vegetarian brunch Archives - Adventure, baby!

vegetarian brunch

Southern Comfort & Biscuits: Buttermilk Channel, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, NY

November 25, 2014 / Brooklyn Bites, Carroll Gardens, New York, New York Food / 0 comment

What is possibly the most famous brunch spot in Brooklyn, Buttermilk Channel, has always eluded us as a brunchery with our child. The thought of a long wait has been too daunting to even try it. One rainy weekend, however, my desire to eat well (and potentially run into Beyonce, who apparently loves their chicken and waffles) got the better of me, so we grabbed our obliging neighbors and headed on down to Buttermilk Channel. The doors open at 10am on the dot. We arrived at 9:55 and were the 2nd in line. By 10am, there were over 10 other people behind us. So lesson learned — the early bird gets the waffles.

We were seated at a great table straight away, and had very attentive service. I particularly liked how our waitress brought the toddlers tiny glasses of water and crayons without being asked, and did ask us if we wanted to order anything for the kids while we were looking at the menus for ourselves. (And yes, yes we did.)

I ordered Buttermilk Biscuits ($4) for the toddlers to snack on while our meals were being prepared. I ordered the most exotic sounding dish on the menu — the Pecan Pie French Toast, with Bourbon, Molasses & Toasted Pecans ($11). It was outstanding. One of the best brunch dishes I have ever eaten. Thick bread generously soaked in egg, and covered with a thick, sweet molasses . . . absolutely incredible. The entire table had food envy so I had to share it so that everyone could enjoy its glory. That being said, every dish was delicious: Eggs Huntington with Poached Eggs, Buttermilk Biscuits, Benton’s Country Ham & Hollandaise Sauce ($11), Short Rib Hash, with Sunny-side-up Eggs, Toast & Organic Greens ($13) and the House-cured Salmon Platter, with Fried Peppers, Green Onions, Cream Cheese, Pumpernickel & Organic Green Salad ($12).

Buttermilk Channel does not disappoint. Its reputation is completely well deserved as one of the best brunch spots in Brooklyn, and the restaurant is an absolute must for anyone who loves fine, Southern-inspired food (and celebrity spotting). Their kid-friendliness is just such an added bonus that enables parents to enjoy top-quality food without feeling like pariahs for bringing small, noisy children with them.

Last Bite: Buttermilk Channel is worth the effort, even if you have to wait in line. Arrive early to avoid the throngs of New Yorkers also hankering for a divine brunch with their families.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Minimal. Bring a stroller that folds and be prepared to leave it outside.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Buttermilk Channel
524 Court St,
Brooklyn, NY 11231
Phone: (718) 852 8490
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Wed 5pm-10pm, Thur 5pm-11pm, Fri 5pm-12am, Sat 10am-3pm, 5pm-12am, Sun 12am-3pm, 5pm-10pm
Get Directions

Vegan & Gluten-Free Fare: Sun In Bloom, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY

August 4, 2014 / Brooklyn Bites, New York, New York Food, Park Slope / 0 comment

One of the best things about New York City is the amazing variety of food you can enjoy to meet any type of dietary requirements you might have. A good friend of mine has a gluten and dairy intolerance, so we regularly eat at cafes and restaurants where her dietary needs are met — and where she has more choice than a salad or eggs.

Sun In Bloom is a gluten-free, vegan & raw food kitchen, with locations in both Brooklyn and Tribeca. We visited their Park Slope cafe for brunch to see if their pancakes measure up when they’re made without delicious gluten. All three adults in our party ordered the Gluten-Free Pancakes with Spiced Germinated Walnuts & Side of Maple Syrup ($11.50), but we each chose different combinations of fruit toppings to go with it.

The pancakes were surprisingly still yummy even without gluten, and the fruit on top was fresh and sweet. We gave Missy E a side of Sprouted Wheat Toast and Sunflower Seed Butter to try, but it was too crunchy for her and so she preferred the pancakes and fruit. At prime brunch hour there was no wait for a table, but when we were leaving the cafe it was quickly filling to capacity. The wait on some of our items was a little longer that I would have liked, particularly since Missy E was being a whiny pain that day and we were desperate to eat and leave! We all enjoyed our brunch and will be back, particularly when entertaining people with special dietary requirements.

Last Bite: A healthy brunch option that caters to the special dietary requirements of vegan, raw-food-followers and gluten-intolerant diners.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Sun In Bloom
460 Bergen St,
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Prices: $
Phone: (718) 622 4303
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am-9pm Sat & Sun 10am-5pm
Get Directions

Beauty & Essex: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Lower East Side, NY

September 24, 2013 / Lower East Side, Manhattan Munchies, New York Food / 3 Comments

Beauty & Essex is the type of restaurant you’d usually visit with a few friends for a champagne brunch — adult friends, I might add. I didn’t know this when friends suggested we go for brunch (a departure from my usual hyper-organized self).

We arrived to some confusion with our party of six adults and one energetic toddler for a Sunday brunch. We thought we’d reserved a table via Open Table, but it turned out the booking hadn’t gone through, and we were left table-less at peak brunch hour.

Even though they were fully booked, they quickly found a table for us and set up a high chair – not a squishy table out of the way, but a large, centrally placed table under a skylight, with plenty of room for our large party. Score. The stroller wasn’t an issue either – after we collapsed it, someone whisked it away and checked it with our other bags.

While the staff were setting up a table, I realized that we had a diaper “situation” that needed to be dealt with, and fast. Walking down stairs to the restroom, I was dreading what I might find there – picturing a tiny, dark bathroom (the kind you usually find at restaurants and bars on the Lower East Side) and wondering if I’d need to put my toddler, whose nickname is “Cheese”, on the dirty floor. Amazement doesn’t cover how I felt when I opened the door and saw a huge lounge room, with a giant chaise, perfect for our urgent needs.

Back at the table, our server introduced himself – and made a beeline for Cheese to say hello. While Cheese was a bit overwhelmed with the attention, our server was so welcoming to her that any doubts I had about bringing the only child under the age of 10 to this restaurant were immediately dissolved.

If you’ve never brunched at Beauty & Essex before, this is what you need to know: Brunch here is all about the shared experience. It’s really designed for groups to share a delicious meal together, and to enjoy the communal experience. The menu has lots of options to suit the fussiest of eaters, including the two vegetarians at the table, and a special gluten-free menu for another member of our party. Each plate is actually tiny, and arrives with enough small portions for everyone to have a taste. Some dishes you’ll need to order two of (the pancakes, for example, come in servings of three small pancakes. If you want a pancake each for a table of six, you’ll need to order two servings). Actually ordering the right amount of food requires a strategic approach, so designate one person to organise your group – and who can figure out the right amount of food for the table (two to three dishes per person) – more if you’re all big eaters.

The dishes come out in a special order — eggs first, followed by any other savoury dishes, and the sweet dishes last. They also have a dessert menu that looks amazing (but for which we had almost no more room in our bellies), so save room if you love the sweet stuff like I do.

We ordered the following dishes: Oven Baked Frittata (with grilled vegetables & goat cheese, $14), 3 Eggs & 1 Yolk (skillet baked, with grilled asparagus, roasted tomato, goat cheese, $14), Lemon Blackberry Pancakes (with sweet ricotta, $11), Vanilla Beignets (with raspberry jam, $8), Free Range Scrambled Eggs (with sweet roasted tomatoes & cheddar cheese, $11, with spicy merguez sausage +$3). The star dishes were the Free Range Scrambled Eggs, which were creamy, fluffy and flavorful, thanks to the roasted tomatoes; the Vanilla Beignets, which resembled tiny little donuts dusted in icing sugar, and the Lemon Blackberry Pancakes – light and fluffy, topped with a sweet ricotta, and with a surprise blackberry compote underneath the pancake.

We ordered a few sides as well: Skillet Roasted Potatoes (with roasted peppers, herb sea salt), Salt & Vinegar Fries, Roasted Sweet Corn (with avocado, lime, manchego), Lobster & Chorizo Hash (with peruvian potatoes, cilantro butter) and the Mac & Cheese (with pancetta, tomato, sicilian-style bread crumbs). The favorites among the sides included the Roasted Sweet Corn, with its perfect combination of sweet and tanginess, and the Skillet Roasted Potatoes, which has a great punch via the roasted peppers sprinkled over the outsides while they were baking.

This may seem like an insane amount of food, and at first we thought we had over ordered when we kept seeing dish after dish appear on the table. We devoured every dish, however, and each diner reported feeling perfectly satiated rather than overstuffed. The perfect brunch had been achieved.

What was our toddler doing, you may ask, during this parade of dishes? Cheese was on her best behaviour (lucky for us!) and was amused by new Elmo stickers, iPhone apps (her favorites are “Endless Alphabet” and “Beck and Bo”), the food (she inhaled my portion of scrambled eggs and loved the fries) and our obliging server, who repeatedly checked back in with us, not just to see how we were doing, but to specifically ask our toddler how SHE was doing.

The last happy surprise for the day was when the bill arrived. The menu had sounded expensive when we browsed it initially, but the total per person (including a cocktail for five of the six adults), was $33 each before tip. You really can’t do better than a restaurant that’s incredibly stylish, that serves decadent cuisine, that is welcoming to people of all ages, AND doesn’t put a huge dent in your weekly budget. Beauty & Essex — we will be back for more (especially more of those Vanilla Beignets!)

Last Bite: For a brunch venue that will please discerning adults and toddlers alike, Beauty & Essex delivers fine food for sharing fun.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes, but bring a stroller that folds. Our stroller was “checked” and whisked away somewhere magical.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No, but there’s a large lounge in the women’s restroom area that is perfect for changing babies if you need it.
Kids’ menu: No.

Beauty & Essex
146 Essex St
New York, NY
Prices: $$
Phone: (212) 614-0146
Hours: Mon-Fri 5pm-1am, Sat-Sun 11:30am-1am
Reservations: opentable.com

Freemans: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Lower East Side, New York

September 17, 2013 / Lower East Side, Manhattan Munchies, New York Food / 0 comment

On an unexpectedly rainy day, I did something I NEVER do — I let my friends (without kids) choose a restaurant for brunch. My only prerequisite was that they have vegetarian options and that it was below Union Square so I didn’t have to travel much. Their selection was Freemans, a restaurant they discovered not long after they moved into the Lower East Side a few years back, and that they love so much that it has become their go-to place for a reliable, delicious (and somewhat hipster) brunch.

Sign number one that the restaurant you’re going to is probably hipper than you are — it’s hidden at the back of an alley, and the only sign of it is a chalkboard at the end of the alley way to guide you.

Down the alley way … would we really find brunch??

As promised, a super-stealthy (and adorable) entry awaited us — with the air of a secret club that you have to be invited into (wait — am I cool enough for this??? I HAVE A TODDLER).

Our friends made the reservation for our party of six adults and one cheesy toddler. I was travelling solo while I waited for Alec to arrive with Cheese after her nap, so my friends and I sat at the bar watching the bearded bartender in flannelette light drinks on fire (they don’t seat you until your entire party has arrived).

This was one of those restaurants that I walked into and immediately thought that it was NOT going to be the best choice for our family. I was happy to be mistaken. The creepy taxidermy on the walls actually entertained Cheese (“DUCK!!” “QUACK QUACK!”). Thankfully even LES hipsters are entertained by a cute, well-behaved toddler.

You could call the space “cozy”. There’s enough room to move and there are plenty of tables, but the layout is twisty and turny — little rooms lead into more little rooms with multiple bars. There’s an air of it being an exclusive party.

When Alec and Cheese arrived, we were sat immediately at our table, with a high chair. Menus and water arrived quickly, and after we ordered, the food was also fast to arrive. LOVE when that happens. Let’s move it along so we can GET THE TODDLER OUTTA HERE.

We ordered a few dishes, including the Poached Eggs with Roasted Tomato (with cheddar cheese grits & buttered toast, $12). The eggs were cooked to perfection, delicious tomato and toast, but not a huge fan of grits in general … must be because we’re Australian? I had to ask what grits were.

I ordered the Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes (with whipped cream, $12). The pancakes were a delicious surprise — light and fluffy, with a lot of juicy blueberries cooked into the bottoms of the pancakes.

Alec ordered the Open Faced Egg White Omelet (with charred zucchini, cherry tomatoes, basil and mixed greens, $13). It was delicious and had a very attractive presentation — but it wasn’t very filling. We also ordered the Hot Artichoke Dip with Crisp Bread, $11, for the table to share (it was devoured in minutes — highly recommend), and a side of fries for Cheese to eat and play with.

I balanced Cheese on my lap while we ate — she highly enjoyed dipping fries into tomato ketchup, and THEN into my pancakes. Yum? It was pretty noisy inside and the loud environment made her a little anxious, hence my lap and NOT the highchair being used.

Outside it was wet and dreary. It was much more fun inside our secret, cozy tavern.

Last bite: Nothing special for kids, but fast service and reliable reservations make this a great choice for a kid-friendly brunch that will impress your trendy friends.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes but minimal. Bring the umbrella stroller.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Freemans
Off Freeman Alley
191 Chrystie St,
New York
Phone: (212) 420 0012
Prices: $$$
Hours: Lunch: Mon-Fri 11am – 4pm, Brunch Sat, Sun & holidays 10am-4pm, cocktails & bar menu daily 4pm-6pm, dinner daily 6pm-11:30pm
Reservations recommended, but they also take walk ins. You can order the full menu while seated at the bar.
Book a table via opentable.com

Butcher's Daughter: Kid-Friendly Cafes Nolita, New York

September 10, 2013 / New York Food, Nolita / 0 comment

Being vegetarian, I was super excited to try out The Butcher’s Daughter, a new juice bar, cafe and “vegetable slaughter house”. The cafe treats fruits and vegetables as a butcher would meat: They chop, fillet and carve fresh produce into heathy vegetarian dishes as well as press them into pretty juices. The menu changes daily to reflect seasonal fruits and vegetables, and is 100% vegetarian and non-dairy. Most of the items on the menu items are vegan and gluten-free, and they are happy to prepare substitutions for most dietary restrictions (yay! Fussy eaters + special dietary folks rejoice!).

We arrived at peak brunch hour — 1pm on a Sunday. There were a few free tables and we were seated straight away at the communal table. The interior is pretty small (seating 35 people max). During the warmer months they can fit an additional 30 people outside.

While we were seated quickly, we had to wait a while for our server to realise that we needed menus, and again a while longer to be served water. Our server helpfully offered to give Cheese a smaller paper cup out of which to drink, but of course Cheese only wanted Mommy and Daddy’s huge metal cups (but it was a really nice thought).

Alec’s standard favourite brunch dish is eggs Benedict. He ordered The Butcher’s Daughter equivalent — the Smashed Avocado Benedict (two poached eggs, curried hollandaise, ripe avocado smashed with curry, mustard seed and lime, on a whole-grain English muffin, served with roasted potato hash, $15). Alec’s comments: “The bread was quite solid and dense, which balanced the light eggs and hollandaise sauce. The potatoes were quite lightly spiced too. Really tasty. The only odd note was the watermelon, but I didn’t mind it.”

I ordered the Egg Sandwich Platter (folded eggs, carrot cashew cheese, kale, tomato jam on toasted 7-grain served with roasted potato hash, $14). I was in absolute heaven. The eggs and carrot cashew cheese were creamy and flavoursome — but the big hit was the sweet and spicy tomato jam. It really gave a punch to the sandwich and elevated it to one of my top brekkie sandwiches (my other fave is from local Brooklyn cafe Ted & Honey).

Cheese was being a fussy bugger and only picked at a few things from our plates. We tried bribing her to sit still with the phone, but it only gave us enough time to scarf down our food at an indigestion-inducing rate, and to high-tail it out before we embarrassed ourselves in this super-hip joint.

Despite the high prices and slow service, The Butcher’s Daughter is my kinda place. There are a lot of vegan joints, but few (if any?) that are dedicated vegetarian, where you can still get things like eggs, honey and yogurt on the menu (you can have these items substituted for things like tofu eggs if you’re vegan). All the food is foraged from farms in upstate New York and Connecticut by Michael Geller of Mike’s Organics.

The Butcher’s Daughter also specialises in freshly-made juices and smoothies, plus a juice cleanse of varying levels that you can try (juice and raw food, juice and a bit of raw food, or just juice).

It’s worth noting that while this cafe is small, there is some room for the odd full-size stroller, especially near the bar area on the left side of the cafe. Your best bet is to bring an umbrella stroller or carrier.

Last Bite: A vegetarian and juice-lover’s heaven. Be prepared for a long wait and steep prices, but once your food comes out you won’t regret it. Kids are welcome although not catered to. Start your baby’s hipster training right here!

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: Very little.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

The Butcher’s Daughter
19 Kenmare St
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 2193434
Prices: $$
Hours: Sun-Thur 8am-10pm, Fri-Sat 8am-11pm