Brunching at Colicchio and Sons
This week I'm not going to have another post about poo. Instead let's talk about grits. I love 'em. You can find expensive versions all over the city. Pretty much if you want to taste a good version of it, it's gonna cost you something. On the brunch menu at Colicchio and Sons, it's going to be $16. Compared to other grits dishes in the city though, it's actually a pretty good deal. Another great thing about brunching at Colicchio and Sons is that it was super duper easy to score a seat. We went pretty late, around 1:30 and there were two other tables occupied at the restaurant. It's kinda cool to be like, "Ooooh looky here, we can pick any seat we want!" I'm down with that.
But first I must talk about my blunder. See, I didn't order the grits. Steph did. I think the rabbit portion of the dish caught her eye more. And I was deceived by the promise of Johnny Cakes. You can read more about Johnny Cakes (or Jonnycakes) at wikipedia. So in the end, I was eating corn meal too, except mine came flat and pan fried. It was uh... not very filling. But for $12 dollars, I guess that's asking for too much in New York's brunch scene. The cakes came with duck confit and two poached eggs. For my stomach, maybe like 6 more Johnny Cakes would have been necessary.
And then we come to the grits (cheddar grits to be exact)... you get a nice bowl of it, and it's topped with a rabbit leg. Mmm... bun-bun. The dish also comes with a poached egg and soffrito. But whatever, this dish is about eating a bunny and grits. They use a coarsely ground corn meal for their grits, I think. It had more texture than the cheapo grits that I once bought to eat at home. $16 might seem like a lot for grits (it is) but it's also the going price for a restaurant like Colicchio and Sons.
We closed the meal with a cold creme brulee. So you tell me people, is creme brulee supposed to be cold? And don't give me some "oh you're taking pictures, blah blah" bullshit unless you show me some law of thermodynamics that prove food goes from hot to cold in four minutes. Yea I work that fast. It's called holding down the shutter and taking 5 pictures at a time. So I'm just sick of that comment from chefs and whatever. Yea, is a creme brulee supposed to be room temp?
I think Colicchio and Sons is a great place to go for brunch if you know what to expect from brunch at a restaurant like this. Basically you're not getting some incredible value, but it will taste good. You get a nice, airy and comfortable dining room with good service. So I think it's pretty worth it. No wait, good food, regular prices = win. I know it could be a bigger win if it was a value as well, but getting two outta three is pretty good, especially if you hate waiting for brunch like me.
Colicchio and Sons
85 10th Ave.
New York, NY 10011
212-400-6699
@Nicholas,
haha, damn. Well I don't know, maybe their AC is just on super high. Basically I'm sure that the thing was kinda pre-fabbed and sitting in the fridge. It's just not as good that way. So I think that's the reason it's cold, not because I spent a few minutes taking photos.
Danny
August 10, 2010 11:59 am
I think the custard part of the creme brulee sets in the fridge. But when being served, I think it should come to room temp so that the sugar can burn/caramelize properly.
I dislike cold creme brulee.
hungry
August 10, 2010 12:19 pm
Ahh, I just realized, what I wrote was for a general situation (with regards to food cooling). In this case, I'm sure it wasn't air conditioning that chilled your creme brulee. Just wanted to clear that up haha.
I'm the biggest supporter of photographing food 'less than 3' ;)
Nicholas
August 10, 2010 1:31 pm
@hungry,
hmmm... ok. I guess then the dish simply wasn't a WOW. it was just an ok creme brulee.
@Nicholas,
haha, word. You and I both are big supporters of food photography. Personally it makes my food taste better once they've been photographed. They get a higher sense of self worth generally.
Danny
August 11, 2010 2:52 pm
The 2nd one. Entropy. :)
But then again, who am I to say anything, I take my sweet old time turning the dish so I can pick the best photo from a multitude of angles. Screw the chef's opinion, I'll eat it at whatever temperature I choose. As long as I don't complain that the food came out tepid, I don't see what the big deal is.
Nicholas
August 10, 2010 11:56 am