25 August 2012 Brunch in Bay Ridge

The CEO and I are brunch people.  An excuse to drink in the middle of the day on a weekend and eat tasty food, this NYC cultural backbone seems to be leaking into many other cities.  There are now brunch spots in Savannah...I never.

Saturday was no exception and we wanted something new.  Our normal brunch spot is awesome but we've eaten everything on the menu and are kind of over it.  So, by googling "brunch in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn," I . found several spot, many of which we have tried.  Bay Ridge is pretty well known for its food and there is never a dearth of decent to awesome spots to eat...but a new one caught my eye.

For many many years, Bay Ridge had a bar called the Leif Eriksson which, while it was a backbone of Bay Ridge Community, was kind of sleazy (I personally loved it).  So I don't think many people were devastated when the joint became a restaurant called The Corner Kitchen and Bar.  When I saw the menu, I knew we had to go.

We arrived after a short walk and were greeted very very warmly by the really cute bartender (female)...sorry, I notice these things.  We sat inside since neither of us wanted to brave the heat but I hear the outdoor space is really cute.

The CEO started with a vodka soda (this is his summer fall back...although I think I have him hooked on Sazeracs but more on that some other time.  I, feeling froggy, had one of their house cocktails, called El Cubano.  It is lime juice, sugar cane syrups, mint and Bacardi...here it is:

El Cubano...weighing in at $7...a bargain

The Corner Kitchen and Bar has a great menu for brunch...their lunch menu looks good and their dinner menu looks good and includes duck confit (one of The CEO's favorites).

The amazing thing, however, is the Bar Bites Menu.  Hold onto your hats, New Yorkers.  The price and quality are about to BLOW YOUR MIND.

There are three categories on the bar bites menu: $2, $4 and $6.  I know, that's cheaper than a grande whatever at Starbucks.

From the $3 portion of the menu we ordered:

Roasted Mixed Nuts

These were great.  The thinly sliced marcona almonds were salty and roasted deliciousness while the walnuts were sweet/spicy.  Both were amazing.  And the portion was huge.  These would make great munchies while drinking for hours.

Grilled Cheese Bites

These are a fantastic twist on something classic.  Standard American cheese on white bread but with an herby butter taste and perfectly cooked.  And at $3 for 5 bites, this is quite the deal.

Truffle Parmesan Fries

These are epic.  The fries are potatoey and perfect and cooked well.  And I love that The Corner seems to love truffle oil as much as I.  And at half of what David Burke charges, these are unbeatable.  They also come in just plain french fry flavor if you aren't a total truffle slut like me.

From the $4 menu, we ordered:

Gorgonzola and Sauteed Grape "Skewers"

I liked these.  They were refreshingly and not nearly as decadent as some of the other things we had.  The CEO and I couldn't quite figure out how to eat them.  One piece at a time?  All in one bite?  I ate one piece of gorgonzola with each grape.  The grapes were warm and covered in a balsamic reduction.  Sauteeing them was nice in that it made the skin a little softer, which made them easy for me to chew.  Nice.

Macaroni and Cheese with Truffle Oil

My lap band is really tight these days.  I am so close to my goal.  But this stuff was so good.  SO GOOD that I ate slooooooooowly so I could get it all in.  It was so good.  Did I say that already?  It also comes without the truffle oil but I don't know why you'd want that. I just ate dinner and I kinda want some of this right now.

And it was $4.  FOUR FREAKING DOLLARS.

This was, all up, one of the best meals I have had in a long time.  And so inexpensive.  I think this is going to be the spot where we have our birthday party.  And I can't wait.

As a bonus, after our meal, The CEO and I did a 70 block pub crawl from Bay Ridge to Park Slope.  We stopped along the way a Korzo...here is my drink and the menu.  I will be going back there soon.

Take a close look, they deep fry the burgers.

As a final note, here is the table from yesterday's brunch.

Love!

Next Up: Chicken sausage, lentil, kale, and fennel SUPER FOOD crockpot fun!