Mon premier brunch dans ce bistro du canal St Martin. Nous étions à la table à l'entrée, baignés de lumière. Les serveurs habillés en blanc ont l'air pro, mais ça s'arrête à leur vêtement vu le temps nécessaire pour obtenir notre boisson chaude. Le supplément de 1€ pour toute autre boisson que le café est le seul point négatif à relever. Leur formule à 25€ est un excellent rapport qualité/prix. Le service a l'air de ne plus en finir: pain et viennoiseries, 1er plateau avec salade de saumon, concombre, muffin et un oeuf (sans intérêt pour ce dernier). Quand on a eu l'impression d'exploser arrive le 2nd plateau composé d'un gratin de ravioles, de jambon de pays, un yaourt blanc et du raisin. On regrette peut être le manque de cohérence dans l'ordre du service et le l'absence de dessert réel. La salle au fond est aussi bien agréable. Réservation indispensable!

I tried...the new hot Mexican spot in Manhattan. Please remind me this experience next time I want to try a restaurant that just opened. It has been weeks I read about El Toro Blanco in West Village. I tried to make it once on a Thursday night. Packed, no table for 2 by 10pm and the bar is small so everyone is fighting to get a spot. A table booked one week later, the venue is pretty empty (is that because it's Tuesday night, less than 20°F outside or because it's already not trendy anymore?). Let's have a drink? The $15 tequila shot kills our wish to celebrate our graduation day. The $12 guacamole is just good and comes with homemade (?) warm chips and three salsa fresca. The spiciest one looks like a mayo.
Tacos are served; it was the only reasonable price on the menu, which is fine for me as I'm tracking NY tacos. Great presentation, but the white crumbs on the top scare me: cheese on a taco? The avocado and pineapple bites are so big they fall from the taco and I must eat them with a fork. I desperately try to catch the taste of the shrimp taco. Bland. The enchiladas soaking in melting cheese definitely convinced me we are at a Tex-Mex restaurant.
Yes it is trendy. Yes the decoration is nice. Yes we are in West Village. But next time I will just go to a tacos truck.

Thanks to Open Table, I hopefully skip the 45 minute line to get the precious table. One of the waitress sulks, I don't care she is not in charge of our table. Some hipsters at the bar, mostly preppies in the venue. This is not excessively expensive, good with a (small) bunch of friends, or apparently good for dates too as the nice couple seated at the table next to us is experiencing one. Fresh squeezed orange juice, great selection of teas and cocktails (I guess they are known for their Bloody Mary's).
Everything looks delicious on the menu. I keep looking at everybody else plate and the scrambled eggs are actually a good choice. Cooked with mushrooms, they melt in the mouth and the scallions give them a very distinctive taste. The corn bread is a bit dry but good though.
The pancakes are for once thinner and lighter than usual, and the caramelized apples and the pecan butter finish up the dish perfectly.

Should you go? Definitely!
Any recommendation? Book a table before showing up! It's packed.

Roberta's is part of these restaurants that drive people outside of Manhattan and gave me the opportunity to discover Bushwick. Right outside of the subway, a whole new world comes to you once you pass the door. The smell of the pizza in the oven opens up your appetite. The wait time is the same than in Manhattan, but the waiting area at the outdoor heated bar is way more comfortable. Grab a cappuccino and a chocolate chip cookie that tastes heaven with the touch of salt for breakfast, time will run way faster.
I can't wait to order the pizza. As usual, the simpler the better, I order a margarita. The crust is light, crispy and tender. Only a few ingredients, but they use the best tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil to reveal all the flavors.
The Famous Orinigal is a bit spicy and delicious. I loved the Speckenwolf, white pizza with speck, mushroom and oignons. To recommend!
The cornmeal pancakes are to die for. It has been once of the best food surprises I had those past few days. Huge at the first sight, they are actually delightful and light. The cornmeal makes them taste different, the apple butter and the whipped cream are sweet enough, and they are hopefully not covered by too much maple syrup.
Roberta's is a must-go restaurant, because of the (hipster) atmosphere of the different rooms, the food so delicious and because it gives you the opportunity to check the wall paintings all around Bushwick.