Peels

325 Bowery, East Village, NY

7.6

map & more

Neighborhood
East Village

Cuisine
American
Southern

Nearby
Webster Hall

646-602-7015

Official Website

By Chris Stang
November 8, 2010

It took us the better part of a month and about ten visits to make up our minds about Peels. Why? Because there is a LOT going on at this new restaurant from those who brought us Freemans. They’ve got breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, all happening at either communal tables downstairs, or in the full dining room and bar upstairs. There is a huge menu, complete with baked goods, sandwiches, Southern comfort classics, meaty entrees, specialty cocktails, rich desserts, and boozy milkshakes. They butcher all their meat on premises, sell you ultra-filtered tap water, and we’re pretty sure the restaurant has a Guatemalan coffee farm on the roof. Oh, and as you might expect, the staff have all been through the Freemans Sporting Club School for Cool People, as have most of the clientele. That’s a whole lot of stuff for us to take in and probably be sarcastic about.

So after having made plenty of trips to the new hot-spot on Bowery, here is what we can tell you. On the whole, the food is average to above average, with nothing on the menu that will blow you away. Nothing savory, that is. One way to make sure you leave Peels happy? Eat the sweet stuff. The desserts and baked goods are off the hook. We also recommend going for brunch rather than dinner, just because it’s cheaper and there is always a whole bunch of action going on in that upstairs dining room. The second floor bar is a great place to hang, and the room is bright and comfortable, making it an ideal spot for some Day Drinking. Next time we come back, it will be to sit up there with a sticky bun and a cocktail and talk to people about vintage shaving products. Should be the best Sunday ever.

Food Rundown:

Pecan Sticky Bun
Like we said, sweets and baked things are where it’s at at Peels. This pecan sticky bun is amazing, and you are guaranteed to have it all over your face by the time you’re done.

Iron Sides
A hot iron skillet with eggs, grits, mustard greens and cheddar. Eggs served in iron skillets are usually a win, but when we had this, the yolks were cooked solid. Take this out of the oven a few minutes earlier, and it’s a very tasty way to start the day. Maybe ask your beardy server to make sure those yolks are over-medium at most.

Atticus Finch
The description on this (roasted pork, fried egg, red-eye gravy, cornbread) sounds way better than it actually is. While the fried egg is fine, the pork is thick, incredibly fatty and just not that good. The gravy is heavy and doesn’t add much, and the cornbread is whatever. Order something else.

Andouille Corn Dogs
These guys might be the best savory item on the Peels menu. Delicious little corn dogs with andouille sausage rather than your typical tube steak, and served with a good, grainy “creole” mustard. Order ‘em up.

Shrimp & Grits
A perfectly respectable shrimp and grits, but nothing that’s going to take you back to Charleston.

Fried Chicken
We like fried chicken just as much as everyone else in this city seems to, but this one is unimpressive. Oh and it costs twenty bucks. So, yeah.

Cheeseburger
Another middle of the road selection. This burger get’s the job done, but you’re not going to be coming back for it.

Braised Lamb Shank
A huge lamb shank that’s tender and tasty. Big enough to feed two normal people or eleven really skinny dudes in rolled up jeans.

Desserts
The 3 in 1 Pie is ridiculous: coconut cream, chocolate cream, and banana cream, all together in a delicious crust. The Peels Sundae is also an absolute must order. We’re huge Tres Leches fans, and the Peels version is dense and perfect. Also, if you come during the day, make sure you try their play on an Oreo cookie, the Peel-I-O. It’s a soft chocolate sandwich cookie with a butter cream inside, served cold. Almost like a homemade Oreo cookie Chipwich.