Beco

Nancy's Take:

Atmosphere: * * * 1/2

We tried to eat brunch at this place the weekend before but were greeted with over an hour wait. I think it's a combination of the small size of the restaurant and the food being good but cheap. It seems to draw a large crowd from the neighborhood, in spite of it being located off a side street by itself. We decided if we were going to have the slightest chance of getting seated faster, we would have to be early birds. We made it there by about 11:30 on Memorial Day, and were pleased to find that people were still out of town for the holiday and there were plenty of tables. Hooray! The inside was cute, very diner-esque with some Brazilian-themed pop culture framed on the walls. The waitress was very sweet and attentive. I also can't believe how well they do with cooking food in their tiny kitchen space. But I'd get there on the early side (it opens at 10 a.m.) unless you want to be starving for at least an hour.

Food: * * * *

I ordered the Misto Quente, which is a sandwich consisting of toasted, sliced bread, ham, and mozzarella with eggs on top, served sunny-side up. I decided the trick was to stick the eggs inside the sandwich to eat it....and it was delicious! This is a traditional Brazilian dish, but it reminded me a lot of the French "croque-madame" sandwich that is also a ham and cheese sandwich with an egg.

Drinks: * * * 1/2

Caipirinha: muddled fruit, sugar, and cachaça (classic-lime, pineapple-mint, passion fruit) with Pitu. I had the Pineapple-Mint version which is one of the brunch choices included in the price of brunch

Taste: refreshing....also pretty strong

Size: small rocks glass

Garnishes: a lime

....Still wondering what their Bloody Mary is like, because I didn't see it on the menu until we had already eaten!

Becca’s Take:

Atmosphere: * * *

Beco is small and quaint and has a traditional Brazilian vibe inside and out. As Nancy said, when we originally went, it was too packed to get a seat, and I simply cannot imagine how warm all of those patrons must’ve been! There was plenty of space when we dined, but boy, was it hot. We sat in a seat in the back, mostly because of the industrial fan pointing right at the table, but ideally, I would’ve preferred to sit by the windows in the front and enjoyed some fresh air.

Food: * * * *

The cuisine at Beco is delicious and creative. It’s a great place for vegetarians, with many options to choose from. I had the Herb Omelet, mostly because of the fillings you could pick: my choices being baby asparagus, minas cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. Mmmm! Being a cheese freak, I had never had minas cheese before – it is actually native to Brazil, and it was incredible. My omelet came with a side salad, lightly tossed in a dressing that had a strong lime kick to it and, my only complaint, the saddest little thimble of potato stix. When we got our bill, our waitress handed us a take-out menu, and the food they serve for lunch and dinner looks just as enticing as the brunch did, so I know I’ll be back. Or, if you're lucky enough to be in their delivery area, their menu does offer delivery service for lunch and dinner. Woohoo!

Drinks: * * *

I had the Sakerinha; it was similar to Nancy’s Caipirinha, in the sense that it was made of muddled fruit (strawberries and kiwi), but my drink was not strong, and I’m still on the fence if it even had alcohol in it at all. I, too, was a little discouraged to find out at the end of our meal that there is a whole brunch “deal,” which includes various drinks, (definitely made with alcohol), so I’ll have to go back and try my hand at their drink menu again.

Stats:

Beco

45 Richardson Street

Brooklyn NY 11211

Tel:718-599-1645

Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m - 2 a.m.; Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 2 a.m.; Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover cards.

www.becobar.com

All entrees are served w/French press coffee, and a choice of fresh OJ, Bloody Mary, Pineapple-Mint Caipirinha, or

Passionfruit Caipiroska: $14.95