I’ve been wanting to make a trip to Dirty French for some time, so when my good friend Dr. P came in town, I thought it was finally time to check that one off of the list. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been up early enough to plan for breakfast on a weekend, so this was a nice treat.
Several friends told me that the food for brunch/breakfast would be just as good as dinner, without all of the drama of trying to get a reasonable dinnertime reservation and the evening crowds. Going to the Lower East Side pre-brunch crowd was definitely a different feel than I’m used to. Most of the streets were very quiet, with only an occasional family with a stroller going by.
I had to try their pain perdu, with pecans and chicory coffee caramel. After last week’s less than stellar French Toast at brunch, I was pleased to find out today’s was quite good. Since I’ve nixed the caffeine in my diet, I was hoping the chicory wasn’t too strong. Instead, it was quite nice – just a bit of a coffee flavor to the caramel. The bread was nice and soft, and had almost a creamy consistency in the center.
For his choice, T went with their petit dejeuner, which included eggs any style, toast, pommes matin, bacon, coffee and juice. For $19, it was one of the better deals on the menu if you are looking for a little of everything. The potatoes were nice and crispy on the outside, soft and flavorful on the inside. The bacon was also A+, slightly charred and not so thick as to not properly cook.
The service was a bit spotty. I couldn’t tell if it was because it was so early and they weren’t fully on yet, as it did take us quite some time to get refills on the coffee pots or various things throughout the meal. It was nice though that we were able to sit up along the edge of the restaurant, with the windows open to the perfect temperature outside.
Overall it made for a lovely start to a great visit with Dr. P!
180 Ludlow Street (between Houston and Stanton St) – 212.254.3000
Reservations Recommended
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