Permanent Brunch
95 1st Ave., New York, NY
Permanent Brunch puts itself in a tough spot. When you only serve brunch, and it’s your namesake, we expect the best damn brunch we’ve ever eaten. On paper, everything sounds amazing. An artisanal bacon bar? Baked eggs with short rib ragu? Duck fat fingerling potatoes? Reading the menu had us slobbering like golden retrievers. Unfortunately, the food didn’t live up to expectations. Permanent Brunch shows flashes of greatness here and there, but overall, everything was small, a little flavorless, and unspectacular. It’s kind of like if you picked up a hot chick at a bar, only to take her home and discover she’s flabby, wearing a padded bra, and that her front teeth are temporary. Ladies, don’t be all overly sensitive and get offended. To put this in your perspective, it’s kind of like if you meet a hot guy at a dark bar, only to go home with him and realize he’s got a huge beer gut, hasn’t showered in weeks, and still lives in his parent’s basement. That’s the kind of let down Permanent Brunch is.
The whole situation is frustrating because Permanent Brunch is actually a great spot. The seating is a bit cramped, but the service is friendly and attentive. The subway themed photos lining the walls along side shelves filled with mason jars of grains, beans, and seeds make for a fresh, funky room with lots of personality. Most impressive is the music, a carefully selected mix of classic rock that the customer can help program. Access their wifi network on your iPhone or iPod Touch and log into their music library to request a song. We’re impressed. Too bad the food just isn’t up to snuff.
Food Rundown:
Biscuit with Housemade Jam & Butter
An average biscuit, but phenomenal housemade jam. We got another side of this jam and smothered it all over everything in sight. One thing Permanent Brunch does well is jam, that’s for damn sure.
Zucchini Bread
Too dry and a too bland, it’s a good thing we asked for more jam because that jam will make anything taste better.
Aritisinal Bacon Bar
We were hoping there would be an actual bacon bar of sorts and not just some fun phrasing on the menu. How sweet would it be if they rolled out a mini griddle with five different cuts of bacon for you to pick from? This is a solid idea, but it doesn’t fully satisfy a real bacon craving. The serving sizes are really small, so if you’re really hungry you need to order three or four bacon options. We tried the Hungarian Smoked Kolozsvari and the Meacham Hams Country Bacon. Both were fine, but nothing special.
Baked Eggs
This dish sounds way better on the menu than it tastes in reality. Exploding baked eggs served over braised short rib ragu in its own small pot, we were prepared for a bomb to go off in our mouths. Strangely, the dish tasted like nothing. Both the egg and the short rib were flavorless. Also, the duck fat fingerling potatoes are a mess. It was a huge bummer when whole, greasy, boiled potatoes showed up on our table. Ever since Sam Talbot of Top Chef professed his love for duck fat a couple years ago, its been popping up on menus more frequently. Too bad you can’t distinguish this quack fat from vegetable oil.
Buttermilk Pancakes
The pancakes are standard, but the mix of caramelized plums, creme fraiche and maple syrup shield that fact quite well. If you aren’t full or satisfied with your initial order, this makes for a good dessert to share.
Red Wine Braised Mushrooms
Salvatore ricotta, soft boiled egg, and braised mushrooms served over toasted bread. Again, this sounds way better on the menu than on a plate.
