Is Brooklyn Label's Chili Colorado the finest breakfast offering in all of New York City?
The question isn't really fair, because of course I haven't tried every breakfast joint in the five boroughs. That said, the birth of a daughter 21 months ago means, every saturday and sunday, we are up far earlier than we used to be. And we have an unusually restaurant-friendly child (there may be no other place to brag about this than here--and I dunno if anyone has ever described their offspring as "restaurant-friendly" before, anyway). So, we go out for breakfast A LOT more than we used to. And, well, I'm not blown away. The Queens options, there are a few decent ones, but no real knock-outs. What about other boroughs? Yes, I of course think NYC is an amazing restaurant town, but for breakfast? I don't think we're so hot. Chicago is better. The West Coast in general seems better. I'm rarely wowed here and it's actually hard to find any place but a diner that's open much before 9 or 10am...
But still. Holy cow. Brooklyn Label. on Frankin Street at Java (fittingly, the coffee is excellent) in Greenpoint. Where have you been the last 21 months?
Answer: Not in existence until about 6 weeks ago. Which means the rave comes with some caveats, because they are clearly a work in progress... I think most of the baked goods are still being brought in, as opposed to being made by them, for example, though they had some "coming soon" sign up about that. Additionally, a weekend special, biscuits and gravy, was unavailable yesterday. Bummer. I was gonna try it and then try the B and G at Williamsburg's Egg and declare a winner (note on Egg. I like it. I really do. The biscuits are sensational. But it gets awfully packed and... no, really, I like it. I'll be back. But nothing on their menu has impressed me like the Chili Colorado did at Brooklyn Label yesterday)... Maybe next time.
So, anyway, they offer a lot of sweet options (challah french toast, cast iron waffles) and I usually don't like a sugary breakfast (cheap high followed by a bad crash) and I wasn't in the mood for Steak and Eggs and... I was bummed about the lack of B and G. The waitress assessed me properly: "The Chili Colorado special is amazing."
Things you need to know about this dish:
1) I have a large appetite, and I concluded eating the Chili Colorado at 9:30 am, and did not have remote interest in further nourishment until 6pm Sunday. This dish could easily feed two people. Maybe more. I don't remember exactly what it cost but it wasn't that much and, well, it's a steal.
2) I'm not sure what cut of meat they were using. I understand Chili Colorado (it's a meat chili, traditionally, with green chili and tomato flavoring it, and it seems like it benefits from a drawn out marinade and braising process, from what I've read) is often enough beef brisket, but I think this was some cut of pork... I just e-mailed the restaurant to find out. It was great but I'm not 100% sure what the cut was.
3) It comes out in a large bowl. In the bottom of the bowl is a significant puddle of grits. They are soothing and dreamy and perfect. Atop the grits is the chili. It has a bit of bite but it's ultimately got that mellow braised quality that I adore but I've never really had at breakfast before. It works. The chili is bathing in some sort of oily sauce that seems to be fueled by reasonably mellow green chilis. Perfect condiment for the grits, this oily chili sauce. Little piles of slivers of roasted red pepper swimming in the chili oil add a nice little sweet, vegetal touch. Atop the chili? 2 perfectly poached eggs. Framing the eggs? 4 halves of toast that I believe was brioche, each smeared with some better-than-par butter.
Good heavens. The best breakfast I've had in this town.
Everything else we sampled was decent. The kid mowed through a big, fresh fruit salad and my wife applauded the shrimp and asparagus frittata she ordered (also a special, which means it's possible that neither this is or the chili colorado will ever be seen again?), though we agreed leaving the tails on the shrimp was a mistake.
And I assume we'll see a few mistakes from this place. But what a promising work in progress. The chef was obviously young, and I believe he owns the place as well. They're supposedly adding a dinner menu soon. The room was attractive, with big windows looking out onto Franklin, and a pleasant bar area as a seating option, as well as comfortably-spaced tables. Staff was super-eager and efficient. There weren't more than 15 patrons in there at any time, a big contrast to the nuttiness at Egg. A great experience on a Sunday morning, and as you LIC and Sunnyside types already know, Greenpoint is practically walking-distance. We drove from the Gardens and it was less than 4 miles from our house. 10 minute drive on a sleepy Sunday morning.
MarcInSunnysideGardens
Jan 22, 2007 06:41PM
What are the hours?? Do they serve dinner??
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Hours somewhat confusing. I read on their website (http://www.brooklynlabel.com) that they're open for breakfast at like, 7 and when we got there there were people eating at 8:45. That said, the sign on the door said they open at 9am.
They have a lunch menu as well, which is linked to on the site.
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More from Cody Utzman, chef and owner of Brooklyn Label (from Portland originally, private chef in Boston most recently, 15 years as a chef):
"The Chili Colorado is slow-roasted Pork Butt that we roast for four hours in a low temp oven, then stew it for another couple hours in our homemade Chili Verde Sauce that is available by the bottle in the restaurant. We also have the same green sauce on every table for our customers to enjoy. We then make homemade creamy Polenta, two poached eggs and Roasted peppers, all served with great toast. We will be Serving the Chili Every Brunch, Saturday and Sunday. We are considering putting it on are everyday menu as well."
Note that I mistook the polenta for grits, which is kinda humiliating.
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I wouldn't feel humiliated at all, seeing as how grits and polenta are essentially the same thing (corn porridge) with local variations on the cooking liquid and mix-ins.
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While one normally expects grits to be corn, in cook-speak, grits may refer to wheat (e.g. the Cream Of Wheat we find on a lot of diner plates around here), or rice, or any other coarsely ground grain.
EDIT: Glad the twenty or so dupes of this post disappeared after the system went down for maintenance a few minutes ago. It wasn't that important a point. :-p
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umm, not too sure bout this reply here...grits is always cornbased to me and at every restaurant ive worked at. oh, and they are the same as polenta. just different languages.
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Not to belabor a minor point, but . . .
"The word 'grits' comes from Old English grytta meaning a coarse meal of any kind."
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grits
"[G]rits can refer to any coarsely ground grain, including rice and oats."
From: http://www.ochef.com/207.htm
"The word grits comes from the Old English. 'grytt,' for 'bran,' but the Old English 'greot' also meant something ground."
From: http://southernfood.about.com/cs/grit...
etc.
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I'm not anywhere near Franklin St., but having restaurant-friendly kids is great. I've taken my two daughters (now 7) out to restaurants since they were a few months old, and now they can go anywhere from a greasy spoon to a fancy place and behave reasonably well. I contrast this with friends and family members who rarely take their kids to restaurants -- big difference. I applaud your efforts, and assure you that you will be amply rewarded as your child grows up.
As for the Colorado chili -- I'll have to find a way to make it to Bklyn, with or without the kids.
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I have to second Marc in Sunnyside Gardens. We went this weekend upon his request, and the Chile Colorado was absolutely delicious. My boyfriend ordered the Chile and I got the Tofu and Potato scramble. It wasn't mindblowing, but certainly better than others I have had. And an enormous portion! It was also nice to go to brunch and be seated right away, which is a rarity in Williamsburg/Greenpoint. The ambiance was fine enough, but we will absolutely be back for the Chile Colorado!
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Oops, I meant upon his recommendation, not request!
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We (me, my wife, the kid, and my sister) went back this weekend, too. Got there before 9 and was informed kitchen doesn't open 'til 9 on weekends (though we were seated by 8:45 the prior weekend). Anyway, starting to get the hang of this place. The biscuits and gravy (weekend brunch special) weren't gonna be ready until 9:30+ and we were on a tight schedule so we ended up with an omelette off the regular menu. Totally decent but not something I would have touted here. My sister had really good oatmeal but again, not outrageously great. The chili colorado is outrageously great.
I have a feeling the B and G is going to be outrageously great.
Now I just need to go back a little later, when it's actually ready. Next weekend, I swear.
So anyway, the point is, show up a little later and order the specials.
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Both their website and menupages listed the opening hour as 7:00 a.m. In reliance on that I showed up at 7:30 on Sunday to see that they don't open till 9:00. I had other plans that prevented me from waiting so I missed out. How can they allow their own website to provide misinformation? I will be back, but I have a bad feeling about the place.
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Stuart,
They're 7am during the week and 9am on weekends now. Agree it's not clear... But give 'em another chance!
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Wow, thanks for the info. Weekdays are so much more convienent for me so I'll be by this week, can't wait to try the Chili.
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Today, 9:30 a.m, I show up for breakfast and guess what? no chili colorado ! I ask the waitress and she says it is not on the specials list for today, then tells me it might be ready later. I try to order eggs with bacon and hashbrowns and I am told that eggs do not come as a side order, she can swap bacon for the steak in the steak, egg, hashbrown and onion dish, for the full price. I can't get a basic egg breakfast? I order the steak and eggs, steak is a right off the supermarket shelf, thin, gray and not much flavor. Waitress brings coffee and spills it on my newspaper and the table, I am helpless as I have no napkin or table setting, they arrive later with my food. A little after 10:00 I hear another waiter offer chili colorado to another table so I tell my waitress about this and ask if I I can get an order to go, she returns moments later and says the chili colorado is not ready. On my way out I notice an SUV parked in front, the tailgate is open and I see bags of "Ore-Ida hashbrowns in the back. You guys don' t make your own? The place looks nice and has a comfortable vibe, some of the food I saw going by looked good ,but while this place is an asset in an area without many breakfast joints I don't know why I would go out of my way to eat here.
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They didn't have the Chili Colorado ready at 11:45 either, when I trekked over for it. I did like the place anyway -- good biscuits and gravy, excellent cranberry pecan butter on challah french toast -- but I was bummed all the same, having marked my calendar with "chili colorado" as a Saturday event I was looking forward to. Who doesn't have a brunch dish available by noon? Disappointing.
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off the tout from Gardens Marc, we stopped by for breakfast this past weekend at Brooklyn Label and really enjoyed it...
the spicy sausage gravy and thin, browned biscuits had a couple of eggs over easy sitting on top...the yolk ran into the mix and the outcome was a B and G platter without rival in these parts...
they kept the coffee coming...the place had plenty of room and has a warm feel, like you'd expect in a smaller town...
the surrounding neighborhood is dead-quiet on a weekend morning...
it's an easy two/three block walk from the Greenpoint Ave. G stop...
I'll be back for sure with the goal of trying to tackle that Chili Colorado...
let's hope the place makes it without becoming too much of a hot to trot kinda desitnation...
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"the outcome was a B and G platter without rival in these parts..."
have you had the biscuits and gravy at pies and thighs? try it, and see if that opinion still stands.
in any case, i look forward to trying this place soon. it's been extremely crowded on the weekends whenever i've been by, but it sounds like going earlier is the ticket. the brunch options (polish food aside) in the immediate area are terrible, so it would be nice to have a reliable spot.
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The quality of the B and G at Brooklyn Label was a relief. Why?
1) That Chili Colorado is a showstopper, and my wife is mostly veggie. Meaning she's not gonna split it with me and if I have any kind of dinner planned for that night, I'm not really gonna order the Chili Colorado. So I need something else on the menu to love.
2) I think a lot of other 'hounds are like me, in terms of not always having room for an enormous breakfast. They maybe need something a little lighter than the C.C. to leave room for the rest of the day. So I've touted this place and there's gotta be something else special there besides the behemoth that is the C.C.
Fortunately, the B and G, as JHJT notes, is exceptionally good.
Not as epic as the CC, but still really good.
The spiciness of the gravy is a differentiator, as are the eggs.
I'm curious now to try the B and G at Pies and Thighs as well as Egg. Context is needed. But I've had enough B and G elsewhere to know this is a lovely rendition.
Three more Brooklyn Label notes:
-They've started serving some small pastries (on the house) to get you going before breakfast arrived. It's a nice touch.
-Yeah, it was busier this Sunday than on previous Sundays. But they handled it well, I thought. Still a roomier spot than Egg will ever be.
-Brooklyn Label's B and G and Chili Colorado, I think they put the place in the tradition of The Queen's Hideaway. That place is all of two blocks away, and is more ambitious, but it's that whole tweaked Southern thing that totally hits the spot.
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It's a beautiful world when a breakfast of biscuits and gravy is described as "a little lighter." I have got to try this place one morning, even if it is nowhere near home or work!
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Stuart, you're having some seriously cursed visits to Brooklyn Label. Dunno what to tell you.
We went Sunday at 9:30 and I had the B and G and a friend had the Chili Colorado and my wife had the tofu and potato scramble... She finally found a dish there that really worked for her. I had a bite and I thought it was surprisingly good, with brighter flavors that I would have expected.
I also had a couple bites of the Colorado--still really delicious. It's something I'd expect to find in, say, Austin, but it's lacking here in NYC.
The B and G was very good, again--the biscuits have a bit of sweetness to them that makes the dish a little unusual.
I've had hash browns there a couple times and they were clearly homemade. And, IMO, not a strength of their menu.
Unfortunately, this place has been discovered a bit in the last few weeks. We had no problem getting seated at 9:20ish on Sunday morning, but by 10:30 when we left, it was rather full. Our friend lives in W'burg; we picked her up there and drove back over, and I didn't realize just how close Brooklyn Label is to the commercial heart of W'burg. I suspect that big 10:30 crown is from W'burg...
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probably gpt locals, i'd wager. like i said, there aren't many good (non-polish) options. franklin coffee house is insanely crowded and not good, lamb and jaffy is less crowded but also not very good, manhattan diner is eh... if you want breakfasty/brunchy stuff in the neighborhood, you're not exactly spoilt for choice.
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Checked it out yesterday with the wife and son (3 yrs old). Definitely kid friendly as the menu has waffles and make your own eggs. They need more high chairs.
I tried the chile colorado. I like the dish, a lot of good flavors. I did not need to eat again until about 8 at night. It is a heavy dish but the eggs, pork, toast, etc. were all top notch.
My wife liked her omelette but gave the hash browns a thumbs down for the high salt factor.
The kid enjoyed the waffles.
We will go back it was about a 20 minute drive from Richmond Hill.
One last thinkg, I was suprised that they were already out of the biscuits and gravy and it was only 10 o'clock.
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I enjoyed the bisquits and gravy. The gravy is very flavorful, way better than Enid's. However, I would advise against the Chicken Pot Pie (a brunch special a few weeks back) - the ingredients were very fresh, but the sauce was bland. The omlette was also boring. Haven't tried the Chili Colorado, but sounds delish. Since I live on the next street over I'll definitely go back for the B&G and maybe to try to Chili.
Wish they had a veggie option for B&G.
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An update and a pic.
Went back to Brooklyn Label for the first time in about 5 weeks, on Saturday.
9:10am, the place was mostly empty, a few minutes after open. Service was quite solid. At 10am, it started to fill up but they seemed well equipped to handle it.
The Chili Colorado was excellent, per usual, though I thought the serving was somewhat smaller and I was relieved this was the case. It made me more inclined to order it in the future.
My wife had a special, Green Eggs and No Ham, which was soft scrambled eggs, spinach, toast, and a scoop of some sort of pesto-ish sauce... Totally worked, she said.
Anyway, the main reason I'm posting is because I remembered to snap a pic of the Chili Colorado... attached...
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Last time we went, my BF had the green eggs and no ham, and while it was delicious, it only needed about 10% of the pesto sauce. the amount was overwhelming. once he scraped the majority of it off, it was pretty good.
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we finally tried brookyn label and the famous chili colorado. good, but i didn't get the wowed reaction that others have had. i certainly wouldn't recommend that people travel from outside the immediate area. the other dish we tried was the omelet, which was... an omelet. the ingredients used were of a higher quality than you'd find at the average diner, but i wouldn't order it again. and for the $9 price tag, i think it's really lame that bread isn't included. $3 for an order "balthazar" toast is rip-offsville. service was great. it's refreshing to see a place that actually hires enough staff to deal with busy periods. i plan on going back to try the burger, which looked great, and i'll definitely still do take-out coffee as theirs is very good. still, i was a bit disappointed, especially as the $35 tab was a bit of splurge for us for lunch.
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As I mentioned above, I was pretty impressed by Brookyn Label when they first opened. Now that I've been there several times (it's seriously like 2 seconds away), the general consensus amongst my friends is that it's inconsistent. One week the B&G will be delicious, the next week the gravy is watery and the bisquits are hard. My absolute favorite dish they ever had was a Gruyere Omlette, but it was a special and they haven't had it again.
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