Peels

325 Bowery.  New York, NY (btwn. 2nd St. & Bleecker)
www.peelsnyc.com

Price: $$
Favorite dish: Build-a-Biscuit

Prior to when I started blogging, I ate at Peels for brunch for my dad.  I enjoyed it so much that my family and I went back to Peels again for brunch so that I not only could enjoy it, but also share my experience with my readers.  My second time back was just as good as the first.  The restaurant has a spacious interior in addition to outdoor seating, which made for a perfect sunny Sunday morning brunch atmosphere.

Here's what we got:

Tropical Muesli with pineapple juice and yogurt soaked oats, mango, strawberries, toasted coconut, and seeds 

[muesli]

Spa Eggs: egg white omelet, sautéed spinach, and goat cheese with a side salad

Farmers Breakfast: fried eggs, smoked bacon, hash browns, and toast

Build-a-Biscuit: biscuit sandwich filled with scrambled eggs, avocado, and cheese with a side of gravy

[scrambled egg biscuit] 

Blueberry crumb cake

  This brunch was completely satisfying and a perfectly portioned meal.  Peels' muesli is famous and a very popular dish.  It definitely was an interesting muesli, as it tasted fresh with all of its fruity flavor.  It was different than what I am used to tasting, however it was still really tasty.  The spa eggs were simple and delicious with the goat cheese and spinach.  The Farmer's Breakfast included fried eggs with perfectly runny yolk.  The hash browns that were included were fantastic.  It was crispy, salty, and flavorful, and we were very close to ordering a second order of potatoes for all of us to share.  I ordered the build-a-buscuit, which I absolutely adored.  I think it was a perfect breakfast sandwich, and included great flavors with the avocado, eggs, and cheese. The biscuits were also wonderfully flaky and buttery.  I would definitely order this exact same sandwich again since I loved it so much.  We also decided to try a bakery selection, as Peels as a wide array of bakery items.  The blubbery crumb cake was moist on the inside, and the outside was crumby and sweet.  Every part of the meal was really excellent.

XOXO,
Danielle

The Wren

344 Bowery.  New York, NY

www.thewrennyc.com

Price: $$

Favorite dish: Potato Rosti with smoked trout and poached eggs

This past weekend, Sara, Molly, Frankie, Margot and I decided to kick off our Sunday brunch tradition for this summer. After searching for reasonably priced, yet highly rated, brunch spots, Molly stumbled upon The Wren, which had a small, cute, and cozy vibe located in the East Village.  Having never heard of it before, I was definitely down to try something new.  Despite the rather small size of the brunch menu, almost everything on it looked very unique and tasty, something that definitely got us all excited to eat.

Here's what we ordered:

Potato Rosti topped with smoked trout and two poached eggs, served with hollandaise sauce and frisee

[Potato Rosti]

Smashed Avocado on Toast with soft boiled eggs

Bulgar Wheat Pancakes topped with Ricotta, peaches, bananas, and maple syrup

Just writing up this post and reminiscing about this meal is making me hungry.  Everything that we ordered was absolutely incredible.  Margot, Sara, and I all ordered the Potato Rosti with eggs, and let me tell you it was just as mouthwatering as it sounds.  The Rosti resembled a large tater tot, so it was full of flavor, and was a great complement to the poached eggs.  The smoked trout added an amazing salty bite to the dish, and every part of it worked so well together.  Molly said she loved her avocado toast; anything mixed with avocado really couldn't be that bad. Frankie's pancakes were also extremely tasty (I couldn't leave without trying it…) I loved how they put ricotta cheese on top, which was something I would have never thought to do.  The hearty pancake, cheese, and sweet fruit made for a perfect combination.

I would for sure come back to The Wren in the future. The ambiance was friendly and inviting, and I think it could also be a great spot to visit for dinner.  I highly recommend visiting this restaurant if you are looking for a reasonably priced and delicious meal!

XOXO,

Danielle

The Smith

956 2nd Ave.  New York, NY
www.thesmithnyc.com

Price: $$$
Favorite dish: Whole Wheat Penne (no decisions there!)

This past friday night, I got to hang out with a few of my besties from Michigan: Jamie, Mel, and Dani. We ended up going to dinner in Midtown extremely late (try 10:00 pm), so we wanted to go somewhere that we could get in quickly and be served promptly, but that would still be good. Mel suggested The Smith, and I had heard good things about this restaurant before. Being that we were within walking distance, it seemed like a perfect place to go for a satisfying meal waaaay past normal meal time.
The Smith is a casual, American restaurant, with a fun, inviting, "New York" atmosphere. To get seated right away, we were put at the end of a communal table, which was actually kind of fun (great people watching!) 

Our communal table!!!

We didn't really have a lot of diversity in what we ordered. We all ordered a different variation of the same meal… classic. We got the Whole Wheat Penne, with arugula, wild mushrooms, roasted garlic, and parmesan cheese. 

                   Mel and Jamie's whole wheat penne, plus chicken. (Obvi Mel got hers without cheese)

My whole wheat penne, with grilled shrimp to add protein. The shrimp was actually so good, and added a really good touch of flavor to the pasta. I really liked the oil&garlic sauce that was over the pasta…it was super flavorful and wasn't overwhelmingly garlicky. 

Jnuss takes her noodles to go for a late night snack!

There were actually a ton of good-looking things on the menu and I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to try more than one thing from the menu--all the more reason to go back! From what I did taste though, I do think that The Smith has some really good things to offer. Besides the food, I was just happy to be hanging out and spending time with my friends! (was that cheesy?)

XOXO,

Danielle