For a cute little brunch or lunch spot in Echo Park, you really can't beat Honey Hi. Their focus on nutritional integrity and sustainability really comes through in each fresh and vibrant dish. Just look at those colors! I love that they value collaborations with local farmers and artisans (organic and locally-sourced produce is used whenever possible), and the menu changes with what's available seasonally at the farmers markets. While the entire menu is inherently gluten-free, they believe in "radical inclusivity", meaning it is not vegan, vegetarian, or any one thing in particular. Honey Hi serves organic, humanely-raised animals and eggs from local farms, but you won't find any refined sugars, GMO's, or vegetable oils in any of their dishes. Basically, you can feel really good about eating here, and your body will definitely thank you for nourishing it with such high quality, delicious eats. There's truly something for everyone here, but so far I definitely recommend "that grain bowl" (I die for the cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes, za'atar tahini sauce & cashew buckwheat dukkah!), and I know my husband would go nuts for the "lambwich" (with grilled halloumi, turmeric pickled onions & date tamarind chutney). Yum! There are tons of tasty drinks here too- from pitaya smoothies to bone broth to medicinal 'shroom coffee, the options are endless. Don't skip out on the grain-free chocolate chip cookie for the perfect sweet ending!
golda kitchen
Okay, y'all- I'm going to go out on a limb and say I have a new favorite restaurant in Brooklyn. Golda Kitchen is an all-day New American café with the perfect touch of Middle Eastern flavors that serves some seriously tasty breakfast and lunch fare. Local, seasonal ingredients truly shine here, but one of major highlights for me is the beautiful case of freshly baked pastries! There are tons on offer each day, and the flavor combinations are equally unique and delicious. I wanted to try one of each on my recent visit, but managed to narrow it down to a pumpkin olive oil cake with labne frosting and a plum-soaked brioche with pistachios. Glory, were they scrumptious! Our savory dishes didn't disappoint either, and I loved my charred broccoli rabe plate with sweet potato, figs & soft-boiled egg. The sandwiches are pretty impressive as well, as you can see from the photos below. Talk about a mouthful!
Click through the photos to read more about our meal, as I honestly cannot say enough good things about Golda. Really dying to try some of their other goodies as well- how good does hot chocolate with malted tahini marshmallows sound?! Or romanesco & kale moussaka with egg & flax-pinenut streusel?? Or finally, how about persimmon & gingerbread cake with rye flour, whey caramel & labne?! I'm literally obsessed with all these flavor combinations, and cannot wait to go back to Golda again soon!
sunday in brooklyn
I'm all about a neighborhood spot that offers both a feel-good, casual atmosphere as well as fresh and delicious food. Sunday in Brooklyn strives to do just that with a welcoming restaurant, market and coffee counter in South Williamsburg. The owners have taken their favorite day- Sunday!- a day of comfort, adventures, and family, and made it the mission of the restaurant. I was a big fan of Isa, the previous restaurant in this location, so SIB had big shoes to fill in my book. My husband and I stopped in for brunch recently, and are already looking forward to a return trip soon. We started with cappuccinos and a warm, freshly baked pecan sticky bun, which pulled apart in perfect ooey, gooey layers. Since it was Sunday, after all, we indulged in a bloody Mary and spiked hot cider, which were perfectly spicy and sweet. It was hard to decide on entrées as we were tempted by several dishes- the malted pancakes, biscuits & gravy, plus a variety of sweet and savory sandwiches all sounded delicious. We decided on the grain bowl and patty melt, which did not disappoint. And how pretty are the marbled ceramic plates!? Scroll through the photos to see more descriptions of each item. Even better, at SIB it's Sunday every day, so brunch is served seven days a week! Pop into the cute market shop for some ready-made pastries and pantry items, or grab a coffee to-go.
I've also had the opportunity to enjoy dinner at Sunday in Brooklyn, and the meal was fantastic (see below!). I love that they've utilized the upstairs dining area- a space that Isa reserved for private events- because it has such a lush and cozy feel to it that makes it seem like home. Plus the rooftop garden and sidewalk café are open in the warmer months, which is clutch for any NYC restaurant! The spring menu was so fresh, vibrant, and über colorful- the chef knows how to put the season's bounty to good use in the tastiest ways imaginable. Some dishes, like the radishes with koji butter and the beets with nuts & seeds, were truly works of art and just begging to have their photo taken (I was more than happy to oblige, of course). The roasted cabbage with fermented black trumpet mushrooms had such a unique and interesting flavor profile that kept us coming back for more. I'm not even a fried chicken person (I know- who am I?), but the housemade togarashi blend coating the drumsticks really took these babies to the next level- totally addicting! If you can believe it, I didn't get a good photo of our desserts. I'm actually surprised this doesn't happen more often considering how little discipline I have around sweets. But I can assure you that both the goat ice cream with date molasses & bitter chocolate AND the warm devil's food cake with peanut butter ice cream & cocoa nib praline are to die for! I'm already looking forward to returning soon for an afternoon cocktail in the rooftop garden!
dark ginger rye cake with yogurt & honey
I'm typically in charge of dessert for my family's holiday dinner, a task I take on with joy. There's always plenty of cookies around from the cookie exchanges my mom attends, so I wanted to do something a bit different. After a bit of browsing and research, I came across this Dark Ginger Rye Cake with Yogurt and Honey by Andrew Tarlow in Bon Appetit. I absolutely love the warming and comforting flavors of molasses, ginger, and cinnamon, and was intrigued by the addition of rye flour. I made a couple of changes, INCLUDING Using a dollop of honeyed yogurt as the topping adds the perfect balance, and keeps things from getting too sweet. Because of that, this moist cake works equally as well as a breakfast or brunch cake. I love the rustic nature of the cake, so feel free to break it into pieces rather than slicing if you prefer. Regardless of when or how it's served, it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Get the recipe here!
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maman
For a a quick and easy, but healthy and flavorful meal, I love stopping by Maman. It's basically the bakery and cafe of my dreams, featuring high quality, locally-sourced ingredients with a always evolving and inspired menu. Pop in for coffee (how cute are their cups?!) and freshly baked breads and pastries, or take a seat and enjoy housemade quiches, seasonal salads, and hearty sandwiches. I'm a huge fan of their unique and flavorful baked goods, including the nutella babka loaf, spiced carrot cake, white chocolate blueberry & lavender loaf, chunky monkey brioche, and the signature 'famous' nutty chocolate chip cookie.
One of my favorite things ever is Maman's cookie dough ice cream sandwich! It uses two slabs of melt-in-your-mouth cookie dough instead of baked cookies, wrapped around tasty McConnell's ice cream. Heaven! I recently stopped in for their new brunch service at the Brooklyn location, and both the waffle-iron hashbrowns (with smoked salmon, avocado & egg) and the roasted cauliflower salad (with kale, dates & egg) were super flavorful and satisfying. I'm looking forward to trying a matcha white hot chocolate this winter!
cafe mogador
Cafe Mogador is probably my husband's and my #1 go-to neighborhood spot. Although it's always super packed on the weeknights and for weekend brunch, we love going for a quiet weekday breakfast. Due to my husband working in a kitchen himself, which usually consists of very long hours and late nights, we get to go out for breakfast dates more often than dinner dates. It's quite nice to have the random Tuesday morning free together, and we love nothing more than indulging in breakfast at Cafe Mogador. We literally don't even look at the menu anymore, either. It's always the Middle Eastern eggs, poached, for me, and the Moroccan Eggs with a side of Merguez sausage for him. Plus a cappuccino and Americano, or two, of course. It really never lets us down, and is always so filling and satisfying. The fluffy za'atar pita bread is the perfect accompaniment for cleaning up every last drop from your plate. We love sitting in the enclosed "backyard" area, which has a bit of a jungle feel with all the greenery, and is the perfect temperature year-round!