barely had any truffle flavor in it. It made me yearn for one of the best lobster bisque I had, sadly, I won’t be getting that anytime soon, as it was in Hawaii. I moved on to their poppy seed toast, which was OK, and more a vehicle for my butter than anything else. (I’m a huge fan of butter.) My dish came and looked gorgeous. But just because something is sprinkled with pretty red bell peppers doesn’t make it a good dish. Because I get salmon eggs benedict at almost every brunch, after taking my first bite, I knew that this wouldn’t be a memorable one. The side salad was decent, but doesn’t that say something when my side salad is better than the main dish? The one savior to the dish is that, by itself, the homemade english muffin was delicious, it tasted like a buttery biscuit. My date’s chicken caesar salad? I have no desire to write anything about it. But, because the coffee was good and the bloody mary were good, we ordered another round of that. How the hell did my bloody mary taste different? The seasonings in it were very overpowering and I was debating pouring water into it, but felt that it might be rude. I was dying to try their porridge with wheatberries, cream, butter and brown sugar, but because of the wait, I missed the noon deadline for the porridge. Cry, cry. Sarabeth just doesn’t seem to know how to do savory,  I think that IF I go back, I’ll only try their sweet dishes or baked goods.

Various locations, so please check out their website at sarabeth.com.

5.5 out of 10

-Joyce Huang

Brunch is a fabulous idea.   You get the best of choices on your menu, because its not quite breakfast and not quite lunch.  Be it the fact that you can order pancakes at 2:00 in the afternoon or have it acceptable to drink before noon… all about Brunch.  Want a notch better than that?   In Union Square, at a French restaurant called Danal (formerly a Village establishment) you can have Brunch any day of the week.  Brilliant bonus points.  It’s not just for weekends and it doesn’t disappoint.

Danal: Upstairs (http://www.danalnyc.com)

The restaurant is 2 levels, yet the atmosphere still manages to be warm and inviting.  The decor is eclectic in that artsy way where you can have tables and chairs not match and it works.  The service is attentive, and their menu…listed in a picture frame (see my eclectic comment above).    Lots of great things to say about this place.

Danal: Chocolate Chip Pancakes

They do their drinks right.   Coffee is served in a french press, you pour at your discretion.  They serve you tea in a pot, loose-leaf, complete with a strainer the way it was meant to be. There is none of that cup of hot water and a tea bag business that irks me about 90% of the resturaunts out there.

Danal: Poached Eggs

As for the food, they’ve got a lot of “to try” items on this menu.  This includes the poached eggs with chicken apple sausage served on an english muffin and hollandaise sauce, and the chocolate chip pancakes.  However, the takeaway recommend here: Croissant French Toast with sauteed apples, raisins, and walnuts.

Danal: Croissant French Toast

You read that right.  You can have french toast made out of croissants!   Honestly, eating it makes you wonder why this isn’t the norm because the texture is kind of a no brainer.  Lovely consistency – not overly doused in that egg/vanilla batter that can weigh down the traditional french toast, and sweet enough that you don’t have to pour a gallon of maple syrup on your plate.  And I’m admitting it… better than the chocolate chip pancakes.

Please note there are no reservations accepted for brunch.  Trust me though, worth the idea of a wait.

-Jules

8 out of 10 stars.

59 5th Ave
(between 12th St & 13th St)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 982-6930