I had Narcissa on my long list of restaurants to visit for a while now and it is finally when Jodi’s cousin Rebecca proposed to go there for brunch that we ended up at the New American restaurant of Chef John Fraser (Nix, The Terrace and The Outdoor Gardens) at the Standard Hotel in the East Village. Of course, as usual, we had an early meal that is often my favorite way of enjoying restaurants, the crowd not only increasing drastically the noise level but also often slowing down the kitchen.

Menu wise, they have your classic brunch dishes, from eggs to burger, but not prepared in a usual way for the most part. For instance, the burger, called steakhouse burger for no apparent reason, is not just a cheese burger. It has bacon, blue, spinach, jalapeño and garlic mayo (aka aioli) on a toasted bun. I admit that at first I was not that thrilled to see spinach in it, but was thinking that if I did not like it, I could remove it. No need: there was just the right amount. And that burger was superb, even if a bit spicy because of the jalapeño: the meat was perfectly cooked and juicy, and I loved the pairing with the blue and bacon, the latter adding some smokiness and decadence to it.

The burger was served with fries (I had to pick between this and a salad), that were like I love them: thin, crispy on the outside and cooked all the way through.

Jodi settled for their egg white omelette, composed of spinach, caramelized onions and goat cheese. I am not a huge fan of egg white omelets, but admit that this one was pretty tasty.

We also shared the French toast bites that is the perfect dish to share with people. They were served with maple syrup and a lemon sauce that was so tart that I dished it. Anyway, the French toast bites were so moist that did not need any sauce.

At the start of my meal, I also got a non-alcoholic drink: the wellness shot, that has turmeric, ginger, lemon, honey and cayenne pepper. That was spicy! But good. But spicy. For sure you need to like ginger...

So overall, the brunch at Narcissa was very good and the service on point. I definitely need to check out this place for dinner.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Narcissa - 25 Cooper Square, New York 10003

Brunch at Narcissa at The Standard East Village

Jean-Philippe Gerbi