BrunchOUT: Gus and Gabriel

Excruciatingly delayed trains, fierce winds, and a late awakening made for a rough start to our Saturday morning. We were both running late to meet Anna at Gus and Gabriel, a neighborhood Greek gastropub that she had highly recommended at our previous brunch together. As we were coming all the way from Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, one might wonder if there are good brunches worth traveling to the Upper West Side for, of all places. After all, there are plenty of people who never travel above 14th street, and others who are shocked when they find out Manhattan has streets above 200. The answer? Read on and be enlightened, or at least marvel at our stomachs' capacities.

The Restaurant

First, a little background on Gus and Gabriel, because it's so darned heartwarming. The proprietor, Michael Psilakis, is an acclaimed Greek chef and restaurateur. Melissa attended a class hosted by Chef Psilakis before at the Astor Center, and enjoyed the food at Anthos, the only Greek restaurant outside of Greece to receive a Michelin star. But after Anthos, interestingly enough, Chef Psilakis left to open up this subterranean gastropub named after his late father and his son, with the intent of, according to him, "taking American pub food and making it all from scratch." Gus and Gabriel would both be proud.

The restaurant is a true pub, with lots of dark wood, dark paint colors and some fun vintage accessories. Psilakis' desire to create a true neighborhood pub seems perfectly on point. It's not snooty nor does it scream "world renowned chef". While we don't live in the Upper West Side, we're inclined to commute just to become regulars here. Our waiter was incredibly friendly, gave us some great recommendations, and did not rush us out the door. In fact, we lingered there for hours, quite content with the feast spread out before us. Then again, after the massive amount of food we ate, I think our waiter knew there was no rushing to be made by these little piggies.

The Food

Given that Gus & Gabriel is a gastropub that revels in the best versions of the supposedly "worst" food for your health, the starters all sounded inventive and refined. So we dove into brunch with an appetizers and shared plates smorgasbord.

Fried Mozzarella Balls, $4.95

The idea of creating genuine bar food from scratch was well-introduced by these mozzarella balls. Your eyes might not jump to this dish by the uninspired name, but that's a regrettable mistake to make. Imagine golden, delicious, still warm, and more importantly, full of chewy, stretchy, real mozzarella cheese wrapped bite-sized poppers. Served with a spicy, tangy, and smooth marinara sauce, these went fast and rightly so.

Cheddar & Pork “Tater Tots", $3.95

These particular tater tots were an interesting take on a freezer section classic. The filling seemed to be made of a sweet potato, with cheddar and pork in them as well. The potato was smooth and creamy, unlike your typical tot, with the texture and added kick of pork. These were served with a duo of spicy BBQ sauce and what the menu says is cheddar fondue that tasted more like sour cream dipping sauce.

Nachos (for two), $9.95

Wow, these nachos were the ultimate decadent giant plate of nachos. Topped with chili, pulled pork, refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, jalapeños and pico de gallo, they may not fulfill the nacho purists' standards but they were fantastic in our books. Each component was made with high quality ingredients, with tortillas fried daily for fresh chips. Our only suggestion is that the toppings could have been better distributed among the chips- a clump of guacamole here, a pile of pulled pork there. But make no mistake, there was more than enough of each topping for a covered chip every time.

Bone Marrow, $9.95

Bone marrow... Need we say more? Well, this marrow was served with lemon butter, pickled onions, roasted cloves of garlic and toasted bread. The dish had quite the "Oooh/Aaaah" factor for the sheer size of the bone it was served in. The bone marrow was pleasantly fatty and savory, delicious spread on the bread (which was quite like grown up Texas Toast) and topped with onions. We ladies are definite fans of bone marrow and this truly hit the spot. Not to mention, the sheer novelty of that giant carved out bone is enough to keep around for goofy picture-taking afterwards.

Gnudi, $11.95

Oh gnudi, you're like the horribly delicious, cheesy cousin to gnocchi. Basically, gnudi is a thin skinned, cheese filled pasta. Each piece is a delicate purse of cheese, ready to burst and melt simultaneously in your mouth. Paired with oyster mushrooms and ricotta salata to balance out the gooey innards, this nailed it as a great belly-warming dish on a winter day. While this is an entree on the menu, we greatly recommend ordering it as a shared plate as we did.

Fried Egg, Bacon, Onion Rings & Gruyére Burger, $13.95

As a brunching group, the fried egg and bacon burger was a definite order for us. This mammoth burger looked so immaculate with the egg perfectly perched atop the beef, it was the last item we finally dug into. I do think that factor had an effect on our burger - we ordered it medium rare but the waiting time on our end meant we got a medium to medium well burger. Possibly because of food fatigue, but we didn't find the burger blow-your-mind delicious. A solid choice, yes, but earth-shattering, not quite. The fries however, were pretty close to perfection with a nice balance of salt without being overly greasy.

Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake, $6.50

And now for the most anticipated part: dessert! Gus and Gabriel has a great selection of milkshakes and floats, most of which are spiked. Perfect for boozy brunch lovers who want it in a different form. This shake had a strong cheesecake flavor, with a nice kick of Plantation Jamaican rum in the background. Heck, even the whipped cream on top was just the right consistency without tasting artificial or falling flat at all.

Mint Chocolate Cake, $5.95

Hello, four-tier cake! This cake was so incredibly dense and rich, and the serving was gigantic can you can tell. The mint flavor was subtle, a very nice change from many chocolate-mint desserts which can be too overpowering. The waiter explained that Creme de Menthe is the source of the mint flavor, and the reason for the subtlety. The chocolate ice cream and whipped cream on the side aided in our slow but study destruction of the decadent cake by giving us a little texture and temperature relief.

Apple Crisp, Burnt Caramel & Toffee Crunch, $6.50

Goodness gracious, this apple crumble was such a winner. Topped with a heaping scoop of maple walnut ice cream, the warm and cold combination was delicious. The toffee crunch, softened apples mingled with burnt caramel and maple walnut flavors made this quite an addictive dessert. This blows your mama's apple crumb (or apple pie, at that) out of the water.

Angel Food Cake "Sandwiches" with Three Fruit Sherbert, $5.95

This dessert was described as the "bizarre" choice on the menu by the waiter when Melissa questioned him. It simply is exactly as it looks - slices of well-made homemade angel food cake sandwiched balls of flavorful, but not too sweet, fruit sherbert and fresh fruit. It was a welcome break from the rich desserts and fun to play around with, but not anything worth writing home about.

Chipwich & Shake, $5.95

The final dessert to come out, this sampler plate is a great value for the variety in flavor. The chipwich was composed of two triple chocolate cookies hugging a filling of caramel ice cream and decorated with crunchy chocolate pearls. The shake was a simple vanilla ice cream shake, spiked with Jim Bean! Unlike the first milkshake, which was more balanced in the use of liquor, this basic (but delicious) vanilla flavor couldn't handle the Jim Bean. The liquor came on strong! The chipwich was tasty, the thin cookies having a bit more chew and less crunch than your typical cartwheel. The caramel ice cream had a pure flavor and the jimmies added a great pop in the mouth.

The Bottom Dollar

Gus and Gabriel is such an economical steal. The food is obviously made of high quality ingredients, not to mention plenty of care and love, and the prices are most definitely set to encourage the neighborhood feeling. $14 for a fully loaded burger? $5 for mozzarella balls? Delicious $7 desserts? Completely worth it, and beyond. Well worth the journey for "out of towners" coming from Brooklyn and below 14th st.

The Bottom Line

Emily says: I cannot truly articulate my excitement about and enjoyment of my meal at Gus and Gabriel. This restaurant embodies basking in guilty pleasures, and I highly recommend it. Chum up with the waiters, enjoy a beer or two and a spiked shake and make this place your neighborhood spot, whether you live in the Upper West Side or Brooklyn.

Melissa says: If every gastropub were like this, I'd reconsider where I go for my meals. It's great that you can really taste the freshness of the preparation and quality of ingredients without having to attribute that kind of care to fine dining. Pub food, you've met your savior. 

BrunchOUT: The Spotted Pig

The Spotted Pig was a fitting choice for our first organized Babes Who Brunch event, given that rumors about this gastropub's brunch was what sparked the idea of combining our mutual adoration of brunch into something more concrete. So the venue wasn't a hard pick, but would it live up to our high expectations?

The Restaurant

The trick to getting into any popular NYC brunch place is to be part of the early crowd, which in this city means the type that gets up before noon. Ten (yes, ten!) of us gathered up all rosy-cheeked from the wind (or maybe it's Maybeline) in front of The Spotted Pig, waiting for the doors to open at 11A.M. prompt. Busy waiters carried trays of Brussels sprouts and other mystery ingredients wafted past us, teasing us with smells of food to come. The restaurant itself is tucked behind layers of dried and fresh plants and knicknacks.

Once inside the restaurant, the homey, darker pub-meets-vintage look continued with more plants, upholstered banquet benches and lots of small stools for seats. The space downstairs is mostly taken up by the bar, with small tables for two and four taking up the space. We were told as soon as we arrived that The Spotted Pig doesn't quite work the best with groups over six. We were seated upstairs, in an awkward location by the actively used staff door. Also, the restaurant itself does not lend itself well to food photography. Our table was in a darker area of the restaurant and thus, pictures are not all from our actual brunch but still the same dishes we ate.

The Food 

Having done a bit of research about Spotted Pig before arriving, the two appetizers highly recommended by friends and reviewers alike were Chicken Liver Toast and, of course, Deviled Eggs.


Chicken Liver Toast, $5.50

Picture thanks to eatdrinkman on Flickr.

Exactly what it sounds like, this is a hearty piece of well toasted bread and a thick slather of chicken liver pate. The bread had a great crunch to it and the flavor of the liver was pretty darn good. But, it is what it is. If you don't care for chicken liver or the texture of pate, it is NOT the appetizer for you. For those of us who do enjoy a hearty helping of liver as a morning perk, this generous serving was enough to satisfy that craving for awhile. Or at least the rest of the day.

Deviled Eggs, $3

As ladies from the South, good deviled eggs are always of interest. This egg (one egg for $3) had an interesting, vinegary bite to the filling. They came sitting in a pool of olive oil, which in this case, really boosted the flavor of the egg whites. We noticed that the filling wasn't quite as mayonnaise creamy as it could be, and leaned more towards a heavy-handed vinegar side. Personal preference is the determining factor in this case.

One brunching babe, Christina, also got the Beef Carpaccio appetizer, a special for that day, and she seemed to heartily enjoy it. Anna also ordered a dish of assorted Marinated Olives, which is hard to mess up. As for the entrees, there were quite a few repeat orders, but we seemed to cover the bases between specials and menu staples.


Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese & Shoestrings, $17

Picture thanks to eatdrinkman on Flickr.

This was a highly recommended dish, and three babes went in for the red meat kill with this burger. The Roquefort cheese is strong, but it works with a nice, medium to medium-rare beefy burger. One babe ordered hers medium rare, another medium, and another medium-well. And whaddya know, they all came out right! Our waiter even gave prior warning that the burgers would be cooked exactly as ordered, which is surprising only in the fact that nowadays, shaky burger execution is pretty unsurprising.

There was some dissonance regarding the use of Roquefort cheese. One babe declared it too salty and scraped it off the burger, while another loved the rich sharp taste of the cheese. Be warned - The Spotted Pig isn't into substituting, so don't expect to change up the cheese. This quirk certainly something to be aware of before ordering, but the burger is a worthy choice on both the brunch and dinner menu. The crispy rosemary shoestring fries add onto an awesome meal. It's like a highly addictive birds nest of flavor, so quickly devoured that they leave not a trace behind but the smell of rosemary on your fingertips.

Dutch Baby with House Smoked Bacon & Maple Syrup, $15 

Picture courtesy of Lara.

Bacon... Topped... Carbohydrates. Need we say more? Lara ordered this dish and did a wonderful little write up about not only the dish but the brunch at Spotted Pig on her blog, City Grits. Definitely give it a read, she's another great food blogger, friend and babe who brunches! It was a deceptively light yet filling savory-sweet dish. Dutch babies are not a common addition on a NYC menu, though these cute, simple, semi apple-pie-pancakes should be. Look, they even come with bacon, our favorite friend!

Speaking of bacon, Carolann was taken aback she tried to order it as a side dish, but the waiter wouldn't accomodate her request even though it was on the menu in other entrees. At least a side of the previously mentioned rosemary fries did the trick this time.



Frittata with Broccoli Rabe & Ricotta $15

Picture courtesy of Lara.

The frittata was ordered by two lovely babes, but it did receive the best recommendation. One of the biggest complaints I've heard and read about Spotted Pig is saltiness, and that indeed was a problem with this frittata. It seems to be a common but unfortunate trick that gentle ingredients, in fear of being too bland, are oversalted instead. Even for sodium-lovers, there has to be a certain line between bringing out the inherent flavors in the dish, and pickling.


Winter Vegetable Fry Up, $17 

This was one of the entree specials offered last Sunday. Two fried eggs rest upon a bed of potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and Serrano ham. Reports differed on what other ingredients went into the fry-up. Artichokes? Truffle Oil? Cupcakes? That's the mystery of a Fry-up!

No matter what, the dish was interesting enough to keep taking more bites of, and portioned well enough to be filling. Emily thought that personally, the Brussels sprouts were overdone, like they were blanched or parboiled before being fried. And we both couldn't differentiate between the different pale colored ingredients on a visual level, but thought the taste was fine, if not a tad salty.

Whole Yogurt with Macerated Fruit & Almonds, $12

This simple dish got a hearty thumbs up from brunching babe T.J. It looked like a rich and creamy, deceptively simple but delicious breakfast option. Also, one of the few gluten free options on the menu.

The whole crew, full and happy!

T.J., Carolann, Christina, Melissa, Molly, Anna, Jeanette, decapitated Emily, Jennifer and Lara

The Bottom Dollar

The general consensus is that The Spotted Pig's prices are a bit inflated for the servings. The Deviled Egg is $3 for one whole egg. While this could be shared by four people, it is a bit of a stretch. The Liver Toast is also simply two small pieces of crust for $5.50. The burger is quite substantial for the cost, where as the frittata seemed a bit small for the rate. Here's the honest truth: It's a hip, popular place in the West Village. The prices they're doing for the food is acceptable for the city but not acceptable for what some of the food tasted like.

The Bottom Line [Why Should You Brunch Here?]

Emily says: A bit more hit or miss than I would prefer, a bit salty at times, but a restaurant I plan on returning to. I'm particularly interested in the dinner menu and exploring further into the brunch menu as well. The appetizers, burger and fries and the bacon-topped Dutch Baby (that I somehow MISSED when it came to the table!) will have me back. As long as I have a friend or two to wait with, I'm here.

Melissa says: If you're in the area, it's a pretty enjoyable brunch spot, albeit slightly salty and skewed value-wise. Nothing really blew me away, except I could keep having that Chicken Liver Toast at every single meal. However, I'm also curious about that Dutch Baby. Unless someone knows another place that offers it, that single dish might be what makes me want to return.