New York Bites: Dos Caminos Brunch

Good Evening Nomsters,

Dos Caminos Rancheros @ Dos Cominos

I write to you today about a meal that is near and dear to my inner foodie and that was the focus of many of my best dining experiences in New York: Brunch!

After living in Georgetown for three years, brunch is without a doubt the favorite meal of students and the greater Georgetown community. The scrumptious pancakes, the eggtastic benedicts, the juicy burgers, the hangover hashes, brunch menus are endlessly filled with delectably decadent dishes ripe for your enjoyment. However, with such varied choices for culinary concoctions, the hardest decision is whether to go sweet or savory. Personally, I have a sweet tooth that typically leaves me at risk for bypassing the savory to indulge in griddle favorites, like french toast or pancakes. Regardless of sweet or savory, most brunch menus have options that are sure to please either tastes, which you'll see in the New York brunch spots highlighted in the coming posts.

While in New York I had the pleasure of brunching at several restaurants. In my next three posts Union Square Cafe, PS450, and Dos Caminos will be featured as highlights and are tops on my list of best brunches in New York City for taste, value, and experience. All three of these brunch spots serve up a classic brunch with a bit of a flare, each offering something slightly different based on the individual and group's social agenda. Dos Caminos is up first!

Dos Caminos was my first brunch upon arriving in the city. They have multiple locations in New York and are known for their extensive margarita list and weekend brunch special, which includes one complimentary drink selection with a brunch entree. Their Tex-Mex inspired menu boasts favorites like Breakfast Quesadillas (scrambled eggs, chihuahua cheese, bacon) and Dos Caminos Rancheros (fried eggs, pinto beans, ham, queso), but also offers some sweeter entrees such as the Lemon Blueberry Pancakes or Mexican French Toast.


Our table started out with the homemade guacamole. If you like guac, do not let the seemingly steep price tag of $24 for a 4-6 person serving dissuade you. The freshly made guacamole comfortably serves six, especially with the trio of salsas that accompanies the table.

Fresh Guacamole 

When the time came to order entrees, I succumbed to my sweet tooth and ordered the Lemon Blueberry Pancakes. The pancakes were thinner than I usually like, but the texture made up for the lack of fluffiness. A lemony sugar coated the outside the stack giving them a crisp exterior, which went perfectly with the melt in your mouth quality of the cakes. There weren't nearly enough blueberries, but the lemon glaze helped mask that fact.






Luckily I brunched with a group that agrees "caring is sharing," so I had the chance to sample other entrees. The Dos Caminos Rancheros was a great mixture of Tex-Mex flavors, the homemade tortillas at the bottom were nice and crispy. The Breakfast Quesadilla was also quite good and stuffed with fresh ingredients! With four overflowing quarters of a quesadilla, you'll be so overwhelmed by eggs and cheese you may forget about your drink, which is quite strong by the way.

Dos Caminos-Meatpacking

Overall, the three dishes offered more than enough food and with the complimentary drink, you really can't go wrong brunching here. Each location in New York offers a little something different. The ambiance of each individual restaurant is welcoming and very ornate. I dined at their Park Ave. location, which was indoors with high ceilings and decorative lighting fixtures. I also visited their Meatpacking district location, which has an outdoor patio and vibrant nightlife scene. So try out both if you have time!

Dos Caminos-Park Ave.

Look out for our next brunch post in the coming days!
-gf

Dos Caminos Menu

Dos Caminos-Park Ave.
373 Park Avenue South at 27th Street, 
New York, NY 10016

T: 212.294.1000

Dos Caminos-Meatpacking District

675 Hudson Street at 14th Street, 

New York, NY 10014

T: 212.699.2400

*photos borrowed from "http://www.missmenunyc.com/2009/03/dos-thumbs-up-for-dos-caminos.html"

Restaurant Week Feature: Decadent Brunch @ Co Co. Sala

Hello Nomsters,

As most of you know, this past week was DC's Restaurant Week, which means tantalizingly tasty 3- course meals for lunch ($20.11) and dinner ($35.11) at many of DC's finest restaurants. Of course living on a typical college budget, you don't normally want to spend more than needed on a meal, but a little self indulgence never hurt anyone and my roommates and I decide to partake by making a reservation at Co Co. Sala, a chocolate bar and restaurant on F. street and 10th (near the Verizon Center). Co Co. Sala was one of the few restaurants that was offering a brunch restaurant week special, and after perusing the menu and seeing items like "French Toast S'mores" and "Crispy Creole Crabcake" as options, it was hard to not run to the cutesy chocolate lounge.

Arriving at Co Co. Sala for our 11:30 reservation, we were seated in the chocolate and pink accented colored lounge to be handed our menus for the Restaurant Week Special. Needless to say, we couldn't go wrong with our options. Each of us started with the Amuse Bouche of the Day, which was a small artichoke tart with tomato confit. The tart was perfectly warm and the crust had an excellent taste, just a little sweetness to offset the taste of the artichoke. Following our tarts, Sarah favored a more savory entree, so she ordered the Aztec Cheese Enchilada with an avocado, guava, and fennel salad with chocolate ganache and guava-lime vinaigrette. Both Gina and I opted for the ultimate indulgence and ordered the "French Toast S'mores" as our brunch entree. After having the well-presented plate placed in front of me and taking my first bite, all I could think was "yum." The french toast was cinnamon brioche stuffed with melted marshmallows and warm dark chocolate, a graham shortbread layered with mousse and warm bananas in caramel sauce accompanied the entree. The french toast literally melted in your mouth as the flavors of each component melded together. I would order this item again in a heartbeat, and as an a la carte option you can experience the deliciousness for about $12. By the last couple of bites, both Gina and I were struggling, but there was no way we would leave a piece on our plate. Completely satisfied by each of our meals, our sever cleared our plates as we took a breath and prepared ourselves for dessert....yes, I know what you're thinking, "who could even contemplate dessert after all of that?!"

Both Sarah and I ordered the Onyx, a vanilla creme brulee encased in dark chocolate mousse with salted caramel on top, basically chocolate overload. The mousse was perfectly smooth and the creme brulee did an excellent job of preventing us from going into a chocolate overdose. Gina ordered the Stolen Heart, which was a white chocolate strawberry mousse with chocolate crispy pearls; naturally, all of these desserts found their way into our already fulls selves. We barely ate the rest of the day.

Co Co. Sala is a great place for brunch or dessert, they also offer dinner too (don't worry, not everything has chocolate in it!). Although some of the items are a little pricey, the brunch was definitely worth the commute and price. The presentation on each dish was flawless, and the overall tastes definitely give Co Co. Sala an edge over other restaurant's desserts. While I would definitely order the French Toast S'mores again, the Breakfast Flatbread looked like a pretty great savory option also. I may pass on the mousse though and opt for the PB Cheesecake instead, but that may have just been because I was coming out of a food coma from the french toast. This restaurant is great for dessert and drinks out with the girls (they offer a variety of cocktails and hot cocoas) or for a date. Either way you'll swoon for the flavors Co Co. Sala offers. They also have a "Chocolate Boutique" in case you was a box of chocolates to take home!

Co Co. Sala

MENU
929 F STREET NW,
WASHINGTON, DC 20004
P 202.347.4265

Transport:
1. g'town ->union station circulator, get off at about K st. and 11th, walk to F and 10th
2. Any train to Metro Center, walk to F and 10th

Summer Restaurant Feature: m.henry, brunch! (Chicago/Loyola University)

Hey Chicagoans, Summer visitors, and Loyola Students,
If you haven’t heard already, the Windy City has been taken over by Tranformers and Decepticons. For the past two weeks our downtown area has been the proud home to parachuters, car-flipping explosions, and some major sighting of Transformers 3 cast including Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese, Josh Duhamel, Michael Bay, and that new mystery girl, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Since I’ve been downtown for the past week peeking through the Corner Bakery windows to catch the action of one of my favorite action movies, I thought I’d let you in on some of the action while highlighting one of the best Breakfast/Brunch places in Chicago: m.henry.

*Cast/Crew of TF3, if you’re reading, we know you’re in the city until mid-August, so make your way to m.henry if you’re looking for some of the tastiest pancakes, French toast, and omelets on the northside of Chicago!

Located in Andersonville, m.henry is a cute breakfast/lunch restaurant boasting some of the best griddle selections in town. Always filled with people, m.henry’s daily specials and ever-changing seasonal menu draw a crowd from every corner of the city. Although I’ve eaten at m.henry at least 3 times, m.henry is still my “go-to” place for brunch with friends, family, and whomever I can convince to go. When grazing, I can never seem to bring myself to order anything but the Blackberry Bliss Cakes. These 1-inch thick pancakes seem to be specifically made to melt in your mouth and the warm blackberries, creamy mascarpone, and crunchy oat crust are enough to send you straight to brunch food bliss. As you make your way through each bite of bliss, the fresh blackberries bleed into the fluffy pancakes soaking up the sweet and tart berry flavors, and the warm oat crust mixes with the mascarpone, creating a plate of pure scrumptiousness. Definitely make an effort to get bites that include each of the components that make these pancakes irresistible.

Sweet:
m.henry’s menu goes far beyond pancakes too. This restaurant’s dishes always incorporate the freshest, most flavorful ingredients. Other Sweet options range from Dulce Banana Rumba French Toast (made with thick-cut brioche bead, layered bananas, and drizzled caramel/pecan topping), to Mango-Sour Cherry Bliss Cakes (same blissfulness as its Blackberry-based companion, but with a sweet/sour component).


Savory:
Although I’ve not had the willpower to order anything but the Bliss Cakes, I’ve tasted the one of their “Special Omelets,” which included 3 fluffy eggs mixed with smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado, and onions; and I know from experience that their daily quiche packs a flavorful punch also if you’re looking for a more savory option.


Misc.
While orgasmic pancakes and moan-worthy omelets may make your morning meal ten times better, sometimes a nice bowl of oatmeal or a simple plate of eggs with toast is all you need. m.henry provides diners with fresh eggs and homemade bread, and their oatmeal is available with a variety of fresh fruit and grain toppings.
Furthermore, if you’re just looking for a quick bite, stop by the café counter in the front and pick up a freshly made blueberry muffin, or slice of focaccia paired with a cup of coffee or espresso-based drink.


Well readers, after all that describing, I’m headed there for brunch tomorrow, but if you decide to drop in for the deliciousness, make sure to let me know what you think!

As m.henry would say, Chow for Now!

Name: m.henry
Meal: Breakfast/Lunch (Brunch)
Location: Andersonville, Chicago
Favorite Sweet (so far): Blackberry Bliss Cakes w/ Mascarpone, oat crust, & blackberry compote
Favorite Savory (so far): Rustic Peasant Quiche and Mixed Field Greens
Location: 5707 N. Clark Chicago IL 60660
Price: $7-$14 for a really good meal + coffee

Rating: Five Noms!