Tag Archives: eggs benedict

The Penrose

21 Nov

There are certain places that you duck into because they are convenient, expecting them to be good enough.

The Penrose was not good enough. In fact, it was great.

We ducked in for brunch one day when in the area (Upper East Side: On 2nd Ave between 82nd and 83rd to be exact) with the family and proceeded to have such a good brunch, that we went back a few more times since then.

I loved that they advertise directly on their menu that they use locally sourced eggs from the Brey Family Farm in upstate New York that are all natural, farm fresh, anti-biotic and hormone free.  Go eggs!

The shrimp and grits with the spicy sauce:

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The shrimp and grits without the spicy sauce (everything you want shrimp and grits to be!):IMG_6032

Burger with a fried egg:

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A beautiful plate of yogurt with granola and berries:

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Eggs benny with ham:

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And then… the pièce de résistance… the bacon, egg, and oyster sandwich with pickles on a brioche bun.

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This sandwich was so magical that the hard-to-please boys of our group started moaning while eating it. Even though I am allergic to part of it (it had some peppers spice in the breading, I think), I took a bite and then dealt with the itchy mouth and blisters forming on my tongue to have another bite. It was that good.

The best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had, in fact.

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As far as unexpected fantastic meals, this was very high up on the list. I was surprised at how much we all loved it, and it was great that they have some surprising brunch menu items that you don’t find everywhere else.  It has been a hit every time we have visited and with everyone we have taken.

I’d burn my mouth all over again for another bite of that crunchy fried oyster sandwich.

Total Nom Points: 8 out of 10

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Jersey City: Skinner’s Loft

20 Mar

Also while on our quest to explore neighborhoods in and around Manhattan for home buying, we wound up in Jersey City with some friends who just recently bought a place there themselves.  (We actually really liked it there, but my commute to CT a few times each week made it less desirable than heading north).

They explained the stress of picking a restaurant we would enjoy (to which I always say, I enjoy a diner as much as a 5 star restaurant!) but decided to meet at Skinner’s Loft just a couple blocks from the Grove Street Path Station.

We got there a little early and had a drink at the bar, during which time we saw a lot of people come in and request a seat. Luckily, they saved our table while we waited for our friends, but they were turning people away before noon.  It was hopping!

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The bread basket was really great, with a little bit of everything to try and nice butter.  (I love a good sampler bread basket)

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The men at the table each got the grilled hamburger with lettuce, tomato, onion, brioche roll, french fries.

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Mike said it was a pretty decent burger and I LOVED the fries.

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My friend got the eggs benedict with poached eggs over house-made buttermilk biscuits, canadian bacon, and hollandaise sauce.  She really enjoyed it.

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I got the poached eggs over corned beef and sweet potato/potato hash.  This sounded SO good.  Sadly, this just didn’t quite come together.  The potatoes were soft but not roasted and there was 0 sauce. That would have been totally fine if the potatoes were nicely caramelized, but instead, they were actually kind of flavorless.  Even the corned beef pieces were lacking in flavor. Saltiness even! Bummer.  This could have been really great.

 

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I can see why this place is popular in town for brunch, with a great menu, but sadly, it just wasn’t quite there.  I think they are on the right track but need a really good cook to come in and bump it all up just a wee bit.  Though my only real thing to base that idea on is that hash, so maybe the other items are better.  I’m sure it’s a great stop if you’re in the area, but I can’t quite tell you to drop everything and do some Jersey City destination dining based on Skinner’s Loft Brunch.

Total Nom Points: 6 out of 10

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The Sunburnt Calf

8 Aug

One of the first brunch places that made me fall in love with brunch was The Sunburnt Cow in the LES.  It was always a trek, however, to get to Avenue C.  So I was thrilled when they opened up a new place, called The Sunburnt Calf, on the UWS (79th between Broadway and Amsterdam).  Like The Cow, The Calf offers Endless Brunch, which is a selection of most brunch meals on the menu plus endless Moomosa’s, Moo Mary’s, Foster’s, Screwdrivers, and Greyhounds for $18. My mom, also being  a fan of The Cow, joined me for my first sampling of the Calf.

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The day we arrived it was HOT!  And the AC was not working.  We kept our menus to use as fans.

Mom got Eggs Benedict.

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I decided to try the omelette of the day, which was a Greek Omelette.

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It had feta and tomatoes and was supposed to have shrimp.  Sadly, they went a little skimpy on the fillings (and since it was $5 more, it seems pretty sad).

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Overall, it’s hard to beat endless brunch drinks at all.  This was a bit disappointing, however. Nothing was outstanding and the lack of filling in my omelette was a pretty poor performance.  The heat didn’t help at all.  I’ll give them another try, but this time was just… barely above average.

Total Nom Points: 5.5 out of 10

Total Nom Points: 5.5 out of 10