The main room of the restaurant was expansive with an industrial inspired feel. You can see the steel beams supporting the structure. You get a clear view of the kitchen while the line cooks are working their magic in the back. And you can judge the waiters who look like they belong in Bushwick until you realize how attentive and enthusiastic they are about the craftsmanship of the menu and the vibe of the space (Toto, we're not in Brooklyn anymore).
We were visited by several of the workers who stopped to chat about the food and the restaurant. The restaurant prides itself on using local ingredients, and many of their herbs and spices are grown in their rooftop garden (watch out Roberta's). Their takeout boxes are 100% biodegradable, and they prohibit the use of any plastic or styrofoam products. Overall, I'd say their mission is pretty clear, and I have seen the light. (See me "seeing the light" below.)
Now, on to the important stuff: THE FOOD. Me and Emily have a ritual of ordering multiple dishes and sharing. We eat like lovers in that sense (#womensthemes). It makes the experience more fun, and you get to try a little bit of everything without feeling like Chris Christie at a CiCi's Pizza (low blow). We ordered "The Kitchen Sink", which was recommended to us by our adorbs scruffy, waiter (who looked like he belonged in an Eels cover band), and one of today's specials, the "Banana Bacon French Toast" (Yep, seriously).
First of all, I want to start by saying that the pictures above should give you an idea of the sheer magnitude of these portions: EFFIN' HUGE. The Kitchen Sink skillet was a frittata gone cray. Absolutely chock full of yummy hunks of green and red bell peppers, yellow onions and russet potatoes and then smothered in Gruyere cheese and sausage gravy, this was a true country dream (see also: Poak Chops). The fluffy buttermilk biscuit on top put it over the edge for me. I'm confident that even my dad couldn't have finished this meal. The dish could have benefited from some salt, but there was Cholula hot sauce on hand, so I give them a pass. Overall, The Kitchen Sink was a balanced dish with enough ingredients to keep the flavors interesting, without being too busy. But seriously, who can eat all of that? That's rigodd*mndiculous.
Next up was the star of the meal, IMHO. Bacon & brown sugar compote, y'all. Need I say more? A big ass smattering of sweet, salty, bacony goodness sat upon the creme brule battered French Toast. Carmelized bananas added a rich sweetness to this already succulent dish. I think the syrup was of a maple/pecan variety. The homemade whipped cream was TOTALLY overkill but TOTALLY appreciated (thank you!). I was amazed at how much I loved this sh*t. I am never one to order a sweet meal in the morning hours (or any hour for that matter, you put pineapple on my pizza, and YOU DIE) but holy crap this was a breakfast miracle. I would shudder to find out what kind of calorie count this thing boasts. BUT THAT ISN'T WHAT WE CAME HERE TO TALK ABOUT, IS IT MEGAN? SHUT UP ABOUT IT MEGAN. And I digress . . .
This was one of those restaurants that made me wish I spent more time in Philly so I could go back and try more of the dishes (and try to guess which indy films are the servers' favorites). We were never rushed despite the line of folks waiting to come in and feast on the delightfully unique, sustainable menu items. In one sentence fragment: "Was 'BOUT IT!"
P.S. - The other thing I love about going to other cities is realizing that only in New York do we find it totally reasonable to pay $25 for a single plate of eggs. We're straight up dumb in that sense. But we're pretty and like soooo metropolitan, so eff everyone.
THE DAMAGE:
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