Sunday's are for Brunching: Harry's

I rarely travel all the way downtown on the weekends, unless it's for brunch! I met up with a couple of friends for brunch a few weeks ago and I'm so glad they dragged me from Wash Heights all the way down to Hanover Square. Bottomless brunch is the way to get me in the door and keeping my glass full to the brim during my meal is the way to get me to go back! Good food? check. Good service? check. Nice space? double check. 

My one piece of advice is to make a rez and get there early around 12pm - 12:30pm because it gets packed. This is not one of NYC's little secrets, tons of people know and tons of people like!

For more info on Harry's, visit www.harrysnyc.com.

Heavenly Dessert!

Went to Serendipity 3 in New York City a couple of nights ago. What a treat! Highly recommend the Frozen Hot Chocolate and Forbidden Broadway Sundae. Words can not explain how delicious.

Sundays are for Brunching: Corcho Wine Room

Another great brunch spot in Uptown Manhattan is Corcho Wine Room,  a small, cozy wine bar tucked away on Dyckman Street near Broadway. Corcho brunch is a la carte and one of my absolute fave brunching spots. It's close to home, small but inviting and the staff is extremely attentive. Not that many people know about Corcho yet, so it's not crowded. You don’t have to wait long for a table and you don't feel like you have to eat and run (which defeats the purpose of brunching).

 

Prices are pretty great too. Entrees run $7 - $10 and portions are a good size. It's filling but not overwhelming. My favorite menu item is the Croque Madame, ham and Gruyere cheese layered between brioche gratinee, topped with a sunny side up egg and a side of salad.

My partner in food crime seems to want to try poached eggs in every spot! Once again, she ordered with trepidation and was pleasantly surprised. At Corcho you get two poached eggs sitting on top of a warm brioche with crispy Serrano ham, coated with sage sausage bechamel gravy. Yum!

Corcho brunch offers unlimted Mimosa and Sparkling Sangria with your meal. If you want to add on, you get an entree plus cocktails for $21.99. It's a nice deal! My favorite brunch cocktail is the Guava Mimosa.

When I started brunching at Corcho we were there for hours, being refilled with the yummy Guava Mimosa. As usual, all good things must come to an end.  I've found that as brunch spots get more popular, the time limits begin on the unlimited cocktails. Now, there’s an hour limit to the Mimosas and Sparkling Sangria, but they do an excellent job refilling your glass. You can probably squeeze in 3 maybe 4 solid glasses.

I didn't have dessert last time I went to Corcho, but if you have room for it you should definitely indulge. Also, you must try the Corcho Fries (topped with parmesan and rosemary).  We usually order a side for the table, they're simply too good to pass up. 

I have one request. Once you've settled in, look up at the ceiling. You'll find a lovely surprise. Let me know what you think about it. 

For more info on Corcho Wine Room, visit www.corchowineroom.com. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter. 

New York City Restaurant Week

One of my favorite times of the year is quickly approaching, NYC Restaurant Week! Get ready for good eats at Manhattan's trendiest and best restaurants from January 14^th – February 8^th. Enjoy a three course lunch ($25) or three course dinner ($38) Monday - Friday. Some restaurants offer weekend deals. 

Some of my fave spots:

(Calle Ocho)

(Mesa Grill)

(Marble Lane)

I’d start planning out my restaurant week ASAP. For a full list of participating restaurants visit www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek.

Tis the Season for Yummy Cocktails!

The holidays are in full gear. Here are four great holiday drinks by Pinnacle® to help you celebrate. I tried these last week, they’re dessert in a glass!

Orange Dreamsicle

·         Pinnacle® Whipped® Vodka

·         Orange Juice

·         Lemon-Lime Soda

·         Grenadine

·         Garnished with an orange slice

 

Cookies and Crème Martini

·         Pinnacle® Whipped® Vodka

·         DeKuyper® Dark Crème de Cocoa Liqueur

·         Half & half

·         Drizzled with chocolate and topped with whipped cream

Buttercream Martini

·         Pinnacle® Whipped® Vodka

·         DeKuyper® Buttershots® Liqueur

·         Half & half

·         Drizzled with chocolate and topped with whipped cream

Chocolate Covered Pretzel

·         Pinnacle® Whipped® Vodka

·         DeKuyper® Hazlenut Liqueur

·         Drizzled with chocolate and includes salt rim

Sundays are for Brunching: Indian Road Cafe

Tucked away in Northern Manhattan, Inwood to be more specific, stands the Indian Road Café. All around I’m a big fan of IRC. I started frequenting this summer and it never disappoints. Today we decided to head over and try the brunch. Turned out to be a great decision! When we arrived, the place was packed but we were able to get a table for 2 pretty quickly. As soon as we sat we were asked what we’d like to drink and we opted for the Bottomless Mimosas. At $14 dollars I’d say it’s pretty good! 

They have a pretty great brunch menu, lots to choose from. I had the Seaman Avenue Trucker’s Breakfast which includes scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, parmesan hash browns and toast. I know, I’m a fat ass! It sounds like a lot of food, but the portions are good and it’s definitely doable. You don’t feel as bad eating your food as you do ordering. Pancakes were topped with bananas and pecans which gave them a nice flavor. Two thumbs up to the parm hash browns!

My partner in food crime had the Traditional Benedict - 2 Poached Eggs with Canadian bacon, toasted English muffin, hollandaise sauce and parmesan hash browns. Also very yummy! Her one gripe with the poached eggs was the taste of vinegar was a little too strong.  

Another plus, we didn’t wait long at all for our food, and the staff was attentive and polite. Those are two key factors to a nice brunch afternoon. We spent about $35 each for bottomless mimosas (we drank 4 each), entrée, tax and tip. Only downside is the open kitchen. Indian Road Café is a pretty large space, but it gets smoky in there. Also, you leave smelling like food. I think it’s a small price to pay for a nice New York City brunch. 

If you’re in the neighborhood you should definitely stop by. For those not in the Washington Heights/Inwood/Marble Hill area please make the trek uptown, it won't disappoint! You can always make a day of it and take a stroll in the nearby Inwood Hill Park and/or visit The Cloisters. It’s a short walk from the 1 train, BX 7 and M100 and across the street from Columbia University – Baker Field. 

For more information on Indian Road Café, you can visit them online at www.indianroadcafe.com, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.