Schiller's Liquor Bar

> Location : 131 Rivington St., New York, N.Y. 10002, U.S.A.
> Cuisine : American
> Tel. # : (1) (212) 260-4555
> Website : http://www.schillersny.com/
> Price Range: $$

We went on a Sunday afternoon for brunch. We arrived at 1-ish and the wait was 45 minutes. We ended up waiting for about 30. The decor was really fun, full of odds and ends. The staff's t-shirts had the NY state choking hazard posters on the back - hilarious.

I had a Blood Orange Mimosa, which was excellent, while my friend had a Chocolate Egg Cream (NY thing, with club soda, milk, and chocolate). They also served water in a little flask. We ordered a myriad of items, which included an order of the Sour Cream and Hazelnut Waffles with mixed berries and bourbon maple syrup, Eggs Hussard, which were poached with ham, tomatoes, mushrooms, Borderlaise, and Hollandaise sauce, classic Steak & Eggs (over medium), with breakfast potatoes, and a Seared Tuna Salad.

The Sour Cream and Hazelnut Waffles were pretty good, but not anything overwhelming. The maple syrup's bourbon was very strong and played well with the mixed berries. The waffle itself was pretty moist due to the sour cream; however, I did not really taste or smell the hazelnut.

Kathleen's Eggs Hussard was excellent. The Borderlaise sauce was nutty and flavorful. Her poached eggs were also perfectly perched on top of her fried toast. The presentation was also beautiful. Not much to say except that it was really good.

The steak and eggs were just okay. My eggs did not come over medium. One was easy and the other was medium. Oh well, can't win them all. I understand that usually steak and eggs comes with either a flank steak or a new york strip. Well, I'm not sure what kind of cut it was, but whatever it was, it was very chewy. The potatoes were really good. They had plenty of sauteed onions over them with great seasoning.

I did not taste the tuna salad, unfortunately, but the vegetables seemed fresh and colorful. I'm not sure if it was ahi tuna or what, but the color of the tuna (inside) was not very red.

Overall, I would say stick to the breakfast foods and you'll be fine. I noticed a few table got their pastry basket which looked very appetizing, especially the fresh sticky bun. By looking around, it seemed that the poached eggs were the best bet at Schiller's. Either the Hussard or the classic Benedict would do you right. A funny thing about the restaurant is the bathroom; it was a little confusing as when you entered, you ended up in a small lounge area with the washing basin that led further to two separate doors. Just be clear on which door you're entering!

< 3 out of 5 >

(but if you get strictly breakfast, probably a 4!)

Eatery

> Location : 798 Ninth Ave (at 53rd St), New York, N.Y., U.S.A.
> Cuisine : American
> Tel. # : (1) (212) 765-7080
> Website : http://www.eaterynyc.com/
> Price Range: $

We decided to try out Eatery's brunch. Though it was sprinkling outside, we decided to brave the cold and rain in lieu of waiting for an hour for a table inside. Once seated, we were served some sort of coffee cake that was delicious. The best way I could describe it is as some sort of spice cake. Whatever it was, it was yummy.

I opted for a Roast Chicken Soup, with Sweet Corn Dumplings. The broth was clear and sweet. The ingredients tasted very fresh and there was plenty of chicken. The soup was a tiny bit bland, but it was okay.

After the soup, I had a special salad of the day, which was a Chopped Chicken Salad with fresh beets, broccoli, cheese, lettuce, and a vinaigrette. There was plenty of chicken and the vegetables were perfectly crisp and fresh. The dressing was also perfect.

My friend Myra had the Sante Fe Sweet Potato Pancake, with scrambled egg whites and mango guacamole. I was assured the guac was good, but I didn't try since I am allergic. However, I did taste the rest of it and it was excellent. It's difficult to mess up eggs though.

From what I can tell, most of the food at this place is excellent. For the amount and price, it was a pretty good deal. Also, the decor was really cute and the wait staff was pretty good. If I weren't in the mood for veggies, the Pulled Pork Tostada with Fried Eggs, Monterey Jack and Poblano Relish was really calling my name.

< 4 out of 5 >

Bar Americain

> Location : 152 W. 52nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10019, U.S.A.
> Cuisine : American
> Tel. # : (1) (212) 265-9700
> Website : http://www.baramericain.com
> Price Range : $$$$

Being in New York, I thought I'd try to go to a real life Iron-Chef-owned restaurant. From his TV shows, I thought I'd like Bobby Flay's restaurants. My friend had already been to Mesa Grill and said she didn't really like it, so Bar Americain it was. It's unfortunate that it was too dark to take any good photos of the food.

The decor of the place was very New York, and classic. The restaurant was quite large, quiet, and had a lofty area. Our table was upstairs on the loft, which we enjoyed because it gave us the opportunity to stay away from the noise and observe the action below. While we waited for our table, we grabbed some drinks at the bar. Well, not really drinks, but two club sodas and an iced tea. To my surprise, we were CHARGED for the club sodas! Hah! That was a minus. But anyway ...

Bobby Flay is known for his creative uses of spice rubs and sauces, so keeping that in mind we perused the menu(warning: it's a pdf). The bread basket that arrived contained some mini baguettes, dinner rolls, and these really yummy fried cornbread things. We didn't know what they were, but they were delicious!

To start off, I had the Gold Corn Johnny Cake, Barbecued Duck, with Cranberry Butter. The duck was very flavorful. The cranberry butter tasted almost like a classic duck sauce (hoisin sauce) but not quite. The johnny cake also provided a lovely sweet balance to the duck's bold taste.

For our entree, Kathleen and I decided to share the Spice-Rubbed Rib-Eye steak. The meat was broiled perfectly (medium); however, we thought the steak would be more "spice-rubbed." That doesn't mean it wasn't good of course. As side dishes, we got Fries Americain with a Smoked Red Pepper Mayonnaise and the Cauliflower and Goat Cheese Gratin. Both were excellent - the fries were perfectly seasoned and went well with the special mayo; the cauliflower dish was perfectly baked with a very mild goat cheese.

Myra got the Wild Salmon with Pinot Noir, Cracked Wheat, Hazelnuts. The cracked wheat "rice-ish" mixture that came with the Salmon was really citrusy and fragrant. Alone, it tasted strange, but with the salmon, it was okay. I was not really a fan of the mixture.

Her companion had the Lamb Porterhouse Chops with the Cranberry-Cabernet Sauce, and Sweet Potato Gratin. I did not taste this, but he ate it all up, so I have the impression that it was excellent.

For dessert, we order two items: a Sticky Toffee Pudding Sundae and a Strawberry Creme Brulee. Being a fan of sticky toffee pudding (Gallagher's at NYNY Hotel and Casino makes a delicious one), I was excited to taste it. I was let down a bit. The pudding was not sticky at all. It was in fact, quite dry. Bleh. The creme brulee was standard. There was indeed a strawberry flavor, but it was overpowered by an orange tinge. I was not impressed by the desserts. However, the cappucino that I ordered was excellent. It's unfortunate that the service staff forgot to bring a coffee that we ordered.

The food was good, but not consistently good. I would rate it 4 stars, but the service really upset me. First we were forgotten about. Then, they did the waiter switch-a-roo on us and that was not cool. Lastly, they forgot one of our coffees and how can you really enjoy dessert without coffee? Perhaps they will get better as they are still pretty new and haven't gotten their act together yet.

< 3.5 out of 5 >