Today Sonia and I had an impromptu brunch at Cafe Orlin, a bustling, straight-forward, American/Middle-Eastern East Village restaurant that never fails to form a line of hungry patrons outside its door. Surprisingly, though, at around 12pm today we were seated after only five minutes of waiting outside, albeit at a tiny table sandwiched between others. The brunch menu covers all my must-haves: huevos rancheros, mediterranean breakfast, veggie burger, eggs florentine, and lots of omelettes. Once I saw a few plates go by, I settled on the Middle Eastern Eggs, which came with two eggs (I added mushrooms and tomatoes of course), israeli salad, and labneh cheese. Sonia ordered the Tunisian Eggs – two eggs over easy with spicy tomatos and peppers.
perfect breakfast
Sonia's eggs
fluffy pita
Despite the several rooms packed with diners, our meals were served promptly. Warm pita, perfectly cooked eggs, and hot tea – exactly my wish for a Sunday brunch. While it’s straight-forward and the ambience is nothing spectacular, I will definitely be back again if in the area for a solid, no-frills meal.
Then of course, after watching Unique Eats’ expose on the bakery at Peels, I of course stopped off on my way home to try their famous 3-in-1 pie, a cross between Boston & Banana & Coconut cream pie. And after literally eating every last bite of it, I think I can fairly say it’s one of the best pies I have ever had. The crust was perfectly crunchy and dense, the dark chocolate was rich and light, and the caramelized banana flavor was unreal. The combination was indescribable – 100% recommended for those, like me, who define themselves as sweet-obsessed.
Amazing.
Grade for Orlin AND Peels dessert: A
Location (Orlin): 41 St. Mark’s Place between 1st and 2nd Ave
Location (Peels): 325 Bowery, New York NY 10003
Website: http://www.cafeorlin.com
