Our second installment takes us out of the wilds of Astoria and into the jungle of Manhattan. Once again, most of the normal crew was unavailable so we had to bring in a bunch of scabs. Signorina Anne's talented troupe of troubadours was in town finishing up their show at the fringe festival. We had to make plans in Manhattan as many of them were catching the bus back to Boston, plus they were staying in (gasp) Brooklyn. Unfortunately, Signorina Anne couldn't make it, but we had The Lady of the Book, plus some troubadours. We were also joined by someone who may become a brunch regular. A friend of many of ours from back when he was a dramaturgy student at the ART (with Signorina Anne, the Red Queen and the Lady of the Book): Dr. Colonel Sanders. The good doctor has taken a turn away from the arts and just started his first year at med school here in good 'ole NYC. DCS is a slim, red-haired man who is a walking contraction. An erudite, sensitive artist from the deep woods of Georgia who has decided to go into medicine. He is a quick-witted, fascinating character, and a great addition to our brunch.
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| The Doctor, Lady, and four Troubadors |
St. Dymphna's seemed like a good, central brunching location in the East Village. I had been there before for a quick nosh and some delicious beer. St. Dymphnas' good beer selection and its casual decor really speak to the diner in me that likes to be comfortable. It had also got decent brunch reviews so I decided it was worth a shot.
The Lady of the Book and I worked our way down to St. Dymphna's for an 11am brunch, where we found the Doctor already waiting. We had been warned by the Troubadours that they may be running late as they all had to pack up. When we arrived, the place was empty and the waitress was just putting the billboard up out front. It seemed like an ominous sign that we had to ask if it was ok to enter.
While waiting a considerable time for the troupe (artistes are never on time), the waitress served us some decidedly mediocre coffee. When we asked about the drinks, she recommended the bloody mary, which she had "made last night." Never one to ignore the suggestions of an attractive woman, I took her up on the offer. Like most of my dealings with the female of the species, disappointment reigned. There was nothing special about it, and I even needed to ask for additional horseradish - a sure sign of a mediocre drink.
Things got worse as the troupe showed up and the conversation improved. St. Dymphna's menu isn't extensive and it made it even more difficult for about half of our crew as they were "out of french toast." To me, this is totally unacceptable for a brunch place - especially when as we noticed from the rest of the menu, that they had eggs and bread - the two main ingredients for french toast. St. Dymphna's is an Irish bar, so maybe this was a delayed reaction to Thierry Henry's handball.
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| Huevos |
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| The Full Irish |
I ended up with the huevos rancheros, while others chose the croque monseiur and the full Irish breakfast. The huevos were decent, the most interesting thing being that instead of tortilla, they used roti. It added a certain sweetness and thickness that tortilla's don't provide, and while I was enamored of the meal, it was a fun, new touch. As for the croque monseiur, once again, don't trust the Irish with French cuisine. According to the two troubadours that got it, a croque monseiur is supposed to be open-faced. This one was most certainly not. Another complaint by the guests was that the chef put salt and oil on the greens, kind of killing their freshness and flavor. The final straw came when we asked for some extra milk for our coffees and got something that resembled cottage cheese. Considering we were the first people in the restuarant, you'd figure the first milk served that day would be fresh. Alas, it was not.
The highlight of the meal (other than the group decision that boobs and brunch are a great combination) was the Pimm's Cup cocktail order by the Doctor. Pimm's has always been one of my favorite liquors since being introduced to "Pimm's and lemonade" in New Zealand. It was refreshing and not too sweet.
Although, the conversation was thrilling, I did feel like I let down my Boston visitors by taking them to such a middling place. I guess this is what I get for going outside the border of Astoria.
Until next time, Happy Brunching!
The Baron
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