Keg 229

Ever found yourself at a bar and the bartender is so busy you just can’t seem to get a beer?  Well at Keg 229, wait no longer, you can simply pour your own beer!   How does that work exactly?  (At least that's what I was thinking).  Here is the scoop:  there are taps at the bar and at the tables.  You put a credit card down and pay by the ounce for your beer.  There is a little screen on the table that will let you know how much you have been drinking.  If you would like a table, you have to call ahead to reserve one.  (I recommend this as the tables are great for groups!)  You can even request the kind of beer you would like at your 2 taps. 

Keg 229 offers a great and large selection of American craft beers on Tap as well as in the bottle and can.  You can also pour your own beer at the bar, but you may have to wait a bit to get your own tap.  Don’t worry though they do have bartenders to get you a drink if beer is not your drink of choice or you just can’t get your own tap.  They offer a full bar and specialty cocktails are listed on the blackboard.  

The food is really good as well.  As you might imagine they have a menu that consists of things that go great with beer.  Pretzels with mustard, pigs in a blanket and a fantastic organic, grass-fed beef burger.  

The space is pretty big and quite cozy.  It is a fantastic place for meeting a group of friends and it will be a whole different experience from your normal pub.  Keg 229 is located down on Front St. at South Street Seaport.  If you don’t work near there and are still in winter hibernation mode don’t worry, spring is on the way and you will have just heard about a great new place in the Seaport to change the scenery with.   I think you are going to like this one.

Keg 229

229 Front Street

(212) 566-2337

Joe’s Pub

In addition to writing this blog and being an actress, I am also a bartender here in New York City.  I often get asked where to go and see live music, and on the list of places that I recommend is Joe's Pub.  Joe's Pub is fantastic for several reasons.  First, it is really eclectic; you are going to get shows that run the gamut from Rock and R and B, to Folk and Jazz to Drag Shows.  There is almost nothing that you can’t see there.  As a performer, I know that you have to be fairly well established with great reviews from past shows to even be considered for a booking.  In other words, it is a really competitive venue to get your act into, so you are going to see a great show. 

Second, the venue itself is a great place to see a show.  It is very intimate.  It has the feel of a downtown cabaret space with tables in the front, lounge-like booths with cushions and then there is the bar area behind that.  There is a $12 minimum (which you can have in either food or drink) and the ticket prices vary, but are usually pretty reasonable.   

I was there on Tuesday night for Dominic Sinesio’s CD release show.  He had a six-piece band and two back-up singers and boy was he fantastic.  A friend had told me about him and we went to the show together and it was amazing.  The last show I saw there was my friend Jesse Tyler Ferguson doing his one-man cabaret show.  He is so funny I could watch him read the telephone book.  The two shows could not have been more different, but both immensely enjoyable. .  I saw in their line-up for March that Steve Martin and his band are performing there.  I didn’t even know Steve Martin had a band!  This is why I love Joe’s Pub.  If you are looking for some live music check out Joe’s Pub to see what they have going on.  You might get to see Steve Martin or Amy Winehouse, or you might just discover someone new that you can’t wait to tell your friends about.

Joe's Pub at The Public Theater

425 Lafayette St.

212-967-7555

Jack and Judy’s B&B

 Jack and Judy’s B&B

I talk a lot about the benefits of staying in an apartment or villa when traveling.  It’s great to have a place where you can just sit and chill after a long day of site seeing before going to dinner without feeling cramped by a hotel room.  Or maybe you want to save money and be able to make yourself breakfast in the morning instead of having to go out.  Well if you are coming to New York and are looking for a place to stay, I have a great place for you.  Jack and Judy’s B&B located on West 81^st between Columbus and Amsterdam.  It is a beautiful block within walking distance of Central Park, Riverside Park and Lincoln Center.  You are close to 3 train lines (the B, C and 1 trains) as well as the 79^th St cross-town bus, which goes across 81^{st St} on this part of its journey. 

When I go away to a new city, I often don’t know which area to stay in.  I don’t want the touristy neighborhood; I prefer to be somewhere hip and cool where there are lots of bars and restaurants.  The great thing about staying on the upper west side is that you are close enough to get anywhere pretty quickly, but far enough out of the hustle and bustle so that you can appreciate a little quiet when you choose it.  If you come in the warmer weather it is so great to take a walk through Central Park or walk down to Riverside Park and enjoy a drink at one of the outdoor cafés on the river.  If you come during the time of Shakespeare in the Park, you can get free tickets to the shows and they are a 10-minute walk from Jack and Judy’s.  Almost anywhere you want to go can be reached within a half an hour door to door.  This is my neighborhood so I am extremely familiar with it and I love it!  There are lots of great restaurants and bars too.

Jack and Judy are my next-door neighbors.  They are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.   They have been renting apartments since 1986.  They have six apartments (4 studios – one has a terrace and 2 one-bedrooms).  All the apartments are newly renovated and have their own private bathrooms.  Jack and Judy live downstairs so they are available to help you with anything you might need.  Rates are $150-$250 a night or $950 and up per week.  They do sometimes offer specials so check their website for details.   If you are looking for somewhere great to stay next time you are in New York check out Jack and Judy’s.  It a real gem.

Jack and Judy’s B&B

I talk a lot about the benefits of staying in an apartment or villa when traveling.  It’s great to have a place where you can just sit and chill after a long day of site seeing before going to dinner without feeling cramped by a hotel room.  Or maybe you want to save money and be able to make yourself breakfast in the morning instead of having to go out.  Well if you are coming to New York and are looking for a place to stay, I have a great place for you.  Jack and Judy’s BandB,  located on West 81^st between Columbus and Amsterdam.  It is a beautiful block within walking distance of Central Park, Riverside Park and Lincoln Center.  You are close to 3 train lines (the B, C and 1 trains) as well as the 79^th St cross-town bus, which goes across 81^{st St} on this part of its journey. 

When I go away to a new city, I often don’t know which area to stay in.  I don’t want the touristy neighborhood; I prefer to be somewhere hip and cool where there are lots of bars and restaurants.  The great thing about staying on the upper west side is that you are close enough to get anywhere pretty quickly, but far enough out of the hustle and bustle so that you can appreciate a little quiet when you want it.  If you come in the warmer weather it is so great to take a walk through Central Park or walk down to Riverside Park and enjoy a drink at one of the outdoor cafés on the river.  If you come during the time of Shakespeare in the Park, you can get free tickets to the shows and they are a 10-minute walk from Jack and Judy’s.  Almost anywhere you want to go can be reached within a half an hour door to door.  This is my neighborhood so I am extremely familiar with it and I love it!  There are lots of great restaurants and bars too.

Jack and Judy are my next-door neighbors.  They are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.   They have been renting apartments since 1986.  They have six apartments (4 studios – one has a terrace and 2 one-bedrooms).  All the apartments are newly renovated and have their own private bathrooms.  Jack and Judy live downstairs so they are available to help you with anything you might need.  Rates are $150-$250 a night or $950 and up per week.  They do sometimes offer specials so check their website for details.   If you are looking for somewhere great to stay next time you are in New York check out Jack and Judy’s.  It a real gem.

 www.jacksbandb.com

212-721-4341

Snique Away

More and more we are seeing sites that offer coupons on just about everything.  There is Village Vines for premium dining, Groupon for well…many of your needs, Vacationist and now we have Snique Away, brought to you by the media group who put together Trip Advisor.   What is their angle?  Let me share. 

Snique Away is the new private sale travel experience that offers deals to a limited number of members.  There is no fee to join however you must have an invite.  (I am a member of Trip Advisor so I assume that is how I got my invite)  They offer members’ deals on luxury hotels that have 4 and 5 star ratings or the equivalent and have the highest rating in Trip Advisor reviews.  I use Trip Advisor a lot for cross-referencing and they are really pretty accurate.  Most of the stuff I have looked at offers dates from the time the deal starts until about 2 to 3 month out.  The majority of the hotels on there have been within the US, but I am starting to see a few international hotels creeping in.  They are pretty new so I am assuming their spectrum will broaden within the coming months.  The prices are really good on some of this stuff.  I wouldn’t hesitate to join. 

Ocean Lodge, St. Simon's Island, Georgia

If you like to travel then you should be signing up for some of these new discount travel sites.  Vacationist is great and now this one from Trip Advisor.  From what I can see, both are offering fantastic deals on some pretty amazing hotels.  Why not spend even a night or two somewhere that would normally be out of your budget for a fraction of the price?  Living in luxury isn’t so bad, especially when you get a deal on it.  Now that’s what I call a great vacation.

Need an invite.  Send Susan and Skye your email and we will invite you as an Undies guest.  Email us at: dontforgetyourundies@gmail.com

Hipmunk: searching for flights just got a lot more adorable

Doesn't it seem like most flight search web sites make everything way more confusing that it should be? Either there's too many criteria, or it opens up 30 other websites, or you are bombarded with pop-ups or ads yelling at you from all sides.  Well, I have dicovered a simpler way to search, that's much easier on the eyes.  It's Hipmunk.com

There's no annoying stuff crowded in, NO ADS, and the results are easy to read and color coordinated.

You can sort the  results by the usual criteria (price, stops, departure/arrival time, duration) or you can sort the results by "agony" which is a combination of price, duration and number of stops.  It really seems like they actually want to put user experience first. What a concept!

I also like that they include Amtrak as a travel option.  For someone who lives in NYC (depending of course on your destination),  getting a high speed train from midtown can be more desirable than the hassle of getting to and from the airport.  So it's nice they include it in the mix.

And how cute is the logo?

Check it out yourself at Hipmunk.com.

The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo

I feel like I might be a little behind everyone else on this, but if you are like me and haven't gotten around to reading "The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo" by Steig Larsson, don't put it off any longer.  I finished it last night and ran out today to buy the next one.  It was a fantastic read and one that you will not be able to put down.  It is perfect for the airplane.  You will be so engrossed you will most likely forget you are even flying.  The characters are fabulous, the story is totally engrossing and I became obsessed with reading for 4 days.  Literally.

The story focuses on a financial journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, who likes to report on the corruption in the financial world.  This last investigation put him on the wrong end of a libel case.  It does however lead him to get hired by Henrik Vanger to discover who murdered his niece some 40 years ago.  He is introduced to the heroin, Lisbeth Salander and together they uncover much more than they could ever have imagined.  The tale is riveting and disturbing and will leave you hungry for more.  Good thing there are two more books for you to sink your teeth into.  It will not disappoint.  It actually surpassed all my expectations.  I highly recommend you put this next on your reading list.

Cleopatra, Stacy Schiff

Stacy Schiff’s biography of Cleopatra deserves all the hype it is getting.  Extremely well written, especially given the lack of information we have about various parts of her life and unbelievably engaging.  If you like history, you will like this book.  

I realized after reading it, that I really didn’t know very much about her life.  She was a fascinating woman.  She was incredibly smart, resourceful and ran her country better than most before her.  It is not a quick, blow through this on the beach read.  However, if you are taking a vacation and just like to read a little every night before you go to bed, take this book.  If you are going to either Egypt or Rome, read this before you go.  It just makes walking through the Forum a little more interesting.

When I went to Rome I saw 12 of the 15 Obelisks that there are in the world.  After reading Cleopatra it is more clear to me when they came to Rome and why.  I am sure that the next time I go back to Rome I will see a little more of the Egyptian influence. Shiff has written a  fantastic book that will make you see Cleopatra in a whole different light than we normally see her in from any of the films or plays that have been written about her.    

I have one warning:  this book may cause a serious desire to travel to Egypt.  I have always wanted to visit and see the pyramids, now I want to go to Alexandria and see some of the rest.  Although most of Cleopatra’s Alexandria is no longer there, it still would be amazing to travel and see where all this took place.   I will definitely wait until things settle down there, but I think Egypt is now in my top 10. 

Coffee and Tea Festival NYC

Looking for something fun and different to do this weekend?  Why not try going to the Coffee and Tea Festival, Feb 19 and Feb 20th from 11am - 5pm, 7 West 34th St.  

The festival will be offering classes, lectures and demonstrations throughout the weekend.  Lectures include  "Coffee Cupping and Tasting" which is like wine tasting, but for coffee.  You will be learning about the different characteristics: 

"Rarely seen by the public, cupping is the technique used to evaluate the flavor profile of a coffee. The coffee will be evaluated on five major characteristics: flavor, acidity, aftertaste, fragrance and body."

Another great workshop is a foam making class.  I can tell you from my short stint as an espresso sales person that making foam properly is more difficult than it seems.  For example:  Your foam should never be super hot; you should be able to drink it immediately without burning your mouth.  If you can't, then the milk is burnt.   You shouldn't have to use a spoon to get the foam, it should just pour out of the frothing cup.  If you think it is easy then you might want to go and watch the "Barista Challenge".  Saturday starting at noon you can watch to see who can make the prettiest and best foam and become the 2011 Ultimate Barista.  Kind of the "Top Chef" of coffee makers.


For you tea lovers out there they have workshops which include tea 101 where you will learn what the differences are between different types of tea, their health benefits as well as some of the myths out there.  Or you can learn what goes into making an afternoon tea.  That lecture will discuss the traditions and how you can create one in your own home.

Tickets are $20 for the basic 1 day pass (available on-line).  There are special prices if you want to go to the evening of Chinese Tea and Tradition.  I'm a big fan of drinking tea or coffee, but it just might be fun to learn more about it so I can really appreciate the subtleties.
www.coffeeandteafestival.com
Feb 19th and 20th
11am - 5pm
7 West 34th St.

Satya Jewelry

Jewelry is one of my favorite things to get for myself or for others when I am on vacation.  I have some beautiful pieces from around the world that remind me of my vacation every time I wear it.  Also, it is nice when people comment on it and I can say, oh I got that in Barcelona or wherever.  If jewelry is something you like then I recommend visiting a great jewelry store on called Satya.  Satya’s designs are yoga based with real gemstones.  

She has a wide variety of silver and gold jewelry and it is all really unique.  The selection changes in the store every season if not more frequently, so there is not much chance of getting board.  Their stuff is beautiful.  They also have lovely pashminas, and pouches in beautiful colors and fabrics.

Starting this spring they are starting a build-your-own jewelry programs.  So you will be able to take their designs and add your favorite color gems, or change from silver to gold in a particular design (as long as they have what you are looking for).  That could be really dangerous for me!  Satya also donates a portion of their sales to the Satya Foundation, a non-profit foundation that funds children’s charities throughout the world.  Satya has several locations:

330 Bleeker between Christopher & West 10th

Broadway between 81^st & 82^nd

Lexington at 69^th St.

Time Warner Center

London – 28 Henrietta St, Covent Garden

www.satyajewelry.com

Hot Chocolate Festival NYC. YUM!

Anyone who knows me will attest that I love sweets, in particular chocolate.  So I am very glad to have discovered the 19^th annual hot chocolate festival at City Bakery happening all this month.  I am sad to have missed the first 9 days (or the first 18 years for that matter), but thankfully, I still have the rest of the month to enjoy.  Every day City Bakery on 18^th between 5^th and 6^th is offering a different flavored hot chocolate.  

This Years Flavor Calendar

If you are unfamiliar with City Bakery you should know that they are known for their hot chocolate, it is probably one of the richest you will ever have.  It is not for the calorie conscious and most likely not something you could indulge in everyday, but it is fantastic.  City Bakery's Hot Chocolate Festival is guaranteed to be mouth-wateringly delicious.   I missed the Earl Grey hot chocolate (a mixture of 2 of my favorite drinks) but they have some great ones coming up like:  Moulin Rouge Hot Chocolate, What Would Faulkner Drink? Hot Chocolate and Beer Hot Chocolate.  If you are looking for somewhere fun to go for Valentines Day you can go on Monday and get you and your date a couple of the Love Potion Hot Chocolates. 

If you are visiting New York and just want to do something fun and unusual I highly recommend the Hot Chocolate Festival at City Bakery.  It is a great atmosphere with a variety of treats for every pallet, and with the winter we have been having, it just might be a nice excuse to treat yourself to something warm and delicious.
City Bakery
3 WEst 18th
212-366-1414

Vacationist

Gone are the days where you have to wait for the Sunday paper to get the coupons that could lead to savings.  Now we get daily coupons emailed to our inbox in form of restaurant deals, spa deals and (right up our alley) travel deals.  Even the high-end places are getting into it.  Well Vacationist is a new one I have found.  

On Sale Now View All Sales

Hotel Raito Vietri sul Mare, Italy Just east of the famous ceramics town of Vietri sul Mare, the Raito's wide tiled terraces and stately eggshell-colored buildings can be seen looming above the Mediterranean amid citrus and olive groves. The hotel makes the most of its location; its three restaurants, two alfresco swimming pools, and spa all have stunning panoramic sea views. So do many of the 77 sleek, high-ceilinged guest rooms, which are crisply upholstered in white and nautical blue.

Ace Hotel New York New York, New York Just as the Ace arrived on the northern edge of Manhattan's Flatiron District, its host neighborhood was being named by critics and real estate agents: NoMad, or "North of Madison Park." Taking over a once seedy hotel from the early 1900s, the Breslin, Ace New York brought in downtown edge with 260 modern and masculine spacious rooms, paying tribute to the area with its own "outside-the-box" cool: guest bathrobes are "boxing robes" (the basement used to be a boxing ring) and closets are simply garment racks (homage to the nearby Garment District).

La Plage Resort Taormina, Italy "The Beach" occupies the triangle of land between the coastal railroad tracks and the bathtub-size bay of Isola Bella, a taxi, bus, or cable-car ride from the town of Taormina, high on the cliff above. Overhauled in 2010, it is a five-star resort with nine rooms and suites and 52 tiny villas, all with soft, clean white lines and wood and wicker appointments. Enjoy bay views from inside the Italian-Asian Fusion Restaurant, or brave the mosquitoes for a romantic table on the terrace.

The people who bring you Travel and Leisure magazine operate Vacationist, which is one of my favorite travel magazines.  There are 3 sections:  vacationist, luxury link and family getaways.  I have been watching it for the last month.  The deals have a wide range.  There is stuff on there that is still light years out of my price range and other places that are amazing deals, places that I would otherwise not be able to consider.  For example, I have seen 5 star hotels for $100 a night for a suite in many major cities across the US and Europe.  That is a pretty good deal.  Right now there are lots of places in warm climates and Europe, but there are also amazing looking resorts in Turkey and S.E. Asia.  Make sure to read the fine print for blackout dates and expiration dates, but all in all it is worth signing up for to watch for great deals on hotels that may pop up in a destination where you were planning a vacation.  You might just get a glimpse of what is like to vacation in luxury for a price that will fit your budget.  Now that is what I call a deal.

Extra tip:  You have to be accepted or invited by friends to join.  Then invite friends and get $25 for each friend who joins.  I am a member so  use my name to join (Susan Molloy)and tell them Don't Forget Your Undies sent you!

Happy Hour in NYC

Happy Hour is a fantastic invention.  I personally love it even more when I can get it at a cute little wine bar right on my corner.  The Tangled Vine on 81^st and Amsterdam offers Happy Hour daily from 5-7 pm.  They offer wines for $7 a glass and the selection is constantly changing.  With your wine is served homemade potato chips with paprika and sea salt that are not only too good not to eat, but also very addictive.  You may just find yourself ordering more once the happy hour ends like I did. 

The Tangle Vine

 The Tangled Vine is a cozy little wine bar on the upper west side that serves a great selection of old world wines.  Most of their wines are moderately priced, but if you feel like having a treat you can order something off the reserve list.  (Yes they have reserves by the glass)  It is a casual, relaxed atmosphere with great, friendly service.  They also have a lovely small menu with everything from apps like pork belly sliders and mussels, to risotto and veal meatballs and of course no wine bar would be complete without a selection of meats and cheeses.  My friend had the endive salad with feta and pear that was superb.  

Endive and pear salad

I opted for the Beet Salad with goat cheese and crushed almonds.  It was not only a substantial portion but also one of the best beet salads I have ever had.  

Beet and goat cheese salad - look at the size of that!

I also had the steamed mussels with saffron, Pernod and fennel.  They were delicious!  The sauce was almost a dish in and of itself.  

Mussels with Saffron and Pernod

They try and use local and sustainable food whenever possible and in my opinion, you can really taste the difference.   The Tangled Vine is a great wine bar to have in any neighborhood, but I’m sure glad it’s in mine.  

Ebates... cash back on travel, clothes, wine, everything!

A bargain savvy friend of ours turned me on to Ebates a few months ago.  It's a website that offers you cash back on online purchases at over 1,200 stores.  There are no points to redeem, no forms to mail in, and no fees.

If you can get past the clunky visuals of the website, it's really pretty user-friendly.  And they are partners with just about every kind of online shopping you can think of.  I recently received a check for money back on purchases at j. crew, urban outfitters and bluefly.com.  But no matter what you buy online, chances are, there's an offer for it.  There are offers for target, wine.com, travelocity... seriously, every kind of online retailer.   And every day, they double the cash back for one retailer.  Today, for example, at Elizabeth Arden you get 10% cash back instead of the usual 5%

It's really easy to use, you just set up a profile and start shopping.  Then every few months you get a check in the mail. If you are going to be shopping online anyway, you may as well get some money back, right?   Just click here: Ebates

Dude, where's my flight? FlightBoard- another fun travel app

Flight Board is a real time arrival and departures board for any airport in the world.  It's available for iPhone and iPad, I like it on my iPad because I like the larger interface (more like a real board), but the pocket size iPhone version is nice too, and more portable.

You choose your airport and tap the button at the top of the screen to slide between arrivals and departures.  The gate listing is very helpful... you can keep up with status changes for your flight without leaving the airport bar! :)   I also like like the elegant, old-school design, inspired by the board at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

Once you've chosen your flight, if you tap on that flight, you get options to email a flight status update, post a flight status update to facebook or twitter, or if you have the FlightTracker app (another neat app by the same company which I'll review soon) track the flight.

emailing flight status info

So while this app is not free (it's $3.99) and doesn't have a ton of bells and whistles, it does the job, and in an elegant way.  In my opinion, worth it.  It means you can relax untethered to the inconveniently located monitors while still keeping an eye on your departing flight.  Or, if you are meeting someone at the airport, you can keep track of delays, arrival gates, etc.  Also very useful, especially since we've had so much unpredictable weather this year!

Happy flying!

GateGuru... making airports tolerable

As anyone who follows Undies knows, I LOOOOVE to travel.  I have to admit, however, I don’t like flying.  Besides the fact that I am a scardey cat when it comes to actually being in the plane, the airport is enough to turn even a relaxed happy-go-lucky optimist like me into a paranoid wreck who has to check every 30 seconds to make sure I put my passport back in my bag after security, haven’t lost my boarding pass, I’m in the right terminal, I didn’t leave my phone in the bathroom... You get the idea.  Plus it’s chaotic and stressful and you have to dissemble yourself at security only to get though and pay 5 dollars for a little bottle of water.   So when I read about GateGuru, I was hooked before I even downloaded it.

GateGuru is an iPhone app that helps you locate the best food, shopping and service options within any airport.  You can search by a specific place (i.e where is there an Au Bon Pain) or browse options by terminal, which i think is handier.

You can see the list of options in your terminal, with location and user ratings:

And you can even read reviews and see photos:

It's a great app, especially since its FREE.  And while all the functions are not operating at full potential now, if it catches on there is a lot about this app that could be very handy.  (Like being able to check the wait time at security checkpoints.)  So give it a try the next time you fly.  That perfect pre-flight martini at the great steakhouse bar you found out about, may just make all the difference. 

Skye's local :)

There's nothing like a great neighborhood bar, and Longbow Pub & Pantry is ours.

The owners of "The Only Welsh Pub In New York" are great, and the staff is helpful and attentive.  Claire (awesome New Orleans bred bartender) turned me on to some great specialty creations of hers, like a hot gin toddy (!) which sounds weird but is delicious (at least the way she makes them).  They have a nice microbrew and craft beer selection, the best in the neighborhood, with a selection of beers on tap and then dozens more beers in bottles as well.

My current fave is the Founder's breakfast stout, a delicious creamy hearty stout with coffee tones.  YUM!  As far as food goes, The fish and chips are delicious. So delicious in fact, I can't really comment on much of the other food, since I can't help but order it every time i go.

It's also a great place to watch rugby, EPL, or american football.  I often stop in on my own to catch a game, grab a bite and a warm drink.  I've always felt welcome and comfortable at Longbow.

 It's on 3rd Avenue b/w 73rd and 74th St in Brooklyn. (Yes, Bay Ridge, I live there now.)  So go!  And there's a decent chance you'll run into ME :)   I'll be the one with the gin toddy!  See you soon!

Sunny brunch in snowy Brooklyn!

If you are looking for a great brunch spot in Brooklyn, try Scottadito.  Some friends and I planned to meet for late brunch (well, 2pm.. is that late for brunch?) on Saturday and we decided to give this little Tuscan restaurant a try.  There were six of us, and (added bonus) they take reservations, which was great because a lot of places won't take brunch reservations. 

The restaurant is a five minute walk from a few different train lines.  They have organic, sustainably grown and locally-sourced ingredients.  And this lovely sunny room, which is a real treat in the middle of snowy winter.

Brunch is $19.95 and you get unlimited champagne cocktails.  I am not a big champagne fan, so I opted for a bloody mary, which was worth the $8 or whatever it cost.  Yummy fresh ingredients and appropriate vodka/juice proportions.  The brunch menu has a manageable number of options, with all the staples well-executed.  There are several egg/omelet dishes, as well as french toast, pancakes, a few salads and a few homemade pastas. 

french toast topped with berries, organic maple syrup and powdered sugar

The dishes are relatively simple with some minor twists on the basics. Featured ingredients include organic fruit, locally-farmed goat cheese and prosciutto.

poached eggs on a english muffin with prosciutto, hollandaise, and pesto sauce

If you are looking for a lovely brunch spot in Brooklyn, try Scottadito.  It's at 788 Union St in Brooklyn, between 6th and 7th Ave.  Easy walk (even in the snow!) from the R (Union) or B/Q (7th Ave).  And an even easier walk after unlimited champagne cocktails :)  You won't care about the snow one bit!