Joseph Leonard‘s is the type of brunch you read about, hear about, put on your “Restaurants to visit” list, and think about going to at least every other weekend. The place is supposed to be so great, so charming, and the food so good, that it gains a nearly cult-like significance - much like Buvette a few blocks down. The restaurant occupies a prime piece of real estate - a charming corner of Waverly Place in the West Village - that alone would entice you to walk in and linger over a single cup of coffee, just to be able to spend time on that block.
Our Boston friend Abigail was in town this past weekend and we made brunch plans for Sunday. Upon arrival, we were told the wait would be 45 minutes to an hour, but seeing that we had already emotionally committed to the place, we figured we’d wait. Sitting outside, the first con we noticed was the hoards of young people, who appeared sort of overdressed even for brunch, requesting tables too. This is usually a bad sign. Not to be judgmental Ah, who am I kidding? Yes, I’m judging - these are the type of people who show up places just to Instagram, ya know what I mean?
At about the 30 minute mark, I started considering going home and making my own damn eggs. Brunch is the kind of event you wait all week to be able do, and then arrive to wait an hour for a table hungrily outside? But again, the commitment. So we stayed and were seated after about an hour… at a table adjacent to the hostess’s station, with my back to the open door.
Another disappointment was the noise level and lack of space, which was comparable to a dive bar’s - not the kind of environment you want to enjoy your Sunday eggs in. We were so close to the people next to us that we could’ve easily reached over with our forks and had some of their grits (and trust me, we considered it).
On the pros side, I like that they serve beer in eight-ounce glasses for four dollars apiece. The size is just enough to get a tiny buzz but not so filling that it takes away from enjoying the food.
The brunch entrees are for the most part egg dishes, but albeit really interesting ones. I went for the Saucisson a l’ail (pork and garlic sausage), served with two runny eggs and a hashbrown cake. Pro: the dish was superbly executed - the eggs were done perfectly, the sausage was really rich and fragrant without being too fatty, and the hashbrown was crispy and crunchy (reminded me of this recipe).
Rene’s Thai Pork Curry Biscuits
While I’m glad I finally got to experience this infamous brunch - and that amazing pork sausage - I would definitely not subject myself to it again. Waiting for an hour outside to be seated in a loud, cramped space, and then being rushed out as soon as our plates were cleared is not my idea of a Sunday well spent. Sure, the food is a grade above many of the other brunches in the area, but many of the other places would seat you immediately. So I guess it all comes down to priorities: Would you rather wait an hour to devour a plate of great food, or eat a slightly less impressive plate at a normal pace and actually enjoy yourself?
[…] fun as brunch may be in theory, even the most sought-after NYC brunches (see Buvette, Joseph Leonard) tend to serve more or less the same menus - basically eggs and waffles for miles. The better […]