almond

new york, ny

website

despite the fact that it is just a stone's throw away from our apt building, derek and i had only eaten at almond once before i started this blog. it was over-priced and just okay. given that this particular restaurant location was notorious for failed restaurants (See rocco dispirito's union pacific), we didn't bother trying it again. but a bar is a bar, so when michelle asked us to meet up with her for drinks at almond, we happily joined her. the house cocktails are a little too sweet for my tastes, but the bartenders are friendly and attentive. michelle agreed that almond's dinner menu is sub-par, but she suggested that we try their brunch.

i'm glad we gave this place another chance. derek absolutely loved the "almond hash" - duck confit, roasted onions, potatoes, duck cracklins, and poached egg. delicious, with juicy and crispy duck and served with crusty grilled bread that's been brushed with butter. still, almond has its misses - the coffee is terrible and my ricotta pancakes were just okay. but if you stick with the hash and iced tea, then this is an excellent brunch spot. great for kids too - the restaurant even has baby food on the menu! it's $3 so you probably want to bring your own anyway, but it's a nice touch.