I like brunch.

June 11, 2010

Prune

Restaurant Information:

54 East 1st Street

New York, NY 10003-9313
Get Directions

(212) 677-6221

prunerestaurant.com

Service* 7/15 or 46.67%

Hostess(5 points) (N/A)

Promptness(3/5 points)

I was seated and given a menu almost as soon as possible. The food was served shortly there after and with out much ado.

Alertness(2/5 points)

I don’t think this waitress cared at all about her job. The place was dead as could be with maybe five tables for her to look over in the entire restaurant. She spent more time talking with the bartender about some guy she just started dating than with all of her customers combined. She didn’t even attempt to refill my water or coffee. Personally, I hope the relationship works out, because her job isn’t.

Friendliness(2/5 points)

I think the waitress could have been friendly, but her indifference soured the experience. The chefs looked like they really enjoyed what they were doing and would have been open to talking if they had the time. I think the bartender definitely gets points here.

Food and Drink 15/20 or 75%

Price(3/5 points)

For the quality of drink and the excellent presentation you got what you paid for here. Otherwise, I felt like I got ripped off completely and there was more style than substance for what I got.

Quality of Food(3/5 points)

The food itself was quite tasty. I had their version of traditional New Orleans meal, Eggs Sardou. The confectioners sugar slipped into the hot sauce gently and mixed well for an excellent addition to the dish flavor-wise. It all went downhill from there. There are a few unspoken rules of brunch and serving poached eggs with bread is one of them; unfortunately, the chef was unaware of this rule. After my eggs had been popped and the artichoke hearts, eaten, the plate turned into a pool of yoke, sweet hot sauce, and little else. It was served with three small fries—honestly, they were there primarily for decorative purposes. The normal way this dish is served is over creamed spinach, but their version left that out completely. If they had included the creamed spinach and provided a proper spoon, this dish would have been executed much better.

Quality of Beverage(4/5 points)

The coffee was good, not great. However, it was served with individual sugar cubes, both raw and refined. Cream was on the side in a small pitcher, per usual. The water was served in a tiny glass.

Presentation(5/5 points)

Everything really did look quite delicious. I don’t think it would be possible for them to have done a better job on presentation. It’s so disappointing that the rest didn’t fare as well.

Decor and Space 14/20 or 70%

Cleanliness(4/5 points)

Everything was quite clean. I was impressed by the spotlessness of the tables and counter tops. All of my dishes looked brand new, save my flatware.

Theme(3/5 points)

I don’t think this place knows what it wants to be. Half of it screams Parisian cafe, half of it mumbles old Americana. I particularly love the bench on the side wall and the use of mirrors near the ceilings. I would kill for that bench.

Adequate Seating(4/5 points)

I want to give this place a higher rating for their use of seating. The layout is superb, but the size of this place is just too small. It needs to move to a much larger space desperately.

Location(3/5 points)

I thought about giving this a higher score because of it’s incredible closeness to the subway stop at second avenue. Then, I remembered Joe Doe was right across the street, does a far better job with everything Prune claims to do, isn’t pretentious, and actually likes their customers. Just go to Joe Doe, you’ll have a better time.

Bonus(5 points)

One point for serving a ginger treat with the check.

Total Score 36/55 with bonus 37/55 or 67.27%

*The caveat to this is that I visited on a Tuesday afternoon. Trying to get into this place on a weekend is a nightmare and should be avoided completely.

bad service

brunch

decor 70%

food 70%

Penelope

Restaurant Information:

159 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10016-8154
Get Directions

(212) 481-3800

penelopenyc.com

Service 8/20 or 40%

Hostess(2/5 points)

There were two hostesses: one completely worthless, the other very helpful. The worthless one was the first one I interacted with and she told me that the wait time was going to be a hour and a half! I had her put my name down and went back out side to wait for my friend. I entered maybe fifteen minutes later and was told I could be seated immediately. Turn out, they hadn’t been maintaining their list very well.

Promptness(2/5 points)

We were asked almost immediately after sitting what we wanted to eat. Our food and drinks came in a timely manner. However, the waitress did forget to bring the side of bacon that was ordered.

Alertness(1/5 points)

This place is a mad house. They need either more waiters or more people working on refilling drinks. I think I got my water refilled once with out asking. Coffee I had to ask for another one.

Friendliness(3/5 points)

Every one we interacted with seemed fairly friendly. I wouldn’t say anything would push me to think otherwise in either direction.

Food and Drink 14/20 or 70%

Price(4/5 points)

This was going to get a normal 3/5, because their brunch pre-fix meal is about what I would expect. Then I remembered I ordered a side of bacon and what I got was a mini-mountain of bacon for $4.75.

Quality of Food(4/5 points)

We had the pumpkin waffles and the Nutella French toast with a side of bacon. The pumpkin waffles were like an autumn explosion in your mouth. The strawberries were probably some of the best I’ve ever had. I think the Nutella French toast didn’t wow me at first, then I realized they had put the Nutella IN the bread. I think the food here is definitely worth visiting again, but hopefully I forget about all the other negatives or get there early enough to enjoy the meal more.

Quality of Beverage(2/5 points)

The coffee tasted pretty bad. The OJ was fresh but served in a mini glass. I really think they should work on their coffee. The other beverages they served though looked quite tasty so this could be an issue of bad on the basics, but good on the extravagant.

Presentation(4/5 points)

The food was carefully positioned on each plate and decorated accordingly. Even the fruits were nicely arranged. The apple slices arranged on the waffles was a delightful touch.

Decor and Space 9/20 or 45%

Cleanliness(3/5 points)

Everything was about as clean as I would expect.

Theme(2/5 points)

I don’t think there really is a theme to this place. It just looked kind of blah to me. To add to the madness, it was loud. I have very good hearing and I couldn’t hear the person sitting across from me. If they worked on the acoustics of the place, it might be a more enjoyable meal. Honestly, I couldn’t wait to get out of here and on to the NYC streets where I could understand the conversation I was having.

Adequate Seating(2/5 points)

There are far too many tables and not enough space to handle it. We had to slide our table over several times to let people out of their spots.

Location(2/5 points)

It’s a few block from the 6 line, but this area is basically dead. You’re not going to really want to look out the windows to see anything but buildings. Additionally, the type of people that visit here looked to be mainly couples in their 40s wearing gym clothes, or groups of single girls trying to out dress each other but put no effort into hiding their hangovers.

Bonus(5 points)

None.

Total Score 31/60, or 51.67%

Fanny

Restaurant Information:

425 Graham Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11211-1414
Get Directions

(718) 389-2060 * approximate times

fannyfood.com

Map:

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Service 8/15 or 53.33%

Hostess(N/A)

Promptness(3/5 points)

My friend was waiting for me at the bar when I got there so I just joined her. We were given menus and asked our orders right after I sat down at the bar. As for the food delivery, it took about what I would expect.

Alertness(2/5 points)

I had to ask for more coffee twice and the woman was behind the bar not more than three feet from me. Also, my glass of water stood empty for quite a long time. The woman was clearly in a rush to do a lot of things behind the bar, but that isn’t much of an excuse.

Friendliness(3/5 points)

I really had a hard time grading this one; the people were kind of invisible personality-wise. I couldn’t really judge one way or another so I just gave them a three.

Food and Drink 14/20 or 70%

Price(4/5 points)

You are definitely getting a lot of bang for you buck at this place. They also have a thirteen dollar brunch special, but I ended up ordering ala carte. My friend went with the special and we ended up with about the same bill.

Quality of Food(4/5 points)

They might have the best home fries I’ve ever tasted: not too oily, seasoned perfectly with rosemary and a blend of spices. I had the ratatouille and baked eggs, which was cooked to perfection. The times I’ve had ratatouille before this, it has either turned out too watery or has the consistency of a thick soup. They didn’t fall victim to these though and I was pleasantly surprised. The french fries were also quite good, but as my friend said, the fish sandwich might as well have been from McDonald’s.

Quality of Beverage(3/5 points)

The coffee here is well worth what you pay for it. It’s bold, not too acidic, and very flavorful. I had two cups because I liked the first so much. The bloody mary, from what I was told, was the worst my friend had ever had. After watching it being made, I don’t doubt it; it contained pretty much the lowest quality of all the ingredients needed. Sure, it looked like a bloody mary, but I can’t imagine drinking one.

Presentation(3/5 points)

My ratatouille was served in its own dish with the home fries on a side dish. My friend’s fish sandwich was served on one large white plate with the fries. I wasn’t really impressed by the presentation; it was just kind of there.

Decor and Space 13/20 or 65%

Cleanliness(3/5 points)

The place was fairly clean. All the dishes, flatware, etc. looked fine to me. The place looked like it was cleaned regularly and it was definitely a fairly new restaurant, or at least had that feel to it.

Theme(3/5 points)

I can’t say it really had a theme too it, but the color scheme and other elements made you feel like it was a minimalist’s design job. It needs more to really wow people. Right now it really feels like it could be some one’s white walled, sparsely decorated, ground floor studio apartment.

Adequate Seating(4/5 points)

There is plenty of seating in this place in the front and at the bar. Then there is a whole back room with about the same amount of space as the front. They did an excellent job of seating this place.

Location(3/5 points)

It’s a few short blocks from the Graham L stop so you can enjoy a walk after your brunch. It’s fairly easy to spot, but I almost walked into the wrong place the first time. It’s far enough away from the station that I don’t think people have really discovered this place yet.

Bonus(5 points)

one point for having a really amazing bathroom.

one point for being able to walk in at 2pm and get served immediately.

Total score 35/55, with bonus 37/55, or 67.27%

Arlo & Esme

Restaurant Information:

42 E 1st St

New York, NY 10003-9345

(212) 777-5617

http://arloandesme.com/

Map:

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Service (10/15) or 67%

Hostess(N/A)

There really isn’t a hostess, nor are you really designated a waiter or waitress. They just kind of hover between working behind the bar and waiting on you.

Promptness(3/5 points)

They were very good at getting us seated—there was no one there—and at getting our drinks back to us. However, our food took a while to get there so they end up settles in the middle. I really think the people working there were more interested in the guys they were dating or what happened last night or, well you get the drift.

Alertness(5/5 points)

They filled up my coffee and water like there was no tomorrow. I really was surprised at how good they were at it.

Friendliness(2/5 points)

I wanted to give this a one because the waitresses/bartenders were talking about how a regular comes in, just hangs out/reads/eats/drinks, and they find it creepy. There is no place in service for talking bad about your regulars while you’re on the job and in ear shot of other customers. Besides that, they were pretty friendly; I just couldn’t get over that initial bad impression though.

Food and Drink (14/20) or 70%

Price(5/5 points)

This place is cheap, really cheap. The two of us ate brunch for $30 including tip. There is a trade off to all of this though.

Quality of Food(2/5 points)

The food was decent. I had the French toast with caramelized bananas on top which was tasty, but didn’t really do much more than what was stated. My guest had the eggs scramble with chorizo, which was the better call of the two. I kind of felt mislead when I looked at the menu: there were seven items including the soup du jour of melon squash and a special of chicken carbonara. It’s a half-ass attempt at brunch more than anything else.

Quality of Beverage(4/5 points)

The coffee was really good. I’d come back here for coffee. The orange juice was so so. I think this is a place really more focused on being a bar than anything else and it shows.

Presentation(3/5 points)

I liked that they served both dishes on completely different plates, but past that there really was no extra effort.

Decor and Space (10/20) or 50%

Cleanliness(2/5 points)

There were giant clumps of dust on the shelves lining the walls used to light the wall. The dishes, etc. were all clean as I would expect. They really didn’t help themselves by sticking to a very white themed room.

Theme(3/5 points)

It’s a basic drink, coffee bar kind of place. This would have gotten a much higher rating but when i went downstairs to the bathroom, I felt like I’d walked into a date rapist’s grotto. The brunch is only served upstairs, but the stark contrast made me think twice about ever meeting someone here at night. Also, the upstairs has some photography that decorates the wall nicely; it gave me something to look at while I waited.

Adequate Seating(3/5 points)

This place was DEAD at 1pm on Saturday. The tables were massively spaced out and they could easily fit one or two more tables in there.

Location(2/5 points)

I would rate this higher, as it is really easy to get to from the 2nd avenue stop, but you have to pass Prune and Joe Doe before you get to this place. I can see it being a great place to bring a drink date, but other than that there are better brunch places in the area.

Bonus(5 points)

None.

Total score 34/55, or 62%

Shopsins

Restaurant Information:

120 Essex Street New York, NY 10002
Get Directions

(212) 924-5160

shopsins.com

Map:

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Service 11/15 or 73%, alternatively 8/15 or 53.33%

Hostess(N/A)

There was no hostess

Promptness(4/5)

Once we were seated, we were immediately given menus and asked if we wanted anything to drink. This place is all about going fast, fast, fast. They don’t waste time doing anything.

Alertness(3/5)

I think the service was exactly what I expected. Because of their promptness, they suffer a little in the alertness. I think with what they have they manage very well.

Friendliness(1/5 or 4/5 points)*

I’ve given them two different scores here and let me explain why. If you’re from New York and you’re used to hearing people say “fuck you” to each other while they work and enjoy a good spat, this place is great. If you’re the kind of person that would be offended by this, you’ll likely leave horrified. Also, you should know that they will kick you out of their restaurant and they dictate when the last person gets served. This is their restaurant and you get to eat there.

Food and Drink 16/20 or 75%

Price(4/5 points)

You get a ton of food for a very solid price. After looking at the menu you might think the prices are high, but when you see the portions you’ll understand that they are more than justified.

Quality of Food(5/5)

The food here melts in your mouth. On top of that, they are highly creative with their food creations. I had never heard of macaroni and cheese pancake before visiting this place, now I want to order it everywhere. S’mores pancake? Yeah, they have that too. I just can’t explain how many different short order combinations the owner put on the menu.

Quality of Beverage(3/5 points)

I’d say the coffee is the definite weak point of the experience. I would easily pay more money for them to buy better coffee and I think it would launch them as close to brunch food perfection as they could get.

Presentation(4/5 points)

They vary their presentation but everything comes out on adequate plates, or in some cases pans. It really is hard to enjoy the presentation when all you really want to do is eat everything.

Decor and Space 16/20 or 75%

Cleanliness(3/5 points)

The restaurant is as clean as I would expect. They make sure to wipe down each table before another customer sits, which definitely helps because some of the dishes get messy.

Theme(5/5 points)

It’s family owned, short order dining at it’s finest. You feel like you’re eating in the pantry and the Mets gear lets you know you are definitely in New York.

Adequate Seating(2/5 points)

There just needs to be more seating for this place. There is always a line to sit and they could likely fill a place twice their size.

Location(4/5 points)

It’s literally right next to the subway stop. The only thing that stopped this from getting a perfect score was the fact that it’s inside the Essex Market and if you don’t know it’s at the south side then you’re going to spend some time finding it. It’s also right by the Williamsburg bridge if you want to take a nice walk back to Brooklyn.

Bonus(3/5 points)

One point for creativity in naming the dishes.

One point for conflict resolution skills between feuding siblings.

One point for sticking to his guns and being the guy he always is.

Total score 43/55, with bonus 46/55 or 83%

Egg

Restaurant Information:

135 N 5th St # A

Brooklyn, NY 11211-3214

(718) 302-5151

pigandegg.com

Map:
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Service 13/20 or 65%

Hostess(4/5 points)

I was impressed by her, I really was. She was friendly, you knew where you stood in line, and she gave an accurate time estimate for our wait. She also was very respectful when she asked us if it would be okay for us to split a table with another group of two.

Promptness(2/5 points)

Do not come here expecting to get seated right away because it’s just not going to happen. We were told a forty five minute wait and that’s exactly what it was. We headed around the corner to a bar for a beer and chit chat before coming back to the restaurant; I suggest you do the same. The wait for our food was short, but chasing down a waiter to pay the bill was a bit trickier. They took our dishes right at the perfect moment when both my friend and I had finished our meals.

Alertness(3/5 points)

I’d say they were about average when identifying our needs. I do, however, feel that a lot of their responsibility was shirked off to us due to The Water Bottle Problem compounded by the individual French presses our coffee came in when served. I couldn’t give them a higher rating because of those issues.

Friendliness(4/5 points)

Every one we interacted with were quite friendly. You got the feeling that the people that worked there really cared about making their little restaurant thrive. Other waiters and staff were happy to stop by and help out when we needed so it felt like we had more than one waiter.

Food and Drink 15/20 or 75%

Price(4/5 points)

Considering the high quality of all the food products put into our meals, I want to say this was definitely a deal, especially when compared with some of the other places I’ve reviewed. I’ll probably go back here and try something else when I get the time.

Quality of Food(4/5 points)

The biscuits and gravy were perfect. They had just the right amount of spice, came out steaming hot, and the biscuits sopped up enough of the gravy for you to not really need a spoon. The cheese grits I had were as close to the right consistency as you can get with out being there; I don’t know if it was the way the grits were cooked or the cheese that made them a bit too mushy for my taste but I devoured them any way. My friend’s eggs and bacon were over cooked, which is a bit ironic if you think about it. Overall the quality of food was very good, but not good enough for five points.

Quality of Beverage(4/5 points)

The coffee was exceptionally good, but not amazing. My friend said her juice was really good as well; I’m sure it was fresh squeezed from their farm or at least with organic oranges. I also should note that they suffer from The Water Bottle Problem AND your coffee is served in individual French presses. This meant no refills on coffee and I don’t even think I was asked if I wanted more when I finished my mini-carafe; it was large enough for about one and a half cups of coffee, not nearly enough for me. Also the French press annoyed me for the same reasons The Water Problem annoyed me.

Presentation(3/5 points)

Nothing really impressive here in the presentation. You got what you ordered and it was arranged in a decent manner on your dish. Plenty of room on your dish to move things around, so no worries there.

Decor and Space 11/20 or 55%

Cleanliness(2/5 points)

I found crumbs on my cheese grits dish. They either came from the toast of my friend or from somewhere else; I don’t want to know, but minus one point.

Theme(3/5 points)

I’m probably being generous giving this a three but everything was very simple and that’s what they were going for in their theme. There were fresh flowers in a vase on the table. Also, there was a brochure about their farm and crayons to color on the paper table cloth if you wished to do so.

Adequate Seating(2/5 points)

We split a four top table with two girls that had to be the most vapid people I’ve run into in a while—one of them didn’t know what the word lexicon meant and the other couldn’t explain it. This place is popular and packed. I also think it is a converted garage which doesn’t help. They really probably need a bigger place for the number of people that get packed into here.

Location(4/5 points)

A short walk from the L at Bedford and you’re there. Also, it’s a block off Bedford Avenue so it’s far enough from the foot traffic and cars that it’s not annoying to be there.

Bonus(3/5 points)

One point for having home made biscuits. One point for having cheese grits on the menu. One point for growing their own materials and using free range chickens.

Total score 39/60, with bonus 42/60 or 70%

the water bottle problem

July 13, 2009

Gottino

Restaurant Information:

52 Greenwich Ave # B

New York, NY 10011-8309

(212) 633-2590

ilovegottino.com

Map:
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Service (10/20) or 50%

Hostess(2/5 points)

I’m not really sure if the woman that I spoke with was the hostess, a woman that was some how involved with the restaurant, or just a customer. Also, the time estimates were vastly inaccurate. When I first got there I asked how long it would be to get a table outside and I was told 30 minutes; fair, but what bothered me was I heard the same estimate given out repeatedly even though no one left in the time I was there.

Promptness(1/5 points)

I shouldn’t ever have to ask for my coffee twice. Also, it took near half a hour for our food to be presented. Our coffees actually got served at the same time our food did which spells major issue in streamlining to me. The waitstaff clearly had food assignments as well as their regular duties and I think in trying to balance out the two they ended up being sub-par in both which was disappointing.

Alertness(3/5 points)

I’d say the wait staff was about as alert as I’d expect, but then again they were right in front of me at the bar so there wasn’t much of a chance for them to miss anything.

Friendliness(4/5 points)

Every one I encountered there was quite friendly, almost surprisingly so, considering how mismanaged everything else was service-wise.

Food and Drink (14/20) or 70%

Price(2/5 points)

This almost got a one on price, but I decided that the coffee was worth far more than the three dollars I paid for it. I probably would have paid four dollars for it. But, the food was way overpriced. Expect to get about half the portion size of other places. I’m pretty sure that the dishes were served on saucers or at least small plates, so you get an idea of what I’m talking about here.

Quality of Food(5/5 points)

Amazing. The food was so flavorful. Clearly the focus of this establishment was the quality of their food and they nailed it. I had the over easy eggs with bacon, which might be the best bacon I’ve ever had. It was served with two small slices of bread that proved a bit tricky with the flatware I was using. Also, the food was incredibly rich. I wasn’t full when I was done eating, but it sat heavy in my stomach.

Quality of Beverage(4/5 points)

This would have gotten a five, but the water was served in essentially shot glasses. Also, the water bottle problem reared its ugly head here, but in the form of a giant bottle of water that was shared amongst several people at the bar. The coffee was probably the best cup I’ve had yet. It was rich, flavorful, with a hint of sweetness and bitterness, i.e. the way coffee should taste.

Presentation(3/5 points)

The waiter did an excellent job of presenting our food and drinks, but when I saw the small sized plates I instantly thought, “that’s it?” The small plates were overflowing and I think that contributed to make it look kind of a mess.

Decor and Space (10/20) or 50%

Cleanliness(3/5 points)

The place was as clean as I would expect. I didn’t notice anything especially clean or dirty.

Theme(4/5 points)

It’s a wine bar with a focus on fine food. Marble bar with wine stacked along one wall make it glaringly obvious what they’re after in their clientele.

Adequate Seating(1/5 points)

I’m pretty sure the bar takes up the vast majority of their seating area. Their indoor seating and outdoor seating looked cramped. I’m not exactly a fan of them asking us to sit at the bar after misquoting wait times to me. If you’re going to have that many people sitting at the bar at least give us stools that are comfortable to sit in while we’re there; I felt like I was sitting on a converted school desk. Also, they could have taken advantage of their large sidewalk space like their neighbors did and fit a few tables there, but they didn’t.

Location(2/5 points)

I was going to give this three, as it is about a medium walk from the subway, but it’s located on Greenwich which means 10th Street intersects 4th Street and things get wacky if you’re not careful. Also, it sits next to a restaurant that looked like it did a better job at seating and pricing items reasonably.

Bonus(5 points)

One point for playing Beethoven the entire time I was there.

Total score 34/60, with bonus 35/60 or 58.33%