Yup, definitely more than one reader now that I'm on Why Leave Astoria dot com. I'd like to thank Ran for inviting me and Jena the beer wench and Brooke for recommending that I join the website. And if you happen to read my post about St. Dymphna's, you know that my answer to the question is don't ever leave Astoria.
So after last week's marathon brunch and drinking session for the Red Queen's birthday (Sweet Afton, Hellgate Social, Beer Garden, and Vesta) we decided to tone it down a bit. A work friend recommended Fatty's brunch, so I decided to take them up on it. I had been to Fatty's before for dinner (mostly unsuccessful dates, though that wasn't Fatty's fault). Also, the Beer Wench and I had filmed a music video across the street (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIQOdxlgbYU), so it has a special place in my heart. To top it off, with the exception of the Sparrow, it is the closest brunch place to my apartment. Perfect for a quiet morning.
While the Lady was off at rehearsal again, The Red Queen, El Generalissimo, Dr. Colonel Sanders, Kung-fu Master and the Wife joined us, as well as one of the Boys (the Kiwi). I also had two co-workers from my past life at the Huntington Theatre in Boston join us. One lives in Astoria, and the other was in for a visit from LA.
I was a little concerned when I got a call from RQ asking how many of us there would be as there might have been seating issues, but by the time I showed up, everything had been resolved amicably. This is what we get for doing brunch at 11:30, not our usual 11. I'd blame EG adn RQ, but since they were involved in the Race for the Cure and showed up in their running clothes, it was clear they were making an effort.
Despite being called "Fatty's Cafe," there is a decidedly Latin flair to the restaurant; colorful walls and a recipe with such items as tostones, maduros, cubano sandwich, and ensalata especial. Thankfully, though, Sunday morning wasn't merengue time as there was some nice jazz playing softly in the background. The restaurant filled up as we ate, but never felt overcrowded.
The coffee is your choice of cafe con leche or americano. Perhaps because of the quality of these drinks, they don't offer free refills, which can be problematic for heavy duty brunching, but the one cafe con leche we each allotted ourselves was delicioso. The base price of the brunch is $12.99 and it did include a choice of bloody mary, mimosa, or limeade. Although the limeade looked intriguing as it was freshly made, there was no alcohol in it - sigh. I could've ordered a shot of vodka to go with it, but once I learned you could order the mimosa with OJ, pineapple or mango juice, I knew where I was headed - mango mimosa mansion. I was a little worried as mango juice can be sickeningly sweet and thick, but this juice mixed with the sparkling wine was nicely balanced. My friend from LA ordered the bloody mary. His immediate reaction was that it was nice and spicy. RQ found a nice chunk of horseradish in her straw and it was clear we were in a place that took bloody marys seriously.
In a bit of a side note, my friend from LA noted the article that recently stated that there were tons of tiny shrimp in NYC's tap water and how difficult that would make life for all the Chasids in Brooklyn. This lead him to conclude that a bloody mary is really an alcoholic shrimp cocktail without the shrimp. Pretty astute if you ask me, but then he lost us by suggesting we put shrimp in our bloody marys. I'm sure someone will now come up with a brita-type filter that will eliminate shrimp. That's why I stopped keeping kosher. It's kind of a racket - especially when rabbis charge $30K to kasher your place of business.
OK, I'm down off the soapbox and back to Fatty's. Going through the menu, we discovered some impediments to those of us with food peculiarities. They do not allow substitutions. So since I don't dig on swine and RQ didn't want meat, neither of us could order the mofongo because they wouldn't make it without pancetta. My LA friends also noted that it would be pretty difficult to bring a vegan there, but I feel that's true of any restaurant, especially brunch places. Down to choice number 3, I ended up with La Pistola - two fried eggs, rice, beans and a tortilla.
The Kiwi and my Astoria friend (let's call him the Jolly Gay Giant for now) both ordered the Cubano. And they were not disappointed. I couldn't try it, but they described it as saying that all the flavors combined perfectly and no part of it was overwhelming. The chipotle mayo on it was a big hit, and they felt the portion of meat on the sandwich and the portion in general was perfect.
The Red Queen and Dr. Colonel both ordered the polenta cakes with provolone. They enjoyed how it was a savory style pancake, but they recommended eating them quickly. Once they begin to cool down, the polenta dries out and the provolone congeals.
The Kung-fu Master and El Generalissimo ordered tostones and I ordered maduros. I preferred the maduros, but I do have a sweet-tooth. Both were excellent versions of plantain dishes and should definitely ordered as a side.
The Wife ordered a bad-ass omelette with super crispy bacon on top, but honestly, I forgot to ask her how it was. Such is life in the brunch world.
All in all, it was a good, low key meal. A nice respite in Astoria for a low-key Sunday.
Of course, I finally gain fame and (no) fortune on Why Leave Astoria, and now I have to take a week off. Unfortunately, no brunch for me on Sunday. I will be attending a 3D camera workshop; the Baron has to keep up with the technology so he can get work. But rest assured, I will be back the week after. Any recommendations of places to visit would be welcome.
Until next time, Happy Brunching!
The Baron
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