Best Of NY: New Year, New Brunches
A new year gives restaurants across New York City the opportunity to launch new brunch menus. Whether New Yorkers are looking for a new type of bottomless brunch or twists on classic dishes, they can find them here.
ZenTaco
522 Columbus Ave.
New York, NY 10024
212-787-3473
www.zentacousa.com
One of the Upper West Side's newest restaurants kicked off the year with its new mouthwatering brunch. ZenoTaco blends together Latin and Asian cuisines to create unique brunch dishes, including a Vietnamese Torta with braised pork with a mix of spiced vegetables and a fried egg. There is even a twist on the favorite French Toast using a homemade passion fruit syrup instead of maple syrup. One item on the menu that will have New Yorkers coming back for more is the Popsicle cocktail. Offered in five flavors, the frozen treat comes in Bloody Mary Pop, Strawberry Lemonade Mimosa Pop and a Fressada Pop made with tequila and strawberry lemonade. Alongside these delicious Popsicles, diners can try some of the frozen margaritas, including watermelon and guava.
Harvey
96 Wythe Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11249
718-362-8100
www.thewilliamsburghotel.com
Tucked inside The Williamsburg Hotel, Harvey elevates and reimagines the weekend brunch with Brooklyn High Tea. Offered Friday through Sunday, the special service gives diners the chance to customize a three-tiered platter of sweets and savory bites. All of the menu items are products of Brooklyn Bread Lab and include Mini Almond Pies, Spicy Salami and BK Ricotta Pizzettes and Harvey's classic Avocado Toast. Curated from Tea Dealers in the East Village, the tea menu features brews from Japan, India and Korea, including Nahorabi Assam with a vibrant caramel notes and a green finish. New Yorkers looking to add a little bubbly to their brunch can order a petite bottle of champagne per person.
Handcraft Kitchen & Cocktails
367 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10016
212-690-3000
www.handcraftnyc.com
While bottomless brunches are typically full of endless amounts of mimosas and Bloody Mary's, Handcraft Kitchen & Cocktails started a non-alcoholic brunch. Every weekend, New Yorkers can enjoy two hours of unlimited mimosas, bellinis and the house punch. Of course, these mocktails complement all of the brunch dishes, including the Craft Skillet with sausage, smoked ham, Cajun spices and home fries or the Croaker with Gruyere cheese, bacon, smoked ham and eggs on a toasted brioche. For those that enjoy the traditional bottomless brunch, the restaurant continues to offer that option as well.
SaltBrick Tavern
156 Tillary St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
347-417-9112
www.saltbricktavernnyc.com
Brunch in downtown Brooklyn just got a little more stylish at SaltBrick Tavern. From the seductively red chairs to the exposed brick and shelves of wine bottles, the restaurant brings a refined and contemporary feel to the traditional tavern. The menu is full of variations of beloved brunch bites, including the Crab and Biscuits Benedict, Red Hot Chicken and Waffles with a Sriracha maple glaze and German Pancakes with seasonal fruit. There are even shareable dishes, including the French Toast Nuggets with cinnamon cream cheese filling and Donut Egg Sammies. Guests receive a complimentary Bloody Mary or Mimosas with their order.
aRoqa
206 Ninth Ave.
New York, NY 10011
646-678-5471
www.aroqanyc.com
Some of the classic brunch dishes are getting an Indian-inspired makeover at aRoqa with the restaurant's recently launched Sunday Brunch. The popular Chelsea eatery has numerous standout dishes, including the Snapdragon French Toast made with challah, jaggery and egg topped with saffron caramel cream, pearn and raisins flambeed in rum tableside. It will be hard for people to resist the cheesy goodness of the Butter Chicken Mac and Cheese. Made with the chef's signature sweet and spicy Butter Chicken, the dish is the blends the together an American classic with an Indian flair. There is also the Bread Bar serving kulchas, which is flatbread with different types of fillings.
Brigitte
37 Canal St.
New York, NY 10002
646-649-3378
www.brigitteles.com
Once inside Brigitte, you're transported to an oceanside eatery complete with bright and vintage decor. The chic French-Brazilian restaurant started its new brunch menu with a variety of options, including the French classic Le Panier Basket full of croissant, pain au chocolate, banana bread and homemade jams or the Brigitte's Benedict. Other options are more modern and lighter, including the Acai Parfait with granola, red fruits and smoke pecans or the Shrimp Salad with mango, arugula, yucca chip and ginger dressing. Brigitte delivers with its delicious cheeseburger topped with cognac sauce and the Brigitte waffles with butterfield hen and chili maple syrup.
John Friia is a freelance journalist and native New Yorker writing about food, drinks and lifestyle. You can follow his adventures on Instagram.
