NYC's 12 Best Fall Brunches For 2013
New Yorkers brunch year round, but there are always new offerings to try with seasonally focused menus. We've rounded up a dozen NYC restaurants offering the best brunches for the fall with unlimited cocktail options, heated outdoor seating and hearty comfort foods. By Sarah Shaker.
More: NYC's 10 Best Plates Of French Toast
This rustic-chic Flatiron restaurant known for its artisanal American cuisine launched brunch earlier this month. Harding's Executive Chef Ariel Fox will be serving up a smorgasbord of seasonal specialties and downhome favorites, like Baked Eggs with roasted tomatoes and goats' milk feta served in a cast iron skillet and Griddlecakes topped with local berries, whipped cream, maple syrup and moonshine drizzle. Harding's mixologists will be spiking the menu with autumn newcomers like the Balsamic Bloody Mary and the Washington's Breakfast martini made with Toby's Estate fair-trade espresso, cinnamon and pumpkin spice.
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Four Seasons Hotel New York just launched a sophisticated soul food brunch to keep you comforted this fall. This new menu features hearty offerings including Fried Chicken & Waffles, Pigs in a Blanket (lemon ricotta pancakes stuffed with chicken sausage and maple sugar) and Warm Pastrami Tartine with poached eggs and mushroom gravy. Wake up with La Colombe Coffee and Espresso or one of their specialty cocktails like the West Side Story with Deleon Tequila Silver, rosemary, Cointreau and lime.
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This NoMad neighborhood oyster bar launched brunch Labor Day Weekend to welcome the new season. Chef-owner Jason Weiner and his chef de cuisine, David Belknap, are keeping the restaurant's nautical theme front and center with the menu. In addition to a full raw bar and complimentary cornbread service with chipotle-honey butter, highlights include Housemade Biscuits and Shrimp Gravy, Angry Crab Benedict and Lobster Deviled Eggs. If you prefer something from the land, go with Ricotta & Meyer Lemon Stuffed French Toast. There are 5 types of Bloody Mary's, but the most outrageous would be the Maple Bacon Bloody, served with a slab of maple bacon and a blue cheese-stuffed olive.
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Three Letters in Clinton Hill recently launched a killer brunch, after opening earlier this year. They are proudly elevating traditional French dishes with seasonal ingredients and a hint of Brooklyn cool. The "French Toast Anna," is a must-order with thin layers of egg-battered toast inspired by Potatoes Anna, a classic French dish of sliced, layered potatoes. Instead of pancakes, Chef Pip has introduced "Crepes Stack" with lemon curd, almond butter and maple syrup. And there's even a "Crepes Benedict" with pork bourguignon, poached egg and sweetcorn hollandaise.
More: NYC's 5 Best Breakfast Restaurants
Looking for brunch with vegan-friendly options? Head to Wild in the West Village for the popular Skinny Bitch Pizza, created in honor of the release of the first Skinny Bitch novel, Skinny Bitch in Love. Wild is known for their dedication to fresh, local and seasonal ingredients, making it the perfect fit to collaborate with author and vegan chef Kim Barnouin's book release. This specialty pie arrived on the menu this summer, but is so popular, it will be featured all fall, combining gluten free dough, grilled eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and vegan pesto. And it's important to note - Wild isn't a vegan-only restaurant, so meat lovers can get their fill with dishes like Truffle and Poached Egg Pizza with homemade shakshuka, tomato, onion and lamb sausage.
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For a fall brunch with a view, head to Gallow Green on top of the McKittrick Hotel, the well-known home of "Sleep No More", with seating every Sunday for their new Harvest Brunch featuring live music, bottomless brunch cocktails and a savory buffet of brunch favorites, including smoked salmon, cinnamon rolls and granola. If it gets chilly as you dine al fresco on the roof this season, there's a fire pit for warmth and the staff is happy to bring out blankets to get nice and cozy at your table.
Upper East Side eatery Crown launched a new fall brunch mid-September. Guests can enjoy a variety of dishes from Chef John DeLucie such as Maine Lobster Fritatta with spring peas and tarragon, Soft Scrambled Eggs with smoked sablefish and smoked trout roe and Ricotta Pancakes with seasonal fruits and Vermont maple syrup. Fresh juices are also available as well as their signature New London Punch with London dry gin, St. Germain, maraschino, chilled green tea, lime juice and Prosecco.
Pampano, the Midtown East Mexican eatery from Richard Sandoval and Placido Domingo, launched a Bottomless Brunch on Sundays beginning earlier this month. For $39, enjoy an endless array of small plates and free flowing margaritas, bloody Marias (think bloody Marys with tequila) and red, white or sparkling sangria. For the restaurant's first foray into the brunch arena in its successful 10 year history, Sandoval, in collaboration with Chef de Cuisine Lucero Martinez, created a menu of over 20 small plates including Pampano Benedict, Chicken & Waffles with a maple-dijon sauce and bacon and Shrimp & Grits with spicy shrimp and creamy hominy.
This Upper West Side tapas restaurant will be launching Saturday and Sunday brunch on Sept. 27th. Dishes will include Breakfast Coca with fried egg, chorizo and manchego, Fruit Skewers with yogurt and Pancakes with apple and manchego cheese. Longtime neighborhood restaurateur Sid Gupta known for Pappardella, Hudson Terrace and Little Town, and Marion Maur, who successfully ran Marion's Country Kitchen for 5 years in Woodstock, NY, have brought their love for Spanish culture to life at Casa Pomona along with chef Don Flores.
Chef Dave Santos launched his own take on brunch classics earlier this summer with specialties including Bacon Maple Glazed Beignets and Chorizo Baked Eggs at Louro in the West Village. Other popular midday meals include the Pork Loin Sandwich with piri piri aioli and fried egg and the Belly Goat Burger, a house blend goat burger, crispy pork belly, creamy goat cheese, tomato marmalade and pickled onions served with crispy herbed fingerlings. Brunch cocktails include a French 75, as well as seasonal fruit variations, like the Cherry Bellini and Peach Sangria, made with fruit chef Santos preserved in the summer.
Chef Jawn Chasteen offers an eclectic brunch at Redeye Grill in Midtown. From Miso Matzoh Ball Soup to Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and Whole Lobster Mac & Cheese there's something for everyone's afternoon cravings. Redeye Grill presents jazz music nightly to enjoy along with dinner, and later this fall, look out for live music at some of the weekend brunches.
The Social House opened this August on the Upper West Side and recently launched brunch focusing on New American dishes. Start with fresh baked goods, like cinnamon rolls and chocolate croissants then dig into main dishes including Frittata with Smoked Eggplant Merguez and Roast Peppers, Grilled Lamb Belly & Kale Scramble and the Grilled Ham, Egg & Vermont Cheddar on a Biscuit. Soups, salads and sandwiches are also available during brunch if you're craving a more traditional lunch on the weekends.
Sarah Shaker is the founder of the blog Bright Lights, My City.
