Feast

I arrived to Easter brunch in a bit of a sweat. You see, I had power walked to Feast and dodging all the Chicagoans in their church finery had tuckered this girl out.

Speaking of tuckered out, the other day I did this yoga video on Netflix, and when the instructor suggested that I go from a high push up position into a low push up position and then into downward dog, I snorted out loud, alone, in the middle of my apartment, "You've got to be kidding me." I mean, I've never done a real push up in my life.

And speaking of Easter and church, I couldn't help thinking that half the value of this Sunday morning affair came from the excuse to bring the whole family together, all generations, get the men to groom themselves properly, and the little girls in their buckled patent leather shoes. Everyone is here, in one place, having taken the time to look nice and be with loved ones.

Okay, so back to brunch, I went and got the Eggs Benedict Trio, which was great because I got to try the one with smoked salmon and caviar, and the salty, briny eggs made all the difference. I can't think of when I've had the dish with the inclusion of caviar. One thinks it must have happened, but in any case, this dish was a small joy, and I was careful to ration my pearls from the sea, so that they could accompany every bite.

Yes. The three eggs benedict came with this whole bowl of potatoes. I do not expend energy in the day to require the caloric fuel contained in this brunch. Not that that has ever stopped me before of course.

Feast, 25 E. Delaware Place, Chicago, IL

Yolk

Let's talk about Yolk. The kids at school seem to love it. I admit it's good value. The portions are gargantuan.

But people. An hour's wait? For this? Honestly. It's hearty, solid, comfort food. But one can aspire to more. A plate of eggs and potatoes can deliver more. Trust me.

Yolk, 1120 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL

Bobo

The items on Bobo's menu look utterly enticing.

And when the food comes out, it looks even better.

And the technical execution was adequate, pretty good actually.

But the seasoning on our Crispy Gnocchi, Toad in the Hole, and "Green Eggs & Ham," were all a bit bland, creating a rather underwhelming experience.

Brunch itself was fantastic, if not for the food. Three snarky disenchanted adults who still wanted to act like youngsters, and who have had too many things in life handed to them, know it on some sort of level, but were still happy to revel communally about all the things that still dissatisfied our greedy selves. We are members of our generation: always wanting more. And as it reads, this all looks terrible, but there is a joy that comes in commiserating with those who see the world as you do. Diversity is all well and fine, but sometimes one just wants to luxuriate in selfish similarities.

Bobo, 181 W. 10th Street, New York, NY

West Egg

Dixie Delight: homemade biscuits, country gravy, two eggs sunny-side up, plus potatoes.

Rod's Country Fried: country fried steak topped with country gravy with two eggs sunny-side up and potatoes.

Two visits to West Egg: two dates with some country gravy. It'll definitely lead you feeling full. The food at West Egg isn't mind blowing, and I confess the potatoes had me dreaming of the fantastic home fries at Blue Water Grill in Union Square, New York, but it's a solid spot. The waitstaff is friendly, the atmosphere laid-back.

West Egg, 620 N. Fairbanks Ct (@ Ontario St.), Chicago, IL

Danal

Poached eggs with chicken apple sausage, English muffin and hollandaise with a side of fruit salad. Maybe in some parts of the country the hollandaise and the hoity toity muffin with nooks and crannies and the poaching of the eggs and the sausage without pork and the hollandaise makes this all the opposite of comfort food, but my goodness just look at it. If that doesn't say "Be at ease my darling and be thankful the good lord made sweatpants with elastic," I don't know what does.

Danal, 59 5th Ave. (b/n 12th and 13th), New York, NY 212-982-6930

Le Pain Quotidien

Some old favorites remain dear to your heart, even as the actual impact of the flavors dull in direct comparison to your continuing gastronomic education. Le Pain Quotidien is one of those places. Like Joe Shanghai, it isn't as good as that first time, but unlike the land of soup dumplings, it still delivers enough to hold a special place in my food memory.

The main problem with LPQ is that the quality of their baguette has declined somewhat since the days of 2002 when I first discovered the Belgian bakery chain.

Everything else though is the same. It may be contrived, but I love their long trestle tables and the old quarter loaves of bread with slices in them serving as menu holders. I love slathering a chunk of baguette ripped off the loaf with a hearty smear of butter and then topping it with some crunchy sea salt.

Le Pain Quotidien, 38 E. 19th St. (b/n B'way and Park), New York, NY

The Mother of All Food Crawls

I was going to write about dinner at Uva with a high school friend visiting with her husband from California, but then I remembered that back in 2005, pre-engagement, the two of them visited and embarked upon the Mother of All Food Crawls.

We're talking fourteen food stops in 48 hours.

View The Mother of All Food Crawls in a larger map

Some were planned, some spontaneous. Myself and two high school friends (G and K) living in New York took around S and A from the Bay Area for a whirlwhind eating tour. I stole these pictures from my friend, and here we go

Day 1, ~10:30 p.m. Sushi Samba, planned
A complimentary appetizer of flash-fried Japanese river crabs because we had to wait a really long time for our table despite making 9:45 p.m. reservations.

Not pictured: edamame, blistered Shishito peppers, fried calamari.

Neo Tokyo Roll (yellowfin tuna, tempura flakes, and aji panca); Green Envy Roll (wasabi pea crust, tuna, salmon, asparagus, and aji); Pacific Roll (king crab, avocado, Asian pear, soy paper, and wasabi-avocado cream).

Two orders of Kampachi (Japanese yellowtail) Sashimi Tiradito with yuzu, black truffle oil, and sea salt.

Yellowtail Ceviche with ginger, garlic and soy.

Miso-marinated Chilean Sea Bass.

Day 1: ~12:00 a.m., Flute Bar, unplanned

Foie gras platter, smoked salmon platter, and bubbly obviously.

Day 1: ~1:00 a.m., L'Express, unplanned

Somehow we decided we needed Dinner #2.

Steak tartare with mesclun greens, moules frites, chocolate mousse cake, tarte tatin.

Day 2: 8:00 a.m., Norma's, planned

We ate family style modified for individual orders, while sitting around a circular table. Five people, five dishes, eat one-fifth, pass to left.

Seared rock lobster and asparagus omelette with home fries.

Crab cakes spice with Habanero peppers with dill yogurt mustard sauce.

Mandarin Orange French Toast.

Artichoke Benedict

Day 2, ~10:00 a.m., nap

Four friends passed out on my bed.

Day 2, ~12:30 p.m., Rice to Riches, unplanned

Marscapone rice pudding.

Pear rice pudding.

Day 2: ~1:30 p.m., Cafe Habana, planned

Mexican grilled corn with this delicious mayonnaise slathered all over; chicken diablo sandwich with fries; avocado and white cheese sandwich with fries; Cuban sandwich with fries, chicken dish with beans.

Someone couldn't wait for the food-paparazzi picture.

Day 2: ~3:30 p.m., il laboratorio del gelato, planned

Twelve flavors available, five people, 2 flavors per small serving, the solution seemed obvious.

Which two flavors did we not want to try?

Chocolate gelato, rum raisin gelato, vanilla rum gelato, peanut butter gelato, papaya sorbet, tangerine sorbet, coffee gelato, green tea gelato, raspberry gelato, lemon sorbet.

Day 2: ~6:30 p.m., Joe Shanghai, planned

Three orders of crab and pork soup dumplings, one order of pork soup dumplings, one order of string beans with pickles.

Day 2, ~9:00 p.m., A Salt & Battery, planned

It's so sad, the Second Avenue location has closed. You'll have to go to the west side for your fish 'n chips fix now.

One large order of cod bites, one small order of chips.

Gone in no time. End of a long day, but we've still got it!

Day 3: ~8:00 a.m., Le Pain Quotidien, planned

I like the 19th street location best because they bake the bread there.

One Tuscan Platter of Parmesan, ham, tapenade, the some amazing ricotta, pesto, sun dried tomatoes, olives and greens.

Mesclun greens salad.

Two orders of baguette with jam and praline spread.

Day 3: ~10:30 a.m., Artisanal, unplanned

Large basket of gougeres.

Sinful Experience Flight: Humboldt Fog (goat, California, airy yet rich, tangy finish); Brillat Savarin (cow, French, velvety, neutral to pronounced; Robiolo Due Latte (cow, Italy: yielding, lactic subtle).

Sampled of cheese condiments and some Langres to the left (cow, France, salty but not too aggressive, smoky)

Great Iberian Peninsula Flight: Serra de Estrella (sheep, Portugal, rich, intense, subtle toffee finish); Pau (goat, Spain, creamy, slightly sweet and nutty); Cabrales (3-milk, Spain, complex, buttery, numbingly intense)

Day 3: ~1:30 p.m. Alice's Tea Cup, planned

We went to the UWS location, but they've got the east side covered now too.

Scones: pumpkin, orange walnut, strawberry chocolate, banana butterscotch.

Clotted cream and jam.

Carrot-Cumin Sandwich.

Alice's tea and Rooibus Bourbon tea.

Day 3: ~6:00 p.m., Ota-Ya, planned

Sadly, this place has closed down. They had the best tempura. Now the next best option in the neighborhood is Tenzan for fantastic rolls.

Shrimp tempura.

Black Draft Roll, Crispy Salmon Roll, Mexican Roll, Volcano Roll, three orders of "white tuna" sashimi.

Day 3: ~8:30 p.m., Chola Eclectic, planned

Uttapam (rice and lentil vegetable pancake)

Chicken chutneywalla (curried mango chicken, mint, coriander, fresh ginger); Goa fish curry (spiced Chilean Sea Bass, fresh coconut, tamarind, chili-tomato sauce); Murli's chingri malai (spiced shrimp, raisins, ginger, fennel infused, tomatoes-coconut sauce); Bhindi masala (sauteed okra, onions, bell peppers, ginger, fresh tomatoes.)

Cafe Gitane

Cafe Gitane has been a long-time go-to brunch place just 5 minutes from my door. We won't remember that I still don't know how to get there, and when my roommate and I leave the revolving doors of our apartment complex, I always make a slight pause and look towards her expectantly like a well-trained pooch seeking instruction from her master and guide.

In fact, just the other day I was walking back to my apartment from the R train and looked up -- stunned -- that across the street was Cafe Gitane. I continue to be surprised by its presence every time I come upon it on my own. Indeed, there are a good number of bars, restaurants and cafes in a five block radius that I'm half convinced only exist in an Alice in Wonderland way, whereupon I only may see and gain entry if accompanied by my roommate.

I nearly always order the baked eggs with basil, tomato and cream. It comes with slices of baguette, an unassuming, unextraordinary baguette, and the baked eggs do not fall into my preferred category of in your face strong flavors, but there's something comforting and simple about this dish. If I ever have a family and long Sunday mornings at a house sitting in the parting mist, I'd bake up a round of these and enjoy the sentimentality through and through.

Cafe Gitane, 242 Mott St. (@ Prince St.), 212-334-9552

Prune

In my continuing quest to try everything on Prune's menu, I went ahead and ordered their hot chocolate and their toasted caraway seed and sour cream omelette.


These homemade marshmallows intimidate me. I'm not much for sweets, and these suckers are denser than the mass-market processed ones. I ended up eating about a third before it did me in.

Prune's potatoes rosti have got to be amongst the best in town; they are the perfect combination of crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The omelette doesn't look to soft with its wide expanse of smooth exterior, but it had a surprisingly light and fluffy interior, and there was a more than generous smear of sour cream that made me wonder why I had ever been reluctant to order this dish.

Next goal, go to Prune for dinner. I really need to find a way to get G, my so-called friend, bastard consultant, who really is the spawn of a legitimate marriage to go with me because he's the only one I know who will truly embrace a dinner of bone marrow and sweetbreads.

Prune, 54 E. 1st Street (b/n 1st and 2nd Ave.), 212-677-6221