Brunch season in Manhattan is all year long, regardless of what the weather is outside. Whether we are skipping down the street in our flip flops during the summer, or battling the bitter cold of the winter to enjoy mimosas with friends, chances are we are spending our weekends dining and dishing with the ones we love. FIFTY RESTAURANT, a new addition to the gorgeous West Village market, has become a strong contender for being one of the best new brunch spots in Manhattan. Here’s why.
At the helms of owners Alex Kingman and Chef Luis Jaramillo, this brightly done location is one that deserves the buzz and chatter it has been receiving since its opening this past July. Located on the somewhat hidden Commerce Street, a mere couple of blocks from the Christopher Street stop on the 1 train, FIFTY RESTAURANT embodies all of what West Village’s hotspots are known for- clean looking, gorgeous space that packs a ton of fantastic food and drink dishes inside. Yesterday, i took a girlfriend of mine to experience what FIFTY RESTAURANT had to offer for their amazing brunch menu, and we left feeling comfortably full and blissfully happy with the overall experience.
Something that I really enjoyed about FIFTY RESTAURANT’s brunch menu is that it is to the point. It isn’t endless option that leave you more confused than the election results from last week, it is mainly a highlighted list of amazing cocktails and mouthwatering brunch staples that we thoroughly enjoyed. Here is what we highly recommend you trying the next time you are in the West Village and need a great new brunch spot to hit up.
Cocktails run the muck throughout our city, however FIFTY RESTAURANT’S versions were fantastically executed from start to finish. Their Bloody Mary won a special award in Brooklyn this past weekend, the first award for Darnell’s location, and the taste definitely merited that special trophy of wonderfulness. The Bloody Mary comes with aji amarillo, peppercorn tincture and their very own house made bloody mary mix. There was definitely an element of spice when you swallowed, from the peppercorn I presume, that made the overall cocktail taste delicious and definitely “brunch friendly”.
A not so familiar cocktail option worth trying is their Pisco Punch, which comes with pisco porton, guarapo de pina, yellow chartreuse, lime and fernet. Similar to their Bloody Mary, the Pisco Punch has a literal meaning to it as it really punches your tastebuds with a lot of spice and flavor yet has a sweet side to it as well.
Moving onto the food portions, we recommend starting a bit light and then getting really into the swing of things with the entree portions that FIFTY RESTAURANT generously provided. If you are looking for an “amuse bouche” of sorts, then their Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs will really do the trip. A one bite extavaganza, it comes topped with trout roe and a crispy skin to really exemplify the overall deviled egg experience. Tasty tasty!
For their entree versions, we went with a burger and french toast option. The latter is their House Baked Nutella Babka French Toast, which is just as yummy as it sounds. It comes with deep fried bananas, salted pistachios and a whipped cream topping that would leave your nutritionist in a full blown panic attack but who cares really? It’s AMAZING! Worth every single bite. The former in this is their Dry Aged Burger with a fried egg & sharp Vermont cheddar. When you pair the runny egg with the textures of the cheddar, along with the perfectly cooked burger, then you are in for a great treat. Dripping with flavor overall and a great lunch portion to your brunch experience.
Not on the brunch menu but something to try on their dinner menu (that we got a sneak peak of) is Mixologist for FIFTY RESTAURANT Darnell Holguin’s creation called The Tamarind Fizz, which comes as follows:
2 oz NOLET’S Silver Gin
1 1/2 oz of Tamarind Reduction*
1/2 Benedictine
1/4 Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 egg white.
This was my favorite drink that I tried that day! This was a different version of a fall cider drink of sort, and it is a perfect one to order in this crisp weather that we have been having!
Overall, FIFTY RESTAURANT satisfied us in every way possible, and I highly recommend stopping in there this weekend for their phenomenal brunch. Check back later this week for a potential dinner review as well! For more information, check out their official site.