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1 Margaret Corbin Drive New York, NY 10040 (Map) (212) 568-5323 www.newleafrestaurant.com
Attendees: :jump_to_Sylvia:, :jump_to_Jeff:
:a_Sylvia:
On the way up to the The Cloisters is New Leaf, a charming little restaurant. We arrived a little after 11:30 and were able to snag a seat in the cozy dining room. No brunch reservations are accepted, and by the time we left, even the bar seating was full.
The menu was simple. For about $20 you had a choice of a multitude of entrees. As I was perusing the menu, the one dish that caught my eye was the Duck Confit Hash. Unfortunately, it was also the one dish that caught Jeff’s eye. For the sake of fair reporting, I contemplated switching my choice, but alas, the call was too strong, and we both ended up with the same dish.
Each entree came with coffee or tea, and a juice of your choice. I had coffee and a cranberry juice (of which I only had a few sips of…not a big juice person).
The duck confit hash was pretty tasty. It came with two poached eggs resting delicately on top. Overall, I found the dish really good. The accompanying salad was well dressed (which Alli agreed with) without an over abundance of dressing The hash was more duck than potatoes (no complaints there); however, the duck itself was a bit dry. The delicious yolk from the poached eggs helped with the overall moisture of the dish, but the poached eggs had that teeth stripping feel that I find comes with eggs poached in a liquid that had some vinegar in it. Not a deal breaker, but noticeable.
The czar says: A very nice place for a more special or sophisticated brunch perhaps with your parents or grand parents before heading up to the Cloisters for a day of immersion in Medieval Architecture and artifacts.
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:a_Jeff:
If you spend at a day at the Cloisters, you might as well bite the expense bullet and treat yourself to the New Leaf Restaurant. It’s right in Fort Tryon Park on the upper upper upper west side. The meals are a little pricey, but it’s not like you’re having brunch here every day.
Inside, it’s small and personal. No giant dining halls to fit as many people as possible. The waiter for our table was very nice. I can only say nice things about this place. Especially the food! I ordered the duck confit hash which had two poached eggs on top. My sister pointed out that there was a stronger vinegar flavor to it, which I apparently didn’t notice or didn’t mind. The duck was a smidgen dry, but over all it was good. The grits on the side were good, but a little watery. I personally like my grits at fork consistency, but the flavor was very good.
Overall, I recommend this place for a nice brunch, especially if you’re going to the Cloisters. It may be pricey, but it’s not something you do every day.
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