Restaurant Review: Sons of Essex

I had a great brunch experience with 6 of my gal pals at Sons of Essex. Cool place on the LES. Apparently a brunch hot spot, with dim lighting and a DJ spinning late 80s/early 90s hip hop. We got a fantastic deal from Gilt City that included 6 cocktails, 2 bottles of champagne, 6 entrees, 3 sides, and 2 desserts (oh and coffee/tea if we wanted it). So naturally, we ordered up a storm!

After popping the first bottle of champagne, we got our three sides - truffle tater tots, seasonal fruit, and truffle mac n cheese. They accidentally brought out a fruit parfait with housemade granola and greek yogurt, so we got to try that as well. Everything was great. The tots were crispy, the mac n cheese was creamy (and a generous portion), the fruit was fresh, and the yogurt parfait tasted really natural, creamy, and wholesome.

Truffle tater tots

Fruit and yogurt parfait

Truffle mac n cheese

We also ordered cocktails. Obviously I went with the Bloody Mary which was great, but could have been bigger. I also tasted some of the white sangria which was very fruity, tangy and pretty strong (not a bad thing).

Bloody Mary

Next came the entrees. We each ordered one thing, but ended up splitting and tasting everyone's. We got the lobster benedict, steak and huevos, Essex St omelette with egg whites, stuffed french toast, and 2 S.O.E. brunch pizzas. I didn't try the steak and huevos because it got eh reviews. Apparently the steak was a bit tough. I also didn't try the egg white omelette because who has time for that at a brunch like this.

Steak and huevos

Essex St. omelette (with egg whites)

I tasted the french toast that the menu says is made with cornflake crusted challah, maple marscapone, and homemade ricotta. I looked like red velvet to me, but either way it was fluffy, sweet, and delicious. I could only have one bite though since it was too sweet to eat a large portion of that. (sorry, no photo available).

The lobster benedict was pretty good, nothing crazy. The lobster flavor was definitely there, and there was a decent portion of lobster on top of an English muffin (I think). I asked for the hollandaise on the side so it didn't smother the dish. It also came with a little salad that I dabbled in, but it wasn't dressed (or wasn't dressed well), so I moved on.

Lobster benedict

The S.O.E. brunch pizza was huge and awesome. Scrambled eggs, aged cheddar, and Applewood smoked bacon on a crispy flat bread is a great combo, filling, and easy to share. I think we all were getting so full at that point so we didn't do serious damage, but this was one of my favorite dishes.

S.O.E. brunch pizza

For dessert we went with a chocolate cake and apple streusel. The chocolate cake was served warm with caramel. It was yummy, but nothing amazing. The apple streusel had a warm, crispy topping, but the filling was nothing to write home about. We also were busy with our second bottle of champagne and very full, so dessert was definitely an after thought at this point.

Apple streusel

Chocolate cake

We were finishing up around 3pm and all of a sudden we looked around and the scene had totally changed. The music was still bumpin, but now it was fuller and the crowd seemed to be really decked out, as if it were 11pm. The waitress told us that it can get pretty wild there and they always have bouncers on walkie at brunch time...totally normal.

So, if you are looking for a lively brunch spot with good food and good service, definitely check this place out. I would not recommend bringing your parents or a first date, but great for groups trying to party at brunch time.

Restaurant Review: Sotto 13

Boozy brunch time with the ladies. Myself and two other friends went to Sotto 13 today for brunch. They have a great deal that for $25, you get unlimited brunch drinks (bloody mary, mimosa, raspberry white peach bellini, fresh watermelon margarita, screwdriver, or sangria), and either two tapas + a side plate or a wood-fired pizza. So between the 3 of us, we ordered 4 tapas, 2 sides plates, and a pizza. We got: Fig Jam, Prosciutto, and Goat Cheese Crostini (they let me sub goat cheese for the original gorgonzola), Spinach and Artichoke Pizza made with riccotta and marscapone, French Toast Sticks with Vermont syrup and berry compote, Cacio e Pepe (soft scrambled eggs with Cacio cheese), Baked Crispelle with crepes stuffed with spinach and ricotta covered in tomato sauce and baked in cast iron dish with cheese on top, and 2 sides of bacon (extra crispy).

Bloody Mary

Fig Jam, Prosciutto, and Goat Cheese Crostini

Spinach and Artichoke Pizza

French Toast Sticks

Bacon (duh)

Everything was really very good. Highlights included the Baked Crispelle (sorry no pics of that one) and Spinach and Artichoke Pizza. As far as drinks, I ordered the Bloody Mary (or 4), and my friends had a variety of mimosas and bellinis. The restaurant itself is really nice inside, with a large skylight allowing for tons of natural light. It had a modern feel and just a cool vibe. I would highly recommend it for brunch with a large group as they are definitely able to accommodate it.

Restaurant Review: Mulberry

I am in Austin, TX for a quick work trip (sans car). Girl has got to eat, so I did some quick research to see what was in walking distance from my hotel, the W Austin, located downtown. I found Mulberry on top of a few "best brunch in Austin" lists, so I decided to check it out. I think it is important to note that I was dining lonesies, so I appreciate a bar type seating area, which Mulberry had. This not only minimized the awkwardness, but also provided for extremely quick and attentive service, which is always appreciated. They did have a nice set up outside, but oh my lord it was close to 100 degrees. Only true Texans would choose to eat outside in that kind of heat. Anyways, the food. I ordered the Poached Eggs with spicy calabrese salami on toast and hollandaise on the side. I also opted for a $3 mimosa, which by quick glance seemed to be the fan favorite.

The mimosa was perfect - fresh squeezed OJ and heavy on the champagne. Can't really ask for more than that. And $3!? Yes please. The eggs were pretty good. Honestly, this dish was nothing new. Just good eggs, with good salami, and good toast. I probably should have ordered a side or something, because I definitely wasn't full, but I got all thrown off by not having anyone to share with me so I didn't really think about it when initially ordering.

Moral of the story is that I was satisfied, but not full, soooo... I went to get some fro yo down the street afterwards! Problem solved.