This past weekend, my friends Sofya and Paige and I braved the bitter, face-biting cold to meet for brunch in Williamsburg; girl time is sacred and not even below freezing temps can keep us apart. I suggested we go to Extra Fancy, a bar and restaurant on Metropolitan Avenue where I once had drinks with Rene after dinner at Juliette and before seeing The Wolf of Wall Street. I really liked the vibe of the place - sophisticated yet intentionally shack-like - and resolved to return soon for the food. Their focus is definitely on seafood, but the brunch menu consists of standard egg fare, with a nod to the South, including dishes like shrimp and grits and biscuits and gravy.

Panorama of the front of the restaurant - click to enlarge!

The restaurant was mostly empty when we arrived (did I mention it was 14 degrees outside?) and we were seated in the front section. Our waitress was upbeat and super nice, and excitedly shared her favorites from the menu upon request. I ordered a freshly squeezed orange juice and the biscuits and gravy.

The biscuit was dense and eggy as opposed to flaky, which is perfect for sopping up all that luscious, sage and pepper gravy. Unfortunately, the sausage gravy was way over-salted, so much so that I couldn’t even get through it all, which is rare since I almost always clean my plate like the good Soviet child that I am. The girls, however, enjoyed their respective egg dishes, which were seasoned just fine.

Although I was disappointed with my meal, we lingered for quite a while at the restaurant, just talking and watching the snow come down outside. Overall, it has a really cool vibe - plus, both the bar and floor staff are awesome - and is a nice place to spend some time with your people. I don’t want to write it off just because of one over-salted dish and will probably be back in the near future, optimistic about the rest of the menu.