Brunch in NYC is one of my favorite things to do on a Sunday! As someone who has lived here for 8 years I have, of course, my favorite go to spots. I’m not a huge drinker so the “all you can drink mimosa brunches” are somewhat lost on me. What I tend to seek is flavorful food, a cool ambiance, and sometimes entertainment.
The well-established Scarpetta off of Madison and 28th street is known for their delicious dinners, but did you know they do a killer Jazz brunch as well? #TheMoreYouKnow
Luckily, myself and a fellow foodie friend of mine got to indulge in a 3 hour long brunch. Serenaded by the awesome jazz band The Rakiem Walker Project which played everything from the classics, to funk, and pop. At one point they had almost every patron dancing at their table.
We started with cocktails, cause why not? I was there to indulge. I’m a bourbon gal so I had to try their Mulberry Manhattan – knob creek, nux alpina nocino, carpano antica, amarena preserves and angostura. Not too sweet and nicely balanced.
My friend Stephanie ordered the Il Bandito – alacran mezcal, peperoncino rosso, cointreau, lime juice, rimmed with black lava salt. Spicy, sweet, and salty. If you like margaritas order this!
Now that we were slightly intoxicated and starving, we decided to partake in not one but three appetizers:
Creamy Polenta – fricassée of truffled mushrooms. Creamy, buttery, and earthy. I would definitely order this again.
Raw Yellowtail – olio di zenzero, and pickled red onion. The yellowtail melted in our mouths like butter. This was an incredibly well-balanced dish.
Tuna Susci – marinated vegetables, and preserved truffle. This reminded me of a spring roll.
For our main courses we tried: Eggs in Camicia – rosemary lentils, plum tomatoes, topped with poached eggs. These eggs were perfectly poached and the entire dish was very well seasoned and savory. A very nice contrast to the Ricotta Pancakes we ordered, which was served with chantilly cream and vermont maple syrup. The pancakes were by far my least favorite out of everything we tried. Dense, dry and not fluffy.
You would think by now that we were stuffed to the brim, we were, but we had to try the desserts.
Twice Baked Lemon Cake – ivory lime cream, milk jam, macerated blackberries, and lemon sorbet. The crust, the lime cream, everything about this dessert was perfection.
Dulcey Cheesecake – pistachio ganache, poached pears, and blood orange sorbet. I was already sold with the blood orange sorbet before I even took a bite. If you are a cheesecake fan, do order this!
Would I go back to Scarpetta for Jazz Brunch? Hell yes. We had a great time eating yummy food and enjoying the killer band. Just avoid the pancakes. It was a great way to spend our Sunday!
For more info on Scarpetta, click here.