Stone Park Cafe

Nancy's take:

Atmosphere: * * *

This is a popular brunch spot for Park Slopers. I know because it was recommended to me by lots of people, and also because there was going to be a long wait to get a table. To be honest, the bar looked cozy but most of the restaurant looked pretty cramped for space. Luckily for us, it was the kind of November day where sunshine made the outdoors bearable. We chose to sit on their side patio, which had no wait time. With the sun on my face, I even peeled a jacket layer off while I sipped my coffee. The waiter was quick to get our drink orders, and he even played into our banter a little. Thanks for humoring us, we know we're a little quirky.

Food: * * * *

Let it be known that we really earned our brunch that day. Our adventure began with Becca confusing the G train direction, which then left us no choice but to jog through the runners of the ING marathon to catch the correct train. Then we wandered around Park Slope rather aimlessly, because we got off the subway nowhere near the restaurant. But I can say with much satisfaction that it was worth all the detours. I ordered the Chef omelet (roasted garlic, spinach, house-made sausage, and cheddar) which came with a side of potatoes. I thought both the omelet and potatoes were delicious. Plus, they had my favorite hot sauce - Cholula.

Drinks: * * * * 1/2

I ordered a mimosa to start, and switched to a bellini for my second drink. Their bellini was truly a notch above the rest, but it comes with a $9 price tag. White peach puree, peach schnapps, and Gruet....I've got to remember that combination if I ever try to make my own.

Becca's Take:

Atmosphere: * * * *

Stone Park Cafe is adorable inside and out - and because Nancy and I were starving, we took the immediate seat outside on the patio. It faced a park and the sun was shining - really a lovely November day. I was happy we chose to sit outside because while we were briefly waiting indoors, it seemed a little noisy (just because it was so busy), and after the odyssey we took getting there, i just wanted to sip my drinks and munch my brunch in peace.

Food: * * * *

The menu had a lot to offer, but sadly, Stone Park Cafe only earns four stars from me as they could not deliver a side order of a buttermilk biscuit to me. Our waiter said they were almost out of biscuits and had to save the remaining ones for the biscuits and gravy entree. This not only left me sad and biscuit-less, but if they practically sold out of them, that leads me to believe they are de-lish. Woe is me. Luckily, I opted for the Spicy Omelette, which had sauteed mushrooms, fresh pico de gallo and pepperjack cheese. It was awesome - and I don't even like mushrooms! The pico was really wonderful - I bet they make it on-site. The eggs were cooked to perfection, and the homefries were crispy with just the right spicy kick. Yum.

Drinks: * * *

I stuck with mimosas, and much like Nancy, wasn't pleased that they cost $9 a pop. I still drank two of them...and seriously had to restrain myself from getting a third. Yum again.

Stats:

Stone Park Cafe

324 5th Avenue

NY 11215-2420

(718) 369-0082

Open Mon-Thu 5:30pm-10pm; Fri 5:30pm-11pm; Sat 10am-3pm, 5:30pm-11pm; Sun 10am-3pm, 5:30pm-10pm

http://www.stoneparkcafe.com

scottadito osteria toscana

Nancy's Take:

Atmosphere: * * *
The outside garden looked nice, but we were seated indoors due to the wait time. There is unfortunately not much waiting room in the front of the restaurant. We were initially offered a table in the "wine cellar," which we declined. From what I understand, the wine cellar is a very private but dark area, probably perfect for a romantic dinner date but not for brunch with friends. We decided the inside of the restaurant had an almost medieval look to it, and there were old, exposed pipes above, which added to that appearance. The decor was fairly minimal but still it was a nice looking place to sit for a meal.

I should add that our waitress was rude and went MIA immediately after we ordered, so we were not very well attended to. However, the maitre d and other staff did their best to make up for it and apologized for the problem. I'm also told by friends that the service is normally great.

Food: * * *

I ordered the "Uova Benedette" (poached eggs on a English muffin with prosciutto, hollandaise, and pesto sauce) and a side of homemade pork sausage. I thought it was very tasty and also a unique eggs benedict version with the prosciutto. It's an Italian restaurant, so I like that they added some Italian flare to the brunch menu. The potatoes on the side were okay, but I was pretty indifferent to them. My favorite part of the meal was probably the sausage - I ate the whole plate in spite of being full.

Drinks: * *

We had mimosas since they were included with the meal and supposedly unlimited. They were pretty watered down. My friends who have been there several times assured me that normally their glasses are constantly refilled and the "unlimited mimosa" holds true to its claim. However, we had to find someone and ask them for our 2 refills.

Becca’s Take:

Atmosphere: *

I like sun on a sunny Sunday – not a dark, medieval dungeon style joint. It seemed as if, at any moment, a guillotine would come swinging down from the ceiling. It was aiming at being rustic, but I thought it was more rust-y. The bathroom was nice – spacious and private – so they’ve got that going for them. There were no kids, which was nice and surprising for Park Slope, but I don’t think I’d ever go back. I just was underwhelmed.

I’ve never been so ignored at a brunch place in all my brunchin’ days. Our waitress, from word one, was rude, abrasive and seemed to simply hate us. Not even a nice “Hello, how are you?” Fake it, could ya? It soured me from the get go.

Food: **1/2

I ate an egg dish, scrambled, which was served with roasted potatoes, peppers and mixed greens. It was extremely tasty, for such a standard plate, and it came out extremely fast. The cooks were right on top of our order – even if Madame Miserable took a hiatus during our stay. The only thing I didn’t like about the fixed-price menu was that, as I was near starvation, I would’ve loved a side of pancakes or biscuits or something, but the menu left me no choice but to reorder a whole other plate, which would run me $18! And the few side dishes they did have were almost all meat – I’m a vegetarian, so I was S.O.L.

Drinks: *

The words “endless” and “mimosas” in one sentence is enough to make me cab it to Park Slope, but I was truly devastated by the lack of “endless,” due to our lack of good service, and by the weakness of the mimosas we were given. Not even a buzz! This is brunch, Scottadito, make it count! For my $18, I would’ve been more content to buy a few bottles of Andre, some OJ, and do “endless” on my own.

Stats:

Scottadito Osteria Toscana
788A Union Street
Brooklyn, NY
(718) 636-4800
Brunch Saturday & Sunday, open from 11am- 11pm
Brunch is $17.95 and includes unlimited mimosas, champagne, and coffee
Website: www.scottadito.com