Brunch at Prune

Summer is here, y'all! Hard to believe last Sunday I was walking around in a sweater and a jacket...and then, BAM! By Friday, it was time to install the air conditioners.

Saturday morning, I headed out for a jog. After only a few blocks, I realized the late morning sun would likely fry my lily-white shoulders. So, I worked out at the gym, then met my friend Dana at 1:30 in the East Village for brunch at Prune.

I think this may honestly be the tiniest restaurant I've been in -- and that's really saying something, because pretty much every restaurant 'round here is, um, intimate.

Dana and I waited about 45 minutes for two seats at the bar. Prune has been around since 1999, but I think it's getting a little extra attention these days because its owner/chef, Gabrielle Hamilton, this year published a bestelling memoir, Blood, Bones and Butter, and this month won the James Beard award for Best New York City Chef.

Aside from the food, I'd like to nominate Prune for best bloody Marys. They had at least 10 to choose from; Dana and I both went for the Danish, garnished with fresh fennel and marinated white anchoives. (Note: I forgot my camera, so all of these photos were grabbed from Yelp and other review sites.) 

I had the Spicy Stewed Chickpeas: Butter-crumbed eggs with spicy stewed chickpeas, preserved lemons and warm flatbread. Delicious -- and how in the world do you get a crispy crumb crust outside of poached eggs? See bottom dish in the photo below. The combination of flavors and textures was perfect: lemon, tomatoes, chickpeas and olives with eggs in a slightly crispy cumby crust, with just enough bread to soak up the yolk and juices. I gobbled down every mouthful. (By the time we ate, it was at least 2:30, and I hadn't eaten a thing all day, so I was famished.)

Dana had the Spaghetti a la Carbonara, which the menu described this way: "The Italian way to get your bacon and eggs...with pasta. And plenty of black pepper." It's the kind of dish that could easily be addictive.

From there, we headed to SoHo for a little shopping. (There may be some Camper walking shoes in my near future.) We had some gelato close to Houston and then went to Columbus Circle to meet my friend Julie and her boyfriend Jason for sunset drinks at a cafe near 70th Street in Riverside Park.

Unlike the website photo above, the place was packed, but it was kind of like a mall food court. We hovered like vultures and pounced on a free table. Our reward was a fantastic view of the Hudson River at sunset, washed down with pitchers of beer. Julie and Jason had enormous burgers that looked and smelled delicious, but Dana and I were still stuffed from brunch and gelato.

When I got home, I opened the door and smelled the delicious aromas of Kurt's preparations for today's barbecue feast. Stay tuned for that story...