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Restaurants Perfect For Chronic Brunch

our suggestions

  1. Maialino
    8.7

    Maialino

    2 Lexington Ave., Gramercy, NY 10010

    About a year and a half ago, we wrote up a less than glowing review of Danny Meyer’s then brand new Roman trattoria, Maialino. We had high expectations due to Meyer’s flawless record, but flaws were found, and verdict was levied accordingly. Steinthal actually compared the place to every great band’s worst album. Ouch. But [...]

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  2. Gwynnett St
    8.7

    Gwynnett St.

    312 Graham Ave., East Williamsburg, NY 11211

    Two weeks ago, we had never heard of Gwynnett St. Now we’re ready to call it one of the most exciting new restaurants in NYC. It’s amazing what a difference a couple of days can make. Believe it or not, it wasn’t the recent New York Times two-star review that led us here. It was [...]

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  3. Chef Justin Bazdarich of Speedy Romeo – Brooklyn, NY
    8.7

    Speedy Romeo

    367 Classon Ave., Clinton Hill, NY 11238

    Speedy Romeo is the best restaurant you haven’t been to. Seriously. Take all of the other places on your Hit List and push them aside until you’ve been to Clinton Hill to check out what’s going on here. Also, download HopStop. You’re probably going to need it. We don’t tend to speak in absolutes, and [...]

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  4. Cafe Habana
    8.6

    Café Habana

    17 Prince St., Nolita, NY 10012

    An amazing little place that’s worth the wait. Quite possibly the coolest eatery in New York City.

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  5. SONY DSC
    8.6

    Colonie

    127 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11201

    Colonie is a new-ish restaurant on Atlantic Ave., on the north side of the street…so it still counts as Brooklyn Heights. That’s an important technicality, considering the restaurant is publicly declaring itself the beginning of a new restaurant era for the neighborhood. See, before Colonie, Brooklyn Heights did not have its own Frankies 457, or [...]

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  6. MAHARLIKA
    8.6

    Maharlika

    111 1st Ave., East Village, NY 10003

    What started as a once a week pop-up brunch has now turned into a Filipino empire in the making. The crew of friends behind this new restaurant called Maharlika felt that Filipino food was under represented in NYC. So, without much in the way of formal training or restaurant experience, they set out to showcase [...]

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  7. Empellon Cocina
    8.6

    Empellon Cocina

    105 1st Ave., East Village, NY 10003

    We are pretty tough on Mexican food in this city. Only two restaurants have a rating of over 8.0 on Immaculate Infatuation, one being La Esquina, which is probably more about the experience than it is the food. To us, putting a couple of fancy tacos on a menu and charging twenty bucks doesn’t make [...]

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  8. Russ & Daughters
    8.6

    Russ & Daughters

    179 East Houston Street, Lower East Side, NY 10002

    When the lights went out and the water came flooding, we couldn’t help but wonder if this could be it. If Sandy were to permanently conquer lower Manhattan, what would we have missed the most? A bagel with belly lox, cream cheese, tomato and capers from Russ & Daughters, the LES institution of smoked fish [...]

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  9. Westville East
    8.5

    Westville East

    173 Ave. A, East Village, NY 10009

    Westville East is the ultimate utility spot that delivers the goods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and does it in affordable fashion.

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  10. Le Philosophe
    8.5

    Le Philosophe

    55 Bond St., East Village, NY 10012

    There’s a new French restaurant on Bond Street, and it’s officially your new go-to for First/Early In The Game Dates. If you are a bachelor in this town, you need to immediately put Le Philosophe on your Hit List, write it on your hand, put a note on your sad and empty refrigerator…do whatever you [...]

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