Elote

Nancy's Take:

Atmosphere: * *
In the summer, Elote has a nice backyard, but in the cold weather, you have to surrender to the "newly-renovated" interior. We sat in shoddy wooden fold-up chairs surrounded by badly painted green/red color-block walls. Exposed wires and unfinished outlets made me think perhaps they rushed the renovations. There was also a random creepy rocking chair in a corner, which seemed to serve no real purpose. I could only assume the skull wreath covered in melted wax and skeletons hanging around were leftover decorations from Halloween. If it's meant as permanent decor, it should be seriously reconsidered. It reads more "I got this from a metalhead's yard sale" than "Day of the Dead."

Food: * * * *
I ordered the Chilaquiles con Chorizo, which I pictured being served in little crispy taquito rolls. Instead it was like "breakfast nachos" - egg, chorizo, jack cheese, and adobo sauce mixed with tortilla chips. I was a little thrown at first and then I thought...."Wow, this is such a great idea!" I'm pretty sure you can make any mexican dish into a breakfast entree by adding eggs, and it will taste amazing. It was a little difficult to eat because it was messy, but then again....so are nachos.

Drinks: * * * *
At Elote there are a lot of drink options to choose from, most of which contain Tequila. When I saw that both a Bloody Maria AND a Bloody Mary were offered, I had to ask the waitress what the difference is between them. Here is the difference for future reference:
- Bloody Mary = made with vodka
- Bloody Maria = made with tequila
I decided to go with the traditional Bloody Mary. I made the right choice because I noticed they used special house-made pepper vodka, which always makes me happy.

Becca’s Take:

Atmosphere: *
I had not been back to Elote since they “renovated” their interior, and I have to say, I miss the way it used to be! The bar is now set back and looks a little smaller, and it was all to make room for more indoor seating, which isn’t a bad thing, but I think the job was not well thought out. As Nancy said, the paint job, decorations and overall ambiance was really lacking. Luckily, come spring, we’ll be able to enjoy strong drinks and great food outside on the patio – Elote does have one of the finest outdoor eating areas in Williamsburg.

Food: * * * ½
It’s hard to do Mexican breakfast without chorizo. I almost always have to order my dish “sans Chorizo, no meat, please.” Elote was no exception, but it was also no problem. I opted for the Tacos De Desayuno, which were scrambled eggs with jack cheese, potatoes, green and red peppers, all wrapped up in a grilled flour tortilla. It came with a small mound of iceberg lettuce topped with fresh pico de gallo. I wish my tacos were swimming in the pico, it was so good! And the only reason the tacos, themselves, weren’t top-notch, was because there wasn’t much cheese in them! ay dios mio:(

Drinks: *
I heard the last words you ever want to hear when ordering your drink at brunch: “We’re actually out of champagne.” If I wasn’t starving and on the quest to continually try new brunch spots, I would’ve marched out of there like the fiery gringette that I am. But I kept my cool and ordered a Salty Dog (without salt), which was fresh grapefruit juice and vodka. It was strong and quite yummy, but we didn’t stay for another round as all I wanted was a damn mimosa!

Stats:

Elote
366 Union Avenue
NY 11211
(718) 599-2655
Open Mon-Thu 4pm-11pm; Fri 4pm-2am; Sat 11am-2am; Sun 11am-10pm
Sat & Sunday Brunch $11, includes first drink and coffee

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

Cafe Colette

Nancy's Take:

Atmosphere: * * * * 1/2

I love how the interior of Cafe Colette has been decorated. It's like French-bistro-meets-fifties-diner. What caught my attention the most was the gorgeous color of the back wall, painted in a distressed style with robins egg blue and hints of light aqua peeking through. There's a checkerboard floor and a diner-style bar as the focal point of the room. There are also lots of tables outdoors wrapped around the side of the cafe. The staff were all so friendly, and happy to answer our many questions about the menu.

Food: * * * * 1/2

I ordered the Chorizo and raja scramble. I found out that "raja" refers to the way that the green peppers are cooked before being put in the scramble, so that they have an extra smokey flavor to them. Whatever they did to it, they should keep doing! I don't even like green peppers that much and yet I loved this scramble. The side of potatoes were cooked with scallions and whole garlic cloves. I ended up spreading the garlic cloves onto my multi-grain toast.

Drinks: * * *

Bloody Mary

Taste: I had high hopes for this one with all its garnishes, but it was slightly watered down and not spicy enough for me.

Size: tall fancy glass with a stem

Garnishes: pickle, celery, lemon, green olive, and a salted rim. I gave it an extra star for the garnishes alone.

Becca’s Take:

Atmosphere: * * * *

Café Colette is a great place with a lot of a charm but still a lot of space. I was surprised at the amount of both indoor and outdoor seating. Being the kitschy girl that I am, I convinced Nancy to sit at the bar. Only in certain environments do I enjoy eating my food at the bar, and this was one of those places. It was a clean, cool counter with comfy swivel seats and a very knowledgeable bartender/waiter.

Food: * * * * ½

This food was really close to perfect. I opted for two eggs, any style, and got them scrambled with gruyere cheese. It was absolutely delicious, but I felt like my helping of eggs was a little small. Maybe I’m just a pig, but I could’ve eaten another order, easily. I opted for French fries instead of breakfast potatoes – and actually got them this time! – and I had a side of the multi-grain toast, which was hearty, had a hint of sweetness and was possibly the best toast I’d ever had.

Drinks: * * *

My mimosa was standard as could be. Nothing to complain about – except the price tag ($9 – it keeps getting higher! I guess Café Colette prrroobbbaablllyy doesn’t use Andre) – but it tasted smooth and sweet.

Stats:

Cafe Colette

79 Berry Street

(between N. 10th & N. 9th streets)

Brooklyn, NY 11211

http://www.cafe-colette.com

Juliette

Nancy's Take:

Atmosphere: * * * *
I was excited to see it was a beautiful sunny day - perfect for brunch on the outside terrace of Juliette. From the street you can see people sitting up there, and they always seem to be having such a good time. There is a separate hostess for the terrace as opposed to the main level, so we hopped straight upstairs and sipped on mimosas at the bar while we waited. It wasn't more than 10 minutes before we were shown to our table - a nicely shaded area that we already had our eyes on. Okay, so the view from THAT side of the terrace is not gorgeous - it overlooked a trash-cluttered aluminum roof. However, I still think the overall ambiance of the terrace was adorable.

Food: * * *
I couldn't resist ordering the house-cured Scottish salmon benedict with lemon-caper hollandaise and red bliss home fries. The first thing I noticed on my plate was that the home fries were NOT red bliss potatoes. They also didn't taste like anything special. The eggs benedict was good, but I honestly expected a little more excitement from the lemon-caper hollandaise. There were small bits of capers ground into the sauce, and more than anything it had a flavor of pickle juice. Hey, I'm not complaining about pickle juice....I just wanted to be a little more impressed with the dish than I actually was.
The waitress was extremely apologetic as she had forgotten to put our order in. I said "Honey, just keep our drinks coming and we'll be fine." She gave us free beer to compensate for the error, and the food actually came out very quickly regardless.

Drinks: * * * 1/2
Apparently I've been spoiled by all the drink deals we've found lately. The mimosas were average-priced at around $8, but it felt expensive to me after drinking those $4 ones at Lokal last week. I steered clear of the Bloody Marys here because I saw one brought to another table and it looked less than thrilling. I thought the mimosas were tasty, but they're also pretty hard to mess up.

Becca’s Take:

Atmosphere: * * * *
I like the atmosphere of Juliette because it is prime for people watching. And not just the kind of street-level people watching, but couple's quarrel from their very own kitchen window people watching. (I just creeped MYSELF out!) But, in my defense, it’s impossible not to notice the people who live in the building beside Juliette, because when you’re dining on the roof, you’re basically dining with them. It was an interesting spot, and I’d love to hang out there are night. They had a lot of posters for their nightlife scene – it’s a must before it gets too cold to be a rooftopper.

Food: * * 1/2
I, like Nancy, was expecting something really special from the food at Juliette, and was let down. My omelette seemed so exciting on paper because it boasts of truffled goat cheese – which, by the way, was the high point of this omelette. The asparagus was also a seller for me, but it was so finely chopped, it was barely worthwhile, and even tasted a bit sour. The eggs were cooked in fluffy, French style, and I asked for French fries instead of breakfast taters and got the taters.
Wah-wah :(

Drinks: * * *
I love strong mimosas and free Stella, but not at $8 bucks a pop and the latter will never happen again.

Stats:

Juliette
135 n. 5th st
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 388-9222
www.juliettewilliamsburg.com
Open Mon-Thu 12pm-12am; Fri 12pm-1am; Sat 10:30am-1am; Sun 10:30am-11:30pm

Lokal

Nancy's Take:

Atmosphere: * * *
From the outside, Lokal looks like it could be some kind of a cheesy tiki hut place intended for tourists and frat guys. Inside the restaurant, it's actually quite tasteful. The walls are decorated with Turkish ceramic tiles and there are tables to accommodate all sizes of parties. There's also a nice outdoor section in front with awnings to protect from the sun and elements.

Food: * * *
I ordered the Huevos Rancheros and a side of bacon. The huevos were served simply, with black beans and soft tortillas, with a little touch of salsa and guacamole on top. I had the eggs sunny-side up and overall I thought it was a nice dish. The bacon, however, wasn't crispy enough for my taste.

Drinks: * * * * 1/2
$4 for a mimosa, bloody mary, or bellini and you've sold me! Their bellinis are especially tasty and admittedly I drank four of them. At that price, you can really just plan to hang out for the rest of the day. The drink service at our table was a little slow, but sitting at the bar takes care of that issue.

Becca’s Take:

Atmosphere: * * * ½
Even though Lokal is sometimes referred to as the ugly stepchild of Five Leaves, I think it still has a somewhat charming, ethnic vibe to it that sets it apart from the above association. There’s never a wait, you can eat outside or in, and the bar service is pretty tremendous. Lokal is also home to a really neat basement bathroom, and I love me some comfortable, pretty and private lavs.

Food: * * * ½
I stepped slightly out of the box this weekend and started my brunch with a tomato pesto soup, which was absolutely lovely. It was some of the best tomato soup I’ve ever had – and the light touch of pesto was truly perfect. I could’ve eaten bowls upon bowls of that stuff. I then opted for the White Spinach Omelette, which had waaaaaay too much spinach in it; I think even Popeye would agree that it was a gagging amount. The eggs were cooked well, though, and the cheese nice and melty. So after weeding out some of the heavy greens, I was much happier with my meal.

Drinks:* * * * *
Lokal gets five stars for drinks. Not only are they delicious, but they are dirt cheap! $4 mimosa, bellini or bloody mary? Who among us wouldn’t indulge?

Stats:

Lokal Mediterranean Bistro
905 Lorimer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 384-6777
Open Mon-Thu,Sun 10am-11pm; Fri-Sat 10am-12am
www.lokalbistro.com

Rabbithole

Nancy's Take:

Atmosphere: * * * *

The restaurant is divided into four sections: A seating area in front, a bar in the center, and

more tables at the very back leading out to the garden. We were seated in what I believed to be

the most perfect table of the whole restaurant - indoors but overlooking the garden (with the doors open). For one thing, we were far enough away from the screaming baby in the front that we could enjoy our food in peace. For another thing, we caught the nice breeze from outside

without getting too hot in the sun. Plus a nice view!

Food: * * * * *

I can't say enough good things about the food. I ordered their Eggs Benedict, because it was made with bacon. The taste was unexpected but delicious. Mustard seeds are mixed into the side salad as well as the hollandaise sauce. I've never seen this in a hollandaise before but it had a nice flavor. Add that to the eggs and maple-flavored bacon on top of a homemade biscuit, and

you've got a tasty little brunch!

Drinks: * * *

Bloody Mary - Maybe I'm just spoiled by the places that include drinks with brunch, but ordering a second round started to get pricey.

Taste: good but not memorable
Size: Tall glass

Garnishes: Lemon and celery.

Becca's Take:

Atmosphere: * * *

Rabbithole is a quaint little place with your typical Brooklyn bistro look. But the first thing I noticed when I walked in last Sunday was an obnoxious, crying baby. I asked the very flustered host specifically to be seated away from the baby, which he did. When we got to our seat, we were actually really happy because we were half inside and half outside, so it wasn't too warm and we were in plenty of shade.

Food: * * * *

I almost ordered the half-baked eggs, and then the waitress warned me what the dish was actually like, and I opted for the goat cheese, roasted tomato and red onion omelette, which was made perfectly. When it came out, it almost looked fake - that's how perfect. The homefries were delish and I ordered a side biscuit because I just can't help myself. It really was the perfect amount of brunch - yum!

Drinks: * * 1/2

I wasn't impressed with The Gardner cocktail I ordered for my first round, so I went with a mimosa for round two. I got a nice buzz, but they weren't outstanding.

Stats:
Rabbithole
352 Bedford Avenue (bet S3rd/S4th St)
(718) 782-0910
Brunch available every day 8am-5pm
www.rabbitholebakery.com

Five Leaves

Nancy's take:

Atmosphere * * * ½

Because this is already a popular spot in the neighborhood, expect a 30-45 min wait for a table. There is no waiting room inside, which is fine when the weather is nice because we were able to wait outside with the rest of the crowd. However, it was supposed to rain later so I wondered what kind of mayhem would ensue as people tried to bunch themselves around the doorway. You can also grab coffee to go from an outside ordering window. There are outdoor cafe tables for nice weather and a very cute indoor space with an antique French bistro look. To accommodate the high volume of customers, they have squeezed the tiny tables uncomfortably close. I always worry that my butt will knock over someone's drink on my attempt to squeeze between the tables.

Food: * * * * 1/2

We both ordered Sage Scrambled Eggs and I had thick cut bacon as my side. The eggs are served as a huge sandwich, so someone with a smaller appetite might want to split it with a friend. I love the egg part so much that I ate it topless (the sandwich, not me) to keep the bread from filling me up. The thick cut bacon was tasty and just the right crispiness.

Drinks: * * * *

Bloody Mary

Taste: Thumbs up! Lots of vodka, and plenty of horseradish!

Garnishes: lemon, lime, 2 cornichons, 2 olives. yay!

Becca’s Take:

Atmosphere: * * * *

Five Leaves is my favorite place to eat brunch, lunch or dinner in Greenpoint - possibly in all of NYC. It is a little tightly packed, but that doesn’t bother me because the servers and the owner are great, they only play vinyl (and kickass vinyl at that), and Heath Ledger was an original investor. Anyone who knows me, knows that I’ll do just about anything if HL was at one time involved. Oh, and I love their bathroom. It makes me feel like I’m on a ship…a really, really cool ship.

Food: * * * * *

Five stars: can’t be beat. Four reasons: It’s fresh, unique, great portion size and it’s delicious (duh). Three menu varieties: If you dine for brunch, you can choose between breakfast and lunch, or mix the two, quite obviously. If you happen to be there between 3 – 4, they have an “in between” menu, which features some great appetizer-style items to get you in the mood for dinner, which is neck-and-neck in the tasty battle with brunch. Two words: TRUFFLE. FRIES. One restaurant my tummy really couldn’t do without!

Drinks: * * *

I had my standard mimosas with brunch, and there was not one thing wrong with it. I usually prefer to order from their cocktail or specialty drink menu, mostly because the ingredients are interesting and slightly more exciting than champagne and OJ, but for brunch, I stay loyal. One thing that’s not so hot about drinking at Five Leaves is that sometimes the service can be slow when drinking, especially if you aren’t right at the bar, simply because it’s always packed, but drinks aren’t cheap, either. I feel the food is priced very fairly, especially for how much you get and how good it is, but a mimosa should never be more than $6 – end of story.

Stats:

Five Leaves

18 Bedford Avenue

Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY 11222

(718) 383-5345

Kitchen open 9am-12am 7 days/week

www.fiveleavesny.com