The Dutch (brunch)

I'm a morning person, an early morning person.  I love NYC before dawn, when the streets are dark and empty and you feel like the whole city is yours and yours alone.  The other thing I love about morning is breakfast food.  There is nothing more comforting than a table filled with your favorite childhood eats, like donuts, eggs and muffins.  So on a cold winter morning, I decided to warm up at the Dutch for brunch.  While the service was a bit chilly, the comfort food did the trick.

The Dutch isn't a new kid on the block anymore but the staff sure act like they are too cool for school (or to serve you, the irony).  But the Dutch's cute bistro feel makes up for the "you are lucky to have me as your server" attitude.

While the Dutch is well known for it's dinner, it only offers its fried chicken at lunch or brunch so the brunch time menu is worth a separate visit.  Try to get there before noon and you'll enjoy a less crowded experience and a leisurely pace.  The front room is a scene while the backroom is a bit quieter.

What to Eat:

Start with the Pastry Basket (which you can see is served on a wood cutting board).  All three freshly baked items are served warm.  The banana muffin was my favorite but the glazed donut was a close second.  The banana muffin brings back childhood memories of eating banana bread hot out of the oven.  And the crumble on top was perfection.  The glazed donut is dangerously delicious (and I'm sure cholesterol free ;)).  It's good they only put one in the "basket".  The cheesy scone was not my person taste (I prefer sweet pastries) but it was moist and well executed.

You'd be missing out if you went to the Dutch for brunch or lunch and didn't order their Fried Chicken.  The intensely seasoned fried chicken skin is crispy (but not greasy) while the chicken meat is moist and piping hot.  The dish comes with a side of freshly baked, lightly glazed honey butter biscuits.

For an egg dish, the Soft Scrambled Eggs with smoked salmon and trout roe make you want to rethink how you make eggs at home.  The eggs are slow cooked  to give them a creamy texture. I plan on making them this weekend at home ;).

Need a last minute brunch spot?  Just go before noon,

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