Another brunch spot!

Due to Groupon, I am adding this to my list of brunch spots - Ciao for now!
Weekend brunch is just $9.50 and includes a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and fruits. The menu includes pancakes with many add-ons, french toast, eggs, and everything is hormone free, grass fed, etc. In other words, awesome. :P

They even have cakes and three convenient Manhattan locations. :P

Check them out!

Lunch from MinarNY

I was watching Tony Bourdain's No Reservations - where he went to Kerala, India (yay for free on demand) and wanting to go there myself - I mean he made everything look like it was the best thing he ever ate! And I thought, how come we don't have that kind of cooking in NYC?

Well, it is because Kerala, though poor, is still a nice enough, laid-back place to live. So most of its people enjoy life there - whereas NYC life is completely and utterly different.

But since I can't just take off and fly straight to India, I was sitting at my desk, thinking...I want Indian and even if it is not Kerala's regional dishes - big fat shrimps and curries and all their yummy stuff...I still want Indian.

Of course, I decided to go with the flow and order from MinarNY.com.

Minar has very good tasting food - I was introduced to this place by a co-worker, who just happens to be Indian as well. =P

Therefore, I trust that it is very good, indeed - and the owner is named Singh. What more can I say?!

I ordered the standard fare, of course - chicken tikka masala and alu paratha. I just love how the tikka masala tastes from here - no Jackson Diner but still very good and I love Indian breads!!!

Chicken Tikka Masala with Rice

The chunks of white meat chicken are firm but still moist with the deliciously seasoned sauce that goes awesomely with the rice and the bread!

I am not sure what is in it - I don't really care because it smelled and tasted very good!

Alu paratha, Indian flat bread stuffed with potatoes

Okay, so people might ask - why do you like this so much - it's just like a pita with potatoes inside! Wrong. This bread is soft, tasty on its own but with the seasoned potatoes, tastes like starch heaven. What is starch heaven? I am sure there are fluffy potato bits floating around like clouds...well, maybe not. And I'm on a diet but I can't help myself.

I like to dip everything into the tikka masala. It was a very yum yum combination.

All in all, it was good lunch - finished my crossword, discussed some political stuff...and went back to work afterwards. :P

MinarNY (you can order online)
Midtown - 31 & 5th Ave
5 West 31st St.
New York, NY 10016
212.684.2199

And yes, I am still waiting for Barb to upload some food porn for 2 dinners worth of posts.

Since I can't post about ....Oliva's or Pera due to lack of photos...

Yes, waiting on Barb to post pics - also I don't have my transfer cable for my cam so I can't post about Minar - my lunch from them today - I'll post about brunch/breakfast spots I have yet to go to but definitely want to go to. I might have to do up a Tea spot. Nothing like Afternoon Tea to hit the spot...and I've yet to have my favorite clotted cream with preserves on lovely scones Stateside...I miss you Ritz London.

1. Sarabeth's West : One of the busiest - yes, busiest brunch spots in the city, it is definitely one of the spots I want to try to hit soon. This is all due to their menu - things like Lemon and Ricotta pancakes with fresh berries, fat and fluffy french toast with fresh strawberries and bananas, pumpkin waffles with sour cream, raisins, pumpkin seeds and honey...and of course, they have warm organic maple syrup for all of that!
2. Wafels & Dinges : I fell in love with the original Brussels and Liege waffles in Brussels - (and their luscious chocolates too) but had a hard time in NYC finding anything fresh - mostly - Leggo my Eggo type deals. This is a nice shop - but yeah, it's in a truck so I need to figure out how to plan my day so I'm like right by when they arrive. :D Or, I can just hit the Bierbeek cart in the Seaport.
3. Petite Abeille : About a 18 blocks from my job is this Belgian spot - where I still haven't gone to try their moules or lobster or waffles... I'm too lax on this. I'm going to have to come here...:D Plus one event is the All You Can Eat mussels fest and I love moules!!!  Did I also mention these guys have a ton of Belgian beers? Yeah...must go.
4. Buttermilk Channel : With edibles like Warm Sour cream donuts, maple & bacon roasted almonds, and pecan pie french toast...of course, I want to go! This place is in Brooklyn - Carroll Gardens, to be exact and yes, I think it is probably worth the roundabout trek from Queens to try their pecan pie french toast. :)
5. Good Enough to Eat : I'd go for the blueberry pancakes or the Peter Paul  Pancakes since those come with Belgian chocolate and coconut - topped with....toasted coconut or the strawberry almond waffles made with almond filled batter or the signature Good Enough to Eat french toast - made with their very own cinnamon swirl bread...:D
6. Bubby Tribeca : I have to try their wild maine blueberry pancakes or sauteed banana walnut ones or even their sourdough pancakes since the dough for it was started in 1890. :D Interesting... Or one of their Brunch specials - which has everything from eggs and pancakes to rainbow trout scrambles...
7. Norma's @ Le Parker Meridien : Devonshire cream!! Yum - Banana Macadamia nut flapjacks or the super blueberry ones with devonshire cream o r even any of their incredible sounding pancakes, french toast...I mean hot chestnut pancakes? A crackly brulee top?! PB& C waffle? Crepes?! Who could resist?

Well, 7 places where I have to go and try their brunch....next up would be an Afternoon Tea listing. Heh.