Over a period of two hours and several brain-freezes, we sat outside on the sidewalk patio and drained just about every frozen brunch cocktail on the list.  See how we sacrifice for you guys.  I would say we had about 5 cocktails each.  Which leads me to a point — if you’re not going to be having at least 3 drinks, then this may not be the right brunch deal for you.  Anything more than 3 and you’re definitely getting good bang for your brunch bucks.  The traditional mojito (non-frozen) and pomegranate frozen margarita were our faves.  For my meal, I ordered the Agua Dulce Burger (Chef Sterling’s LaFrieda burger with house-pickled chiles, red onions, fresh avocado and chihuahua cheese).

This was one helluva burger! Even without all of Chef Sterling’s Pan-Latin flair, it would have been one of my top ten burgers of the year.  But the extra flavors from the pickled chiles and fresh avocado took it to the next level for me.  The combination of the acidity of the pickled chiles and the sweetness of the bun really helped bring out the delicious flavor of the beef, and I didn’t want this burger to end. 

Jill ordered the Steak and Eggs (two eggs cooked to order, char grilled skirt steak, chilaquiles).  The skirt steak was expertly prepared and the chilaquiles provided nice texture and flavor, as the yolk from the eggs seeped through.

We  hear that next time we have to try the Agua Dulce Benedicto (braised pork, fresh jalapeno cornbread with a chili lime hollandaise) as well as the Panqueque de Chorizo (crunchy chorizo pancakes w/ bacon maple syrup).  I have a feeling “next time” is not too far off. 

BEST TABLE: The tall communal table for 6 on the sidewalk patio

APPROX COST PER PERSON: $40 (which includes tax + tip)

Agua Dulce, 802 9th Avenue, bet 53rd St & 54th Sts, 212-262-1299. Open Monday through Friday for lunch, Saturday and Sunday for brunch, and seven days for dinner and late night (until 4 am). All major credit cards are accepted.

A quick glance at the brunch menu (prix-fixe or a la carte) and you can see how well Philippe Massoud’s lamb and mezze-heavy Lebanese-Mediterranean cuisine translates to brunch.  Overall, the menu offers a nice balance of breakfast and lunch focused dishes.  You can opt for either the $25 Prix-Fixe which comes with your choice of a brunch entree, a brunch side dish, a breakfast drink (coffee, grapefruit juice or orange juice) and a brunch cocktail (pomegranate cava, mimosa or bellini) or go a la carte.  We went prix-fixe and enjoyed everything we tried. Lamb, as you may imagine, plays the leading role here, making appearances in the Lamb Dip, Lamb Burger, Braised Lamb Shank Sandwich and in the side order of Lamb Sausage.  But don’t ignore the egg dishes, featuring two varieties of eggs benedict and three sunny-side-up skillets.  Jill ordered the Kashkaval Eggs in Cocotte (three sunny side up eggs with sheep milk cheese and black truffle) and I went with the Truffle Eggs Benedict served with a prosciutto-like meat called basterma.  I’m not sure which one I liked more. The Kashkaval was deacadent in all its rich, cheesy, truffle-y goodness.  Just look at those specks of black truffle! And the truffle eggs benedict, while a bit more traditional, was enhanced by the earthiness of the black truffle. We also enjoyed ilili’s take on hash browns in dumpling form.

For our sides, we went with the veal bacon and the lamb sausage.  Both were delicious.  The veal bacon tasted better than it appeared.

Overall, we had a great brunch.  I think an all-you-can-drink brunch option would be a great addition here (I’m biased of course).  It’s a shame that ilili has such an amazing bar/lounge space that is under-utilized during brunch.  I could definitely see this place turning into a fun, brunch party scene with a dj (there’s a full dj booth in the bar area and an amazing sound system).  Barbounia added an AYCD brunch option not too long ago and it really transformed the vibe there into a more energetic and lively brunch scene. Who knows, maybe ilili will follow suit.

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Wall & Water Brunch Menu

Make Your Own Drink @ the Restaurant Bar

• Freshly squeezed seasonal juices
• Coffee
• Bloody Marys, Bellinis, Mimosas
• Hot Tea

@ Communal Table

• Fruits & Cereals
• Sweets
• Breads
• Condiments

@ Cold Larder

• Raw Bar
• Bread Station
• Charcuterie and cheeses

@ the Kitchen

Batters

• Belgian Waffle, French Toast, Pancakes, Crepes

Organic Farm Eggs (Eggs come with roasted potatoes, cherry tomatoes and cipolini onions)

Cast Iron Signatures:

• Truffle, Bechamel sauce, Parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, fried egg
• Roasted mushrooms, confit onions, black olives, baked egg
• Goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers, rosemary, baked egg
• House cured salmon, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers, rosemary, baked egg
• Braised duck leg, potatoes, duck salami, carrots, open omelette

Specialties:

• Eggs Benedictine: poached eggs, apple wood bacon, hollandaise sauce, toasted baguette
• Eggs Florentine: poached eggs, apple wood bacon, spinach, ciabatta, bechamel sauce
• Smoked Salmon: scrambled eggs, fresh dill, creme fraiche, red onion, capers, crisp bread
• Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras: sauteed mushrooms, fried eggs, red wine sauce, brioche
• Steamed Seasonal Vegetables: poached eggs, turkey breast, white toast, olives and herbs

For more information visit www.wallandwaterny.com or call 212-699-1700 for reservations

The first thing to look for when researching Restaurant.com gift certificates is a restaurant’s set of restrictions for coupon use.  It varies by restaurant with some having ultra-restrictive provisions, while others are much more lenient.  Typically, the more popular the restaurant, the more restrictive the provisions.  The Beacon gift certificate came with the following special instructions:

Special Instructions: Valid with a minimum purchase of 2 entrees. Dine in only. 18% gratuity added. Cannot be combined with other offers/discounts/special Prix Fix offers.

We weren’t 100% sure that Beacon would honor the gift certificate for its Sunday Brunch.  Despite what the restrictions say, at the end of the day it’s really in the restaurant’s sole discretion how these certificates can be applied.  The hostess asked the manager, and they said it was no problem at all.  We were in.  They seated us in a nice-sized booth and it was brunch time.

Within a minute or two of being seated, our server brought by a large basket of freshly baked muffins and breads and asked whether we would prefer coffee or tea.  It’s nice that both the breads and the coffee/tea come complimentary with your brunch.  He then informed us that for just $10 a person we could enjoy our choice of “bottomless” bloody marys or mimosas.  Without much hesitation, I opted for the bottomless bloody marys (extra spicy, of course) option while my Mom went with the bottomless mimosas.

Beacon’s brunch menu has several options with about half of the menu consisting of lunch items and half breakfast items.  They range in price from $17-$24.  My Mom choose the Fried Egg and Arugula Pizza made with five cheeses and truffle oil ($18) while I went with the Mint-Cured Smoked Salmon w/ H&H Bagel ($17).

We were well into brunch cocktail #2 when our meals arrived.  My Mom’s pizza was beautifully presented on a nice wood slate.

While it didn’t have quite the truffle bang I was hoping for, it was a delicious pizza and easily large enough to serve 2-3 people.

My mint-cured salmon was also nicely presented and the flavor of the salmon with a little fresh mint was delicious.

As far as how long they will let you drink “bottomless-ly” for, our server actually encouraged us to each have our fourth brunch cocktail, even after we had been sitting for close to two hours.

All in all, my Mom and I had a fantastic leisurely, boozy brunch at a high end restaurant, and thanks to a gift certificate that I paid just $2 for on Restaurant.com, our bill came out to only….

The service was fantastic and in no way suffered because we were using a gift certificate.  If you plan to use Restaurant.com gift certificates, or any gift certificates for that matter, please be sure to tip your server on the full value of the check!

Click here to search restaurants that offer gift certificates on Restaurant.com.  From now through January 31st, you can get $25 gift certificates for just $2 if you enter the discount code BONUS at checkout and hit “apply.”

Lastly, please let us know if you have had any negative experiences using Restaurant.com so we can make sure to warn people of the restaurants that may not be certificate-friendly.

Public 210 Elizabeth Street (at Spring) | 212.343.7011

Double Crown 316 Bowery (at Bleecker) | 212.254.0350

All-you-can-drink brunch spots are popping up everywhere these days. Mercadito Cantina (Avenue B b/t 10th & 11th St) has instituted their own all-you-can-drink brunch special. Just a few blocks from Yerba Buena, The Sunburnt Cow and Poco, other popular AYCD brunch spots, Mercadito Cantina offers brunch goers their choice of entrée and unlimited cocktails, wine, mimosas, sangria or beer for two hours for $21. Entrées include options like tacos (soft and “basket-style”), Mexican inspired eggs, local sweet treats, and traditional dishes such as the popular hangover cures Caldo de Camaron and Pozole Verde.

Click here for the full brunch menu. Brunch served Sat-Sun from 11:30am-4pm. NB: Mercadito Grove in the W. Village does not have the same AYCD brunch deal. There it’s $15 for an entrée + 1 fruit mimosa. Same thing at the third Mercadito location at 179 Ave B b/t 11th and 12th St.

Mercadito Cantina
172 Ave B between 10th & 11th street
New York, NY 10009

The booze: We must have tried more than 7 varieties of mimosa during our brunch, including an elderflower mimosa made with St. Germain liquer, a passion fruit mimosa, a mango puree mimosa, a blood orange mimosa, a strawberry-infused mimosa, a watermelon basil mimosa and my favorite – Alexis’ JalaH20Melon mimosa with muddled jalapeno.

The music was loud, the booze was flowin’ and we were having a great time. In between mimosas, Alexis would whip up some complimentary whimsical shots for us and surrounding tables. The restaurant had a great vibe and nobody seemed like they wanted to leave. And if mimosas are not your thing, you can also choose from bloody marys, white or red sangrias, bellinis and screwdrivers.

The food: Poco is all about chilling out and having a good time and the brunch items fit well into this motif. Every table gets started with a bread basket that includes some tasty pain de campagne and mini carrot-bran muffins. There is lots of variety on the brunch menu. There are three types of eggs benedict — the Poco Benedict (served on arepas w/ Manchego cheese, chorizo, and pimentón hollandaise), Salmon Benedict and Lobster Benedict ($2 extra, but well worth it). There’s a delicious lobster mac-n-cheese prepared with manchego, parmesan, asiago cheese, and topped with crunchy panko.

While the skirt steak salad (mesclun greens, pickled onions and cabrales blue cheese dressing) and grilled chicken sandwich (crisp apple, manchego cheese, apple wood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and roasted red pepper aioli on Pullman toast) did not quite live up to their expectations, you’ll be more than happy if you stick with any of the benedicts, the salmon blt and the lobster mac.

The conclusion: Our most fun boozy brunch of the year. I’ve never seen a group of more upbeat and energetic bartenders and servers on a Sunday afternoon. Completely the opposite of the grumpy and hungover staff you expect for brunch service. It’s beyond me how people can wait for an hour or longer for a more expensive and less satisfying brunch at Prune when a place like Poco is just a few blocks away. I fear it’s only a matter of time before Poco has a legendary wait to go along with its legendary brunch.

Other Poco specials: Poco also offers these specials throughout the week:

Tuesday Nights: $30 for 2 Tapas and Unlimited Sangria

Wednesday Nights: $20 for All-You-Can-Eat Steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels w/ White Wine & Garlic Sauce

Poco Restaurant
33 Avenue B between 2nd and 3rd Street
East Village
(212) 228-4461
www.poconyc.com

Brunch served Sat & Sun from 11am-5pm — also offering a special Black Friday Brunch on November 27th.