Immaculate Infatuation

When Gail Simmons hit us with her Friday Fives, she listed August as her Chronic Brunch pick. Smart woman. She made us realize that even though August has long been a staple in our lives, a review seems to have slipped through the cracks. It’s time to rectify this situation right now.

Everyone loves August. It’s impossible not to. The same way I’m always down to watch those movies that are endlessly on TV like Any Given Sunday or Empire Records, I’m also always down for brunch at August. This little European bistro is perfectly located in the heart of all the good West Village action. The friendly space smells of firewood and has an awesome glass enclosed garden that gets tons of sun. August is really a better brunch/lunch spot than it is a dinner spot. The dinner entrees are never as exciting as the eggs, sandwiches and pizza you get during the daytime hours. Plus, the prices on the dinner menu are a little steep. One dinner option we do like, however, is the Sunday night “Pizza & Peronis” meal: one pizza and four Peronis for $25. Not necessarily the Gray’s Papaya recession special, but we back the idea and the pizza is really good. Speaking of pizza and beer, dudes, listen up – August is a great First/Early In The Game Date spot. Considering that her and her friends already love it, you’ll score extra points right off the bat by taking her to the location of her last Book Club meeting. Trust me; it’s a better option than the new Dos Caminos in the Meat Packing district.

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Welcome to the greatest Jewish thing to come out of Canada since Rick Moranis. Mile End is a Jewish delicatessen in Boerum Hill named for and modeled after the gentrified Montreal neighborhood by the same name, which has a strong Jewish population and apparently some killer Jewish food.

Here in Brooklyn, this place has become the topic of often-heated discourse and debate. As you can imagine, when it comes to a Jewish deli in this city, there is no shortage of opinions. Some say Mile End is too hipster, some say it’s too expensive, some say it’s too crowded, and yet at the same time many say it’s the greatest place ever. We’ve heard it all.

Here’s what I can tell you: I don’t care what anyone says, this is great food. Everything at Mile End is made with top notch ingredients and is meticulously prepared. The staff behind the small kitchen counter care about every plate that goes out the door, so regardless of whether it’s the kind of bagel you’re used to or not, someone put a lot of effort into making it awesome. From our perspective, If you like smoked meats and things with “hash” in the name, this is a place you need to visit. We don’t want to hear any complaining about waiting for a table, or hipsters, or how you can get a pastrami sandwich for four dollars on the Upper West Side. This is Brooklyn, and this place is turning out quality sh*t. Grab a Stumptown coffee from the window while you wait, and if you really can’t muster up the patience for a good meal, keep it movin’. More meat for the rest of us.

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Tree has an unassuming exterior that may cause someone to walk by hundreds of times without realizing that there’s anything worthwhile inside. I, for instance, live right around the corner and never paid much attention to the joint. Luckily, my pops insisted we go one night thanks to a very high Zagat rating. After that fateful night, Tree was promptly added to my local rotation. During the winter, it’s warm and cozy interior is the perfect place to take your girl or guy on a cold Friday night. The large backyard garden is the perfect place to dine alfresco on those balmy spring or summer evenings. There’s something a little more mature about Tree than the majority of the restaurants in the area. It’s not filled with young hipsters; the crowd tends to skew a little older. I counted five tables containing guests with gray hair the last time I was there. Basic rule of thumb when it comes to the menu; stick with the heavy sauce dishes and you’ll be a happy camper. Tree kills it with their sauces. Resist the temptation to order the steak frites and stick with the good stuff served in bowls. For the food rundown, I’m sticking with my go-to dishes and nothing else … all served in bowls.

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More so than any other section of NYC, West Village restaurants have a common neighborhood feel to them. Like the people who flock to them, these spots are understated, stylish and well groomed. The current king of the scene? Cafe Cluny. It doesn’t get much cuter (did I just say that?) than this place as it’s nestled on the ideal corner of W. 4th and W. 12th. Cluny is money for breakfast and a reliable option for lunch and dinner as well. It’s pretty much a can’t miss for all kinds of Infatuation “Perfect For” categories including Chronic Brunch , Neighborhood Hang , Date Night and After Work Drinks & Dinner. Next time you’re grabbing food in the WV, avoid the two hour wait at Joseph Leonard, don’t even consider The Place next door and get your Cluny on.

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The Smile is a relatively new “cafe and mixed use concept store” on Bond St. What does that mean? Well, it’s a rustic space that serves food and also sells housewares and nick-nacks to the coolest people you have ever seen. Essentially, it’s hipster Cracker Barrel.

Though The Smile has been open for close to a year now, we’re betting you haven’t heard much about it. Situated a few steps below the sidewalk, it’s a place that you have to be looking for to see, and other than the models and musicians that fill it for brunch, it remains relatively under the radar. Yes, brunch is popular, but it’s not yet overrun by the hoardes in this city that treat the meal like a sport. People eat and linger, everyone seems to know each other, and everyone looks really good – even with dirty hair and last night’s clothes on. Dinner service began only a few weeks ago, and like the breakfast and brunch menu, the food is surprisingly good. Imagine Freemans without the two hour wait. Things here feel laid back and matter-of-fact, as if those running the place have no interest in the hustle that can come along with making a New York City restaurant successful. Maybe they are simply confident that word will spread and people will come. Or maybe they just don’t want them to.

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