Review: Brunch at Bubby's (Tribeca)
Restaurant: Bubby’s
Cuisine: American, comfort-food
Location: 120 Hudson St.
*All photos from this meal can be viewed on Flickr
Sunday brunch: what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear those two words? For me, it would be "tranquil," or "hangover replenishment." If the choice is left up to yours truly, I typically choose neighborhood-y places with minimal wait times, a menu chock full of greasy grub, tables with ample elbow-room, and a crowd that is void of screaming children and wannabe socialites.
So you can imagine my apprehension when Mike suggested that we brunch at Bubby's Tribeca location. "I've wanted to try this place for the longest time! It's a Tribeca institution!" While I had never heard anything negative about the food, I had read nightmare stories about hour+ long waits, strollers as far as the eye can see, and hysterical children. The word "dread" may be a bit of a stretch, but I can honestly say that I was nervous about the experience to come.
I arrived at Bubby's about ten minutes prior to Mike and made my way through the storm of people and strollers en route to the host stand. I was pleasantly surprised when I was told that we would only have to wait for a mere 15-20 minutes to be seated. Within moments of Mike's arrival, a hostess led us to our table.
The meal began with a complimentary plate of homemade buttermilk scones, apricot jam and butter (and if you know anything about The Lunch Belle, I am a huge sucker for house-made baked goods...especially free ones). After perusing the menu, I ordered the following:
Homemade Concord grape soda: Bubby's has a variety of house-made beverages, all of which sounded tempting. With the advice of our waitress, I ordered a glass of the Concord grape soda, sans ice. Imagine a slightly pulpy (from the fresh grapes), less sweet, carbonated version of Welch's grape juice. This was, truly, a bubbly cup of heaven.
Eggs Benedict: What I especially liked about Bubby's menu was the fact that I could choose whether I wanted my entree to be served with home fries or cheesy grits (the latter being my obvious choice). The Benedict itself was fairly standard, though I did find its English muffin (the foundation of the dish) to be much softer and moister than versions elsewhere, which lead me to the belief that it was baked in-house. The smoked Canadian bacon was quite gristly (isn't it supposed to be lean?) and there wasn't enough Hollandaise sauce. The grits, on the other hand, were nearly perfect: dense consistency, rich, buttery, and flavored with a decent amount of salt and pepper. The crown jewel was the thick layer of cheddar cheese (topping the grits) that morphed in to a gurgling golden brown after spending some time under the broiler.
For me, Bubby's is not necessarily a destination restaurant, at least in terms of brunch. That being said, I would gladly return to sample offerings on their lunch or dinner menus.
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Until we eat again,
Lindsay, The Lunch Belle