Restaurant of the Month: The Breslin
The Breslin has long been a favorite restaurant of mine, but it elevates itself to a new level during the month of December, so if you’re looking for a brunch, lunch, or dinner spot this month, put it on your radar. We’ll start with a heavy disclaimer though: don’t come to this spot on any kind of diet, because you’ll be hard pressed to find anything low in calories or fat. Again, another reason why it’s perfect for this time of year, eh?
A British gastropub at its finest, The Breslin has a vintage saloon feel, sporting butcher paper on the tables in lieu of linens, and purposeful cracks in the walls and ceilings. Waiters trade crisp white button downs and black bow ties for tees, and the restaurant is stuffed to the gills with funky memorabilia. In other words, it’s like the anti-fine dining establishment, but with flavorful dishes that would make you believe otherwise. And of course, being Christmas, you can expect twinkle lights and green garland to be in full swing.
What To Drink
Christmas themed cocktails are precisely what you should be ordering, and our two favorite from the bar at $14 are the First Noel, featuring Portobello Road Gine, house made spiced cranberry preserves, fresh lemon, and champagne, as well as the Sweater Weather, which is Virgil Kaine Rye, Port, Ramazotti, and pressed lemon. All cocktails are made with freshly pressed juices to ensure the highest quality taste.
To Start
Dishes are playful at The Breslin, going along with the rest of the aesthetic. For the table, we suggest you start out with something from their “Snack” menu, such as boiled peanuts fried in pork fat (their version of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, we’re told), and sunchoke nuggets with spicy grilled apple butter, both at a $7 price point. The little nibbles with big flavors will get your tastebuds ready for the main event.
The Main Dish
The entrees at The Breslin are large portions, so come with a huge appetite. Or do as we did and order a few dishes and sides for the table, and get ready to go on a feeding frenzy. Favorite dishes from our recent visit are 40 day dry aged ribeye for 2 with béarnaise & thrice cooked chips (market price), berkshire pork shoulder with roasted pepper, eggplant, onion & sunflower seed vinaigrette ($35), paired with 18k potatoes with rosemary, sauerkraut & crème fraîche and the broccoli with calabrian chili & anchovy, both priced at $10.
If you’re celebrating a special event (say, a birthday or holiday office dinner), consider calling ahead and ordering off the “large format menu”, which features ginormous portions, indeed, of whole roasted suckling pig, a fried chicken feast, and rib of beef dinner. It’s what we imagine Christmas dinner in the age of Charles Dickens’s England to feel like.
Desserts
The dessert at The Breslin comes in typical British format: puddings. But the flavor combinations? Absolutely amazing. Seasonal favorites are red wine poached pears gingerbread sponge, grapes & mascarpone ice cream ($13) and pumpkin cheesecake brown butter, candied pumpkin seeds & bay leaf ice cream ($12).
Special Events This Month
Even if eating out isn’t in the cards with your hectic schedule this time of year, we implore you to stop by the restaurant and pick up a box of Mince Pie to go. Priced at $21 for a box of 6, there’s no better food to jumpstart that festive feeling at your own dinner table. They are available for pick up each Friday leading up to Christmas starting at 5pm (12/9, 12/16 & 12/23), and orders can be placed online here.
The Breslin is also offering a special Christmas Even and Christmas Day dinner, featuring a Christmas Roast with Chef April Bloomfield’s famous Yorkshire Pudding and a Pear Parfait with Cranberries and Linzer Sable, in addition to the normal a la carte menu. Happy feasting!
What’s your favorite dish to order at The Breslin? Share your experiences on our Facebook and Twitter pages!
Posted in manhattan living, NYC Dining |
