Hello my dear reader(s?),
Of course, after setting up the Brunch Experience with all these interesting characters, my first two entries won't actually include most of them.
You see, El Generalissimo and The Red Queen were off in Scandanavia for the past two Sundays. The Kung-fu Master and Wife were also unavailable. The Boys had a show and the Lady of the Book was in rehearsal.
But fear not, for Father and Mother Baron were in town for a visit. I suggested we meet up at Vesta for Sunday brunch. I had eaten there for dinner once, on the recommendation of EG and RQ. It was a delightful dinner and I was really looking forward to the brunch. Vesta's an "Italian trattoria & wine bar," but what really interests me is their devotion to the slow-food and locavore movements. For the uninitiated, what this basically entails is trying to get all their products from local, organic, sustainable farms. Vesta gets all their produce from local farmers, but their meat, bread, and alcohol can come from a bit further afield.
FB, MB, and I were joined by two lovely ladies. The first is Cousin E, my younger cousin who also happens to live in NY. Although she's a Manhattanite, we don't hold it against her. A recent college grad, she is trying to find her way in the world, which basically consists of doing good. The second, we'll call Signorina Anna, although that's not her name and she's not Italian. She is, however, a theatre producer/director and came down to NYC from Boston to prepare for her theatre company's Fringe show.
We arrived at 11am, just as Vesta's was opening. Because it was hot and Mother Baron didn't feel like walking a ways to get there from Chez BB, we took their car... and amazingly found parking right in front. It was a good thing, too. Apparently, the secret that was Vesta has got out because within a half an hour the entire place, including bar stools, was full.
The decor is simple, but I believe features work of local artists, so probably changes frequently. The one piece that did catch my eye was of a tuxedo cat. It looked an awful lot like "Bizarro Botwin," a stray who looks almost exactly like my cat (Botwin) who comes up to the window at night and tries to start shit. The waitress informed me that the painting was by one of the owners and definitely was not a local neighborhood stray. So my ongoing quest to get rid of my late night pest will continue.
Our waitress was pleasant and immediately put on a pot of the coffee we were so desperately needing. Being brunch, I ordered a cocktail, a "Citrus Mint Tea." The waitress informed me that the mint hadn't arrived yet, but would be there in two minutes. Sure enough, four minutes later (2 to make the drink), and refreshing cocktail sat before me. Aside from the citrus and mint, there was some celery and maybe one for type of green in it. The effect was a fresh, clean cocktail that was in no way sweet. Kind of the perfect thing for a hot summer day.
Coffee and cocktail in hand, I was ready for food. The menu looked great, with plenty of interesting sweet or savory options to explore. http://www.vestavino.com/index.php?id=104
Thankfully, my fellow diners helped out by getting a wide range of dishes. Well, except for Signorina Anna, who had the poor taste to choose exactly what I picked. The two of us noshed on the "Warm Bankie:" fried eggs with polenta, asparagus, mushrooms and truffle oil. Everything was cooked perfectly, except somehow the seasoning was off - more salt, more pepper? Maybe the texture of a deliciously gooey egg and a soft but gritty polenta just didn't agree with me. I think the earthy flavors of the mushrooms, truffle, and asparagus also helped drag the dish down to levels that were a bit too earthy for me. Maybe some bright, hard cheese would have helped. Cousin E got a very simple veggie omelet. She has specific tastes, and though I did not try her dish, she seemed to enjoy it.
Now my progenitors had tastes more akin to my own. No surprise as I did spring forth from their loins. Mother Baron went sweet with delicious pancakes with ricotta, walnuts, and whipped cream. I enjoyed her dish, but like my own, was not in love with it. Again, the proportions seemed a bit off, and the pancake tasted a little dry when paired with the ricotta. Still, it was a worthy effort, and for a woman who is 5 ft and under 100lb, she did an admirable job finishing it all off.
The star of the show was definitely the Brioche Burger Father Baron ordered. The waitress warned us that it would take longer than the other dishes to prepare, but boy was it worth the wait. Actually, the kitchen and waitstaff timed everything perfectly, so we all received are dishes at the same time. The brioche was warm and crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside with just the right hint of sweetness. It was a perfect complement to a well-seasoned, juicy, grass-fed burger. The aged cheddar added just the right amount of saltiness, and if we weren't in public, there was a strong chance I would have stolen more than a bite from my father's dish.
All in all, it was an above average brunch, but honestly, could not hold a candle to their dinners... or to some of the other brunch places I visit. Will I go back? Absolutely.
Until next entry: Happy Brunching!
The Baron
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Crew of the SS Brunch
I realized on my first post that I mentioned a bunch of us go out to brunch together regularly. Since these cohorts of mine will feature in my columns, I figured I should introduce them to you. All names have been changed to protect the guilty... and because it is more fun that way.
First, there are the originators of our weekly brunch extravaganza, two of my closest friends. Let's call them El Generalissimo and The Red Queen. Why? Because I feel like it, damn it.
I first met The Red Queen in Boston in a former incarnation. She was a dramaturgy MFA student at the American Repretory Theatre. We became fast friends and have remained as such even when we ended up being flatmates for the first two years I spent in NY. She's a tall redhead with an uncanny resemblence to "Six" from the Battlestar Galactica series. I rely on her for much of my food info. She always seems to find new and interesting places to eat, and we have a similar sensibility about eating sustainably and ethically.
Her consort (read: fiancee) is El Generalissimo. Tall, dark, and not swarthy. EG is a fighting master. He choreographs stage combat, performs stunts for films, and is a Wing-Tsun instructor. For those who don't know, Wing-Tsun is a bad ass kung-fu, whose basic principal seems to be: "Fuck up your enemy as quick as possible before they can mess with you." It was originally a "woman's martial art," and somehow I find this totally appropriate. Now, the funny thing is that he is probably the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet in a dark alley. Like a big stack of pancakes smothered in syrup, he is unbelievably sweet, but can kill you. Although, I still find it laughable to imagine he could destroy me in under a minute. Needless to say, we all try to stay on his good side... and it's not that hard.
Our third most consistent brunchateer is another dramaturg, my current roommate. Let's call her the Lady of the Book, because if she's not at brunch, it usually means she's off watching rehearsal or researching some obscure, but deathly important fact for her director.
Then there is The Kung-fu Master and his Wife. They are bosom chums of El Generalissimo, and the Kung-fu master is actually El Generalissimo's teacher. KFM looks even more unassuming than EG, yet could probably kill you in half the time. And unlike EG, he doesn't play fight. No siree, this man is all business. He is also chock full of fun and bizarre stories of the kung-fu world and its crazy inhabitants.
The Boys round out our usual crew. They are a couple, one of which is my best friend from New Zealand. We'll call him The Kiwi, appropriately enough. He moved to the States right when I was moving to NYC, so he, The Red Queen and I all lived together for a year, until he met the love of his life, LeCoque, who promptly stole him away from us. LeCoque and the Kiwi are also in the theatre world and run their own company. LC is the more extroverted of the two, but together they are like a perfectly mixed cocktail. All the elements adding up to a delicious whole.
Occasionally, there will be additional folks joining us, such as The Neighbors (EG and RQ's) neighbors, or more friends from the kung-fu school or other places in our lives.
So hopefully, this has given a little snapshot of the crew of the SS Brunch. Now, I can finally get to writing about the places we actually go.
Happy Brunching.
Brunch Baron
First, there are the originators of our weekly brunch extravaganza, two of my closest friends. Let's call them El Generalissimo and The Red Queen. Why? Because I feel like it, damn it.
I first met The Red Queen in Boston in a former incarnation. She was a dramaturgy MFA student at the American Repretory Theatre. We became fast friends and have remained as such even when we ended up being flatmates for the first two years I spent in NY. She's a tall redhead with an uncanny resemblence to "Six" from the Battlestar Galactica series. I rely on her for much of my food info. She always seems to find new and interesting places to eat, and we have a similar sensibility about eating sustainably and ethically.
Her consort (read: fiancee) is El Generalissimo. Tall, dark, and not swarthy. EG is a fighting master. He choreographs stage combat, performs stunts for films, and is a Wing-Tsun instructor. For those who don't know, Wing-Tsun is a bad ass kung-fu, whose basic principal seems to be: "Fuck up your enemy as quick as possible before they can mess with you." It was originally a "woman's martial art," and somehow I find this totally appropriate. Now, the funny thing is that he is probably the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet in a dark alley. Like a big stack of pancakes smothered in syrup, he is unbelievably sweet, but can kill you. Although, I still find it laughable to imagine he could destroy me in under a minute. Needless to say, we all try to stay on his good side... and it's not that hard.
Our third most consistent brunchateer is another dramaturg, my current roommate. Let's call her the Lady of the Book, because if she's not at brunch, it usually means she's off watching rehearsal or researching some obscure, but deathly important fact for her director.
Then there is The Kung-fu Master and his Wife. They are bosom chums of El Generalissimo, and the Kung-fu master is actually El Generalissimo's teacher. KFM looks even more unassuming than EG, yet could probably kill you in half the time. And unlike EG, he doesn't play fight. No siree, this man is all business. He is also chock full of fun and bizarre stories of the kung-fu world and its crazy inhabitants.
The Boys round out our usual crew. They are a couple, one of which is my best friend from New Zealand. We'll call him The Kiwi, appropriately enough. He moved to the States right when I was moving to NYC, so he, The Red Queen and I all lived together for a year, until he met the love of his life, LeCoque, who promptly stole him away from us. LeCoque and the Kiwi are also in the theatre world and run their own company. LC is the more extroverted of the two, but together they are like a perfectly mixed cocktail. All the elements adding up to a delicious whole.
Occasionally, there will be additional folks joining us, such as The Neighbors (EG and RQ's) neighbors, or more friends from the kung-fu school or other places in our lives.
So hopefully, this has given a little snapshot of the crew of the SS Brunch. Now, I can finally get to writing about the places we actually go.
Happy Brunching.
Brunch Baron
Thursday, August 26, 2010
The Brunch Baron Introduction
Hello, and welcome to The Astoria Brunch Column. I'll be your host. You can call me the Brunch Baron. I like alliteration. And the title of royalty.
So here's the deal. I love brunch. I mean, I REALLY love brunch. It is a magical meal. You can get a sweet dish, a savory dish, coffee, tea, or something stronger. Drinking alcohol before noon isn't considered gauche, but rather a requirement. A good brunch will put you in a pleasant mood for the rest of the day and help prepare you for the week ahead. Nothing is better than walking in tired and worn and walking out with a pleasant buzz and a full stomach, the taste of coffee and alcohol lingering on your tongue.
The very best part of brunch, though, is the people you spend it with. The conversations can ramble from serious to seriously funny. They can be deep and meaningful or humorous and ethereal, just as your meal can be heavy and fatty or light and fresh. Or any combination of the above.
My friends and I have visited a ton of brunch places in Astoria, where we live. A few months ago, the ringleaders of our little gastronomic group decided to formalize the arrangement. Now, every Sunday, we try a new brunch place in Astoria. Since I'm bored and have lots of free time, I figured I'd write up what I think of these places and help out what I know are the other brunch aficionados out there.
So there you go. I'm sure we will revisit some of my favorite places, or if you have suggestions, please let me know. We may even make the occasional venture outside of Astoria for those of you in the rest of the world.
Happy Brunching!
So here's the deal. I love brunch. I mean, I REALLY love brunch. It is a magical meal. You can get a sweet dish, a savory dish, coffee, tea, or something stronger. Drinking alcohol before noon isn't considered gauche, but rather a requirement. A good brunch will put you in a pleasant mood for the rest of the day and help prepare you for the week ahead. Nothing is better than walking in tired and worn and walking out with a pleasant buzz and a full stomach, the taste of coffee and alcohol lingering on your tongue.
The very best part of brunch, though, is the people you spend it with. The conversations can ramble from serious to seriously funny. They can be deep and meaningful or humorous and ethereal, just as your meal can be heavy and fatty or light and fresh. Or any combination of the above.
My friends and I have visited a ton of brunch places in Astoria, where we live. A few months ago, the ringleaders of our little gastronomic group decided to formalize the arrangement. Now, every Sunday, we try a new brunch place in Astoria. Since I'm bored and have lots of free time, I figured I'd write up what I think of these places and help out what I know are the other brunch aficionados out there.
So there you go. I'm sure we will revisit some of my favorite places, or if you have suggestions, please let me know. We may even make the occasional venture outside of Astoria for those of you in the rest of the world.
Happy Brunching!
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