The Bedford

Nancy's Take:

Atmosphere: * * * *

At first I thought The Bedford didn't seem like the most creative name for a new restaurant. Then again...it almost sounds like a place from a film noir, where you half-expect Humphrey Bogart to come strolling in. Come to think of it, it kind of looks like that too! The building inside and out is not what you'd expect to see on Bedford Avenue. The front facade is white stucco and adorned with potted window plants - very reminiscent of Los Angeles (or even Morocco?). Indoors is fairly dark, and mostly reliant on natural sunlight. The waitress and bartender welcomed us, and we were seated immediately. Take advantage of this aspect quickly, before the word gets out and this place fills up for brunch!

Food: * * * * *

I had the omelette special, with chorizo, feta and heirloom tomatoes. For those not already aware, I put hot sauce on everything possible. I was pretty sure the chef himself brought our food out in person, and I didn't want to offend him by asking for hot sauce to slather all over it. This is the kind of restaurant where you get the impression the chef really takes pride in the artistry of his food pairings. The chorizo and tomatoes created such a nice flavor on their own that I immediately abandoned all notion of hot sauce. In fact, I started dipping our fresh cut fries from our shared basket, into the leftover juices on my plate.

Drinks: * * * * 1/2

There are a wide variety of specialty cocktails to choose from, as well as a comprehensive wine list, and the traditional brunch drinks. The only downside is that having more than one can get a bit pricey, but they are all delicious. I've sampled several of their specialty cocktails previously, but I went traditional for brunch.

Bloody Mary

Taste: Good stuff....I definitely approve.

Size: Tall glass

Garnishes: two olives on a toothpick and a lemon.

Becca’s Take

Atmosphere: * * * *

The Bedford has an antiquated, industrial feel to it, which kind of reminded me of a British schoolhouse from…I don’t know…the early 1900’s? I totally dug the low maintenance vibe of the place, and also was impressed to watch the lone bartender make every drink meticulously and that the chef was happy to bring us the food he prepared with his own hands. It’s always a good sign when the people working at a restaurant care so deeply about what they do for their guests.

Food: * * * * *

This place gets five stars for food in my book. I have never…in all my days…had scrambled eggs cooked as lovely as they were at The Bedford. And keep in mind – I didn’t drink the night before ::gasp!:: so this wasn’t a hangover talking. My eggs were scrambled perfectly with red onions, cheddar cheese and chives all on top of charred sourdough bread. They gave me deep-fried breakfast potato slivers and a tomato on the side, but I only had eyes for our side of fresh cut fries with paprika aioli – which were killer! The aioli was out of control good. I may have mentioned to Nancy that I wouldn’t mind “eating the rest of it with a spoon”…or something like that.

Drinks: * * * ½

I had a delicious champagne bevie adorned with a black cherry called a Baldini. It was fizzy and tasted great, but at $10 a pop, I couldn’t get a buzz on at The Bedford. BOO-HOO.

The Bedford

110 Bedford Avenue (bet 10th St/11th St)

Brooklyn, NY 11211

(718) 302-1002

Hours: Mon-Sun 8 am - 4 am