....dat hits da spot! - "Hominy Grits" from Grey Gardens
Ah, Sunday brunch! It's nice to not have to work one! Being someone who has spent some time working in the service industry, to have this meal off is cause for celebration. And when I become president it will be required that all U.S. citizens will have to work a minimum of two months in a restaurant and at least 4 brunch shifts. I'm just saying.
Since I was fortunate enough to have this particular Sunday off, I rounded up my boys (although we call ourselves The Mean Girls...we all did a production of Fiddler on the Roof together and bonded from the beginning. Love these boys!) and we headed over to Friedmans Lunch which is tucked away in Chelsea Market. For those of you who do not know of Chelsea Market, then you are really missing out. It's a foodies dream. Filled with 25+ retail shops and over 10 restaurants, Chelsea Market is also home to several TV studios including The Food Network. It's a good thing I don't live closer or I'd be spending all my money here. Wine, cheese, books, cooking supplies, seafood, baked goods, flowers...you name it, it's here. And on the weekends, much to my surprise, there is a live music. It's rare that I am there on a weekend afternoon, as I usually stop in before work if I need to kill time, or after work to pick up a bottle of wine at Chelsea Wine Vault. Let me tell you, it's crowded.
So I was given the duty to pick our brunch spot since I am doing this blog and could use some material. I went on to yelp.com and typed in "Chelsea cheap brunch." As I sifted through a few options, I came across Friedmans Lunch. Sold. A) It's really cute with an open kitchen, exposed filament bulbs, dark wood tables, and chalkboard wall. B) Cheap. C) Comfort Food. D) All of the above!
We met at one and had to wait about 20 minutes for something to open up. Gave us plenty of time to start catching up, etc. We were seated at a high communal table (something I'm really enjoying as of late). After ordering coffees and mimosas (pomegranate...including the seeds...delish!), we dove into the menu. A few of us got very excited about the Southern breakfast, but when the very attentive staff member told us that they were out of the fried green tomatoes, we changed our minds. Who knew they were a deal breaker. I decided to go with the Huevos Rancheros. Not a typical brunch option for me (odd, being that I love Mexican food). Ole! I was so happy with my choice. The dish was almost set up like a tostada. So we had crispy corn tortilla on the bottom, a nice layer of black beans then topped with 2 over easy eggs, spicy red salsa and avocado. At first I was a little concerned that there were too many beans and it would be overwhelming but once I got into it and my eggs were running, I was quite happy. I also had a side of double cut bacon....so good! And I got a potato pancake which was quite interesting. Golden brown and crispy on the outside and the inside resembled very dense mashed potatoes....highly enjoyable. Other dishes that made it to our table were the Shrimp and Grits (I have to say, I was jealous of this one), Baked Eggs, Pastrami Hash, and Southern Breakfast (the subbed in corn fritters instead of the FGT.) My boys were all very happy with their dishes, not one bad review. I think we'll be going back and I'll be spreading the word.
Friedmans Lunch is open 7 days a week for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner (I wanna go try a later in the day meal). Take-out, dine-in, and full service catering available. Farm-to-table cuisine with the option of most dishes being gluten-free, for those of you that are Glu-tarded (a phrase my friend Adam came up with).
Check it out!
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