Monday, December 29, 2008

The Irish Rogue

356 W 44th St

After attempting to buy Broadway tickets near Times Square two hours before the box office opened, I decided the day was not to be lost yet. What better way to spend a Sunday morning waiting to get tickets than at Brunch? Although I was outside my comfort zone of the Village, Sir Fancy Pants and I made a go at Brunch anyway.

The first place we checked out was Mercury Bar. We were in and out in three minutes. Although the place was empty, we were informed by the waitress they do not serve mimosas until noon. Something about being on a residential block. It was 11am. I hold mimosas in rank with my coffee for Brunch; I cannot have one without the other. No way were we going to stay at a place advertising $15 Brunch specials, including three complimentary drinks, without the ability to order the three drinks for another hour.

So we walked across the street to Marseille. Same story, different tune. This was unfortunate because I was looking forward to eating there; I will make an effort to come back one day after noon.

Finally, we went around the block to The Irish Rogue. With Brunch specials starting at $11.95 plus two complimentary drinks, I decided it would be our best option. The place was empty save a couple guys at the bar. We were seated immediately and both sat on the same side of the booth to watch the numerous flat screen television screens littered around the room. There was a European soccer game showing, which impressed Sir Fancy Pants because he had just come from viewing an earlier game of Liverpool v. Newcastle. He was more than happy to keep watching the sport.

I ordered a mimosa, a café au lait, Eggs Florentine, and a Hot Chocolate with Butterscotch (a specialty drink they serve during winter). The Eggs Florentine was not on the menu, but Eggs Benedict was, so I got them to substitute the bacon for spinach; the expresso machine was broken, so they brought me a regular coffee instead; and they were out of marshmallows, which should have come with the Butterscotch Hot Chocolate. Sir Fancy Pants had three mimosas (he got my extra that came with the meal) and steak and eggs. He said his steak was not as rare as he would have liked but cleaned his plate nonetheless. Our meals were served with potatoes shaped as chips, of which I only managed to get through about 1/3 of mine.

That being said, I enjoyed our meal. The Eggs Florentine were delish, and the Butterscotch Hot Chocolate was a delight to my taste buds and stomach, which normally cannot handle anything that sweet mixed with alcohol. Although I do not see myself coming back because I am rarely in that area before noon, I appreciated their prices and them serving alcohol when the next block refused.


DAMAGE~$38 before tip (2 meals + 1 coffee + 1 butterscotch hot chocolate)
VERDICT: Go if in the area before noon and want liquor

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Heartland Brewery

35 Union Sq West

Saturday night, I met up with my cousin at Heartland Brewery in Union Square. Him and 15 of his buddies were in town for the evening from Connecticut. The place was two levels. We had the upper left side to ourselves. The place felt unusually loud, and it took a while to get my first beer, a specialty wheat beer they have called Raspberry Blonde. This could be due to the sheer size of our table as well.

The beers ranged in price from $6.50-$14.00 depending on kind and size of glass (they offered a 23 oz glass). The Raspberry Blonde had a semi-not-too-sweet taste to it. Despite the fact I am not a beer drinker, I liked it. My second beer was a lager beer flavored with lime, also very good.

The waitress was friendly. Nearly everyone ordered appetizers and entrees. The final bill for the table came out to $788 (tip included). I managed some seasoned french fries from my cousin and mashed potatoes from Sir Fancy Pants; the fries were cold and the mashed potatoes were lumpy. The atmosphere was unimpressive. I felt more like I was in a Chili’s rather than a brewery.


DAMAGE ~$16
VERDICT: Go if looking for a different beer selection

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Lounge 47

47-10 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City

Holiday drinks were had at Lounge 47 located in Long Island City. Following my weekly writer’s meeting in the area, two other writers and myself trekked over to the lounge around 9:45p.m. Tuesday evening. The dimly lit lounge was about ¾ full off and on throughout the night. We sat in a corner booth.

The décor is your typical average semi-nice lounge décor with shapes and patterns used as artwork. Lounge 47 also featured an outdoor patio but was closed due to the cold weather. The inside space seats about 40-50 people, with several large round booths for bigger parties. The menu is heavily influenced by international cuisine.

I started with the chocolate martini and ordered a bowl of lentil soup. Both were good, but nothing special. My taste buds felt the soup was lacking in flavor, resulting in the addition of several teaspoons of salt. After the martini, I had a Tom Collins (my current cocktail of choice) to balance out the sweetness of the chocolate. The other writers ordered three beers and two vodka tonics. A bar patron offered shots of Jameson for the entire place. I passed as I still had to commute back to Manhattan.

Lounge 47 is a nice addition for the Long Island City community. Cocktails range in price from $7-10. I hear the Wasabi Deviled Eggs are a delight as well, something I look forward to check out in the near future. My advice is to go if in area and looking for a nice spot to enjoy a few cocktails and/or food.


DAMAGE~$65 (including my $6.50 soup + tip)

VERDICT: GO IF IN AREA & HUNGRY/THIRSTY

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Great Jones Café

54 Great Jones Street (b/w Bowery and Lafayette)

Sunday Brunch was had at Great Jones Café located in NoHo. Sir Fancy Pants requested someplace reasonably cheap, so I set to work and found a tiny café with supposedly the top Bloody Mary’s in the city. Given that many restaurants in New York claim they have the “best” of something (pizza, mimosas, hot chocolate), I decided it was worth investigating.

We were seated a couple minutes after we arrived. The small café was a couple people short of capacity in a space that seats maybe 20. This may have been due to the sub zero, frigid weather outside. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros [scrambled eggs on corn tortilla with ranchero sauce, sour cream, and cheese] with a Mimosa and a Café au Lait. The waitress looked at me like I was crazy, so I settled for the house coffee, which was included with my meal. Every meal on the colorful one page menu came with choice of cornbread or biscuit and homefries or grits. I got the biscuit and homefries.

Sir Fancy Pants ordered the Farmer’s Market breakfast, basically an omelet, along with the biscuit and homefries. He also ordered the Cajun Mary, recommended to us by the waitress over the Bloody Mary. The Cajun Mary was delicious. I highly recommend it to anyone who goes here; much like a Bloody Mary but with a spicier, more flavorful kick. The gravy had sausage in it, which was a bummer because I am a sucker for good white or brown gravy, a rarity in New York. Otherwise, I would have liked to try it…

The atmosphere was cozy and the crowd looked to be mostly out of towners visiting their New Yorker son/ daughter/ friend. I felt safe and comfortable inside the cozy space, but the place was pricier than expected, as the menu has no pricing.

Cajun Marys are the stuff that great Brunches dream about. The rest of the meal can be had or lost. My Mimosa was good, but not great. I enjoyed my Huevos Rancheros, not surprising given that Mexican Food is my favorite food genre. The home fried potatoes were good but nothing I could not whip up on my own; the biscuits were rock hard. I peeled away the salvageable insides. Mr. Fancy Pants enjoyed his meal as well, but once again, there was nothing special to it. The only reason to go back would be for the Cajun Marys.

DAMAGE ~$55
VERDICT: PASS