By Walter Rutledge
A Sunday afternoon in October is a great time to get out and explore New York City. Whether you go uptown, downtown or over one of the bridges into another borough there is no better way to begin your day than with brunch. Here are four restaurants that will get you off to a great start on your day Out and About.
Catfish, 1433 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, is a true Crown Heights gem serving classic New Orleans dishes. At this cozy hideaway, you can savor bona fide Southern dishes like spicy, flavorful jambalaya or shrimp and grits. Enjoy a strong spring cocktail on the outdoor patio, like the Lady Laveu, a refreshing, flavorful mix of absinthe, St. Germain and cucumber lemonade. But be warned—alcohol isn’t served until noon. Until then, there’s no shortage of delectable eats.
Toast, 3157 Broadway NY, NY 10027 (just south of 125th street between Tiemann & LaSalle Streets), is the wonder world of a bruschetta, where the pasta with chicken and pesto cream sauce is awesome. The mesquite-smoked barbecued-pork sandwich rules. The skirt-steak appetizer rocks. The raspberry swirl cheesecake kicks ass. In general, Toast is gratifyingly pleasant, and everything is cooked as if you were the only one dining. Rest assured you’re not: Toast has caught on with local students and other Upper West Siders. “Where all good things are toasted” is the restaurant’s cheerful motto, so let the browning and the brew-downing begin.
Five and Diamond, 2072 Frederick Douglass Boulevard (112-113th), is an intimate storefront restaurant that serves a southern inspired weekend brunch. There is an unlimited brunch cocktails special for those with an empty stomach and a hollow leg.
Tosca, 4038 E. Tremont Ave., offers the irresistible flavors of Italian cuisine—a compilation of our family recipes using the finest ingredients and offering the traditional tastes of home-cooked pastas, lusciously fresh seafood, and the distinctly unique flavor of our coal oven pizzas. Along with the savory and sweet menus we offer our guests, we invite you to linger at our bar and lounge, take a mouth watering pause at our distinctive sushi bar, or plan your next event at our lavishly appointed restaurant. Much awaits you at our family of eateries here in the Bronx. Let us treat you to the delights of our foods.
We look forward to seeing you Out and About