oak wine bar

Nancy's Take:

Atmosphere: * * * *

Like the name evokes, Oak is a cozy and inviting place to dine. In spite of its small flaws (such as the lack of place to wait for a table), it's a great place to bring dates, friends, and even your parents. I know because I've taken all of the aforementioned people there. The staff is humble, friendly, and eager to please.

Food: * * * * *

I like trying different takes on the eggs benedict, and this is a great place to find one. They offer the Florentine, Benedict, and Norwegian styles served on a potato cake instead of an English muffin. I opted for the Eggs Norwegian since I'm a sucker for smoked salmon. The potato cake as a vessel for poached eggs and salmon....se magnifique.

Drinks: * * * *

I drank their Sake Bloody Mary, and it was a tasty little number. Maybe it's just the flavor of the sake that makes their Bloody Mary different, but I picked up on a taste almost like pickle juice. It added a nice tangy flavor, and left me a happy camper.

Becca’s Take:

Atmosphere: * * * *

I’ve never been inside Oak, but walk past it nearly every day. Its big, green awning isn’t very inviting, and almost makes the restaurant look a little cheesy, but once you step inside, the atmosphere is sophisticated, warm and captivating. Our waiter was also very quick, attentive and friendly – he was simply a pleasure!

Food: * * * *

Unfortunately, for the fellow veggies and me, almost every item on the menu has meat in it. Though I’m sure you could get nearly whatever you want without meat, I opted for a build-your-own omelette. I chose roasted tomatoes, light spinach and gruyere cheese. They also included grilled, red onions, which were a welcome surprise for me, but it wasn’t mentioned as included on the menu, so be aware if you have an allergy or strong distaste for onions.

Drinks: * * * ½

I love my mimosas - and there wasn’t anything wrong with Oak’s. Simple, cold and smooth – yum.

Stats:

Oak Wine Bar & Café

361 Graham Ave.

Brooklyn, NY 11211

Open 7 Days

Brunch 11am - 4pm

Dinner 5pm - 11pm

Bliss

Nancy's take:

Atmosphere: * * * 1/2
Bliss may be small, but it's a cozy kind of small. The tables and bar counter surround an exposed kitchen, which makes you feel slightly more intimate with the food you're ordering. The last time I went to Bliss, they had just begun to paint a multi-colored wall mural. Now the walls are finished and really brighten up Bliss's somewhat dark interior. Like many places in Brooklyn and NYC, there is not much standing room if you have to wait for a table. Luckily, we were able to sit immediately. The people who came in after us were not as fortunate.

Food: * * * 1/2
I ordered the tofu scramble with homefries and whole wheat toast. This is one of my favorite things on their menu. It's like eating breakfast and Indian food at the same time. The curry spices give it just the right amount of hearty flavor, while still having that egg-like texture that qualifies it (to me) as a breakfast item. The homefries on the side were flavorful and a nice compliment to the scramble.

Drinks: * 1/2
There's no alcohol at Bliss, and I consider the mimosa or Bloody Mary to be an essential element of brunch. However, I drank their organic coffee with soy milk and it was a good cup of coffee. If you have a hankering for breakfast booze, I suggest dining here first, then hopping next door to Blackbird Parlour for 2-for-1 mimosas. Or do what Becca and I did, and drink $4 mimosas and bellinis at Lokal afterward.

Becca’s Take:

Atmosphere: * * * ½
I, like Nancy, love love love the multi-colored mural wall. It is definitely Bliss’ signature. The layout of the restaurant is great because it’s cute and quiet for a sit-down meal, or it’s easy to take away your food. The service is always prompt, and it’s wonderful to be among fellow veggers!

Food: * * 1/2
I have never had Bliss for breakfast, but am a huge fan of their baked tofu – it could be the best prepared tofu I’ve ever had. I thought the menu options for breakfast looked interesting, but nothing really grabbed me, as their lunch menu does. I basically went with the least vegan thing on the menu, which is the opposite of why I wanted to try Bliss for breakfast in the first place! Oi vey. I went with the Bagel Delight, with “real” eggs and cheese, as they call it. It had a slice of tomato and three, thick-cut slices of tempah bacon. The bacon was a little much for me – I could only eat one slice – but the eggs were cooked nicely and the bagel was supremely fresh. Oh, and those homefries were kick ass - so YUMMY.

Drinks: *
Outta beer? Outta here! I was happy to include Bliss in our blog because I really do love their food, but a girl needs a damn drink with her brunch! 2-for-1 mimosas apparently picked up in popularity at Blackbird, located right next door to Bliss, so it was hard to even just sit at the bar there, but it is a good idea if you need some booze after your breakfast.

Stats:

Bliss
191 Bedford Ave
(between 6th St & 7th St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 599-2547
HOURS: Mon-Fri: 8:30am-11pm Sat-Sun: 9:30am-11pm

egg

Nancy's Take:

Atmosphere: * * * 1/2

One of the reasons it's taken us so long to review Egg is due to the large crowds it draws on weekends. We rendered it virtually impossible to get in. Luckily we both had a Monday off and there was no wait for a table. Even still, for a Monday at 11:30 it was a crowded place. The decor inside was fairly simple but definitely had the feel of a quaint country eatery. Plus, there were crayons on the table so I drew a monkey on the butcher's paper while we waited for the bill.

Food: * * * *

I give thumbs up to the food at Egg for several reasons. The restaurant specializes in providing organic and homemade ingredients, much of which comes from their own farm in Oak Hill, NY. I also happen to think their plate presentation is especially appealing. I ordered the Eggs Rothko, which were soft eggs over homemade brioche and Grafton cheddar. The main dish was delicious, as were the cute little tastes of things on the side, such as the broiled tomatoes served on a little circle of brioche. I also had a side of homemade pork sausage, which was just the perfect addition to round out the meal.

Drinks: * * * *

French press coffee for one and a mimosa? Yes please. The glass size for the mimosa was especially generous for the price.

Becca’s Take:

Atmosphere: * * * *

I love being inside Egg. It is very simply designed and actually quite plain, but I love being inside there because it smells like Mom’s kitchen. It’s homey, quiet and I’m a fan of any place that lets you draw on the tablecloth.

Food: * * *

The food at Egg, as Nancy said, is wonderful because it’s organic, grass-fed and homegrown. Everything is elegantly presented, but I have to say, I don’t like soft-cooked eggs. I ordered the Grafton cheddar omelette, which were soft-cooked eggs with a bit of Grafton cheese. It came with broiled tomatoes, which were especially delicious but a little freaky looking. They also put a hashbrown on the side and it was way too much batter and not enough potato. Last but not least, I ordered a buttermilk biscuit, since I will never quite finish my quest for the perfect biscuit. It was crumbly on top, which I love, but it was a bit dry. I was slightly disappointed. Boo.

Drinks: * * * * ½

Where Egg frustrates me on a food level, their mimosas are killer! They are served in large glasses and with fresh-squeezed OJ – all for $7! Considering some joints try to charge you $10 for a mimosa with fresh-squeezed OJ, this was a pleasant surprise.

Stats:

Egg

135 North 5th Street, Brooklyn New York 11211

(718) 302 5151

Monday — Wednesday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Thursday: 7 a.m. — 10 p.m.

Friday: 7 a.m. — 11 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m. — 11 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. — 9 p.m.

www.pigandegg.com

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