Kick Off Monday

Or…my  Every Other Monday post (EOM)
Or…how much soccer have you been watching?
Or…have any biscuits/pancakes/fried chicken lately?
Good Morning!   It’s Monday!

And…here we go!

I fell in love with soccer full force, when I realized there are no commercials  till halftime.  I don’t know how many of you watch the World Cup, but I  absolutely love it.  However, I decided I can not spend hours every day glued to the TV, so I made a decision.  When one of my favorite teams  is playing or I think it will be an exciting game, I’ll be there. I mean how can one resist Ronaldo!Image result for ronaldo

But yesterday I did walk away for a while cause my foodie son  took  us to a great brunch place on the Upper  West Side,  Jacob’s Pickles.  By the way,  a common request by respondents to  my survey   was  to hear more about NYC restaurants, hence, Jacob’s Pickles.  To put this restaurant thing in perspective,  I’m not a food critic, but I will tell you about places I’ve been that I think you might like reading about or perhaps even eating there.

Here’s the deal with Jacob’s Pickles (no TVs so no soccer, bummer) Southern-accented comfort food.  It’s all about the beer,  and the  biscuits, and the pickles, and the pancakes, and the fried chicken…plus.    My teenage granddaughters love this restaurant. This was the first visit for one of my  granddaughters  who said after,”I knew it was going to be good, but I didn’t think it would be  that good!”

She  ordered the  fried chicken atop the bacon sprinkled pancakes with home-made syrup. And listen to this, my son had the Croque Madame – fried chicken with black forest ham, gruyere cheese, sunny side up eggs on a bacon egg and cheese biscuit.  Yikes!  Me? I had wonderful deviled eggs and   picked on their food   with absolutely no shame.  The portions are huge.

There  can be a long  wait(see more about Jacob’s Pickles  in Kay’s Notes) so plan accordingly.    It’s a good time  to explore this interesting  area while waiting. The   Museum of Natural History is a few blocks away and could be considered after brunch to walk off the biscuits, fried chicken, gravy, cheese grits and the fried Oreos.

Rose’, water and Kentucky Porch Sipper

If you want to have a quiet brunch with soft music in the background and no need to ask “what” a gazillion times,   JP is not for you.   But if you want really good  comfort food, interesting loud music, good drinks, surrounded by a cool crowd, great service, go… and especially if  you have teenagers in your group, .they will love it.

Here are some of the  sites in the neighborhood as we walked around waiting for our table.

An artist, her dog and a passer-by – quietly taking in a weekend  morning
A  footed tub just waiting for some water!

 

 

 

 

 

Care to join us?

LOVE THIS CITY!   LOVE ITS  FOOD!

KAY’S NOTES:

Important to know:   JP is located on  Amsterdam Ave between 84th and 85th.   It can be absolutely packed especially on weekends.    The first time we went, we had over an hour wait, they’ll call you on your phone  to let you know when your table is ready.  Check out their website for more details.  Reservations for 8 or more. http://jacobs.picklehospitality.com/

A very  important thing about JP…Jacob’s Digs 

Jacob’s Pickles is located next door to a verdant garden on the Upper West Side. In conceptualizing the restaurant, restaurateur Jacob Hadjigeorgis envisioned a holistic approach to building community partnerships. As a longtime neighborhood resident inspired by artisanal movements that increasingly define local economic growth, Jacob rejoiced at landing 509 Amsterdam. To celebrate the homecoming and provide gardening resources, Jacob established a complimentary charity, Jacob’s Digs. 

Good to know- One: If you’re in my peer group – be adventurous.   I probably would not have chosen this restaurant if not for my son and I was so glad I went.  You’ll be surrounded by lots of young, happy people out for  brunch.   I had a great time!

Good to know -Two:  Museum of Natural History is at Central Park West and 77th Street.  https://www.amnh.org/.  There are other brunch places in the area…easy to spot all have people  mingling outside waiting for tables.

Beer drinkers take note Jason’s Pickles has  a nice selection of American beers from New York, Vermont, California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan.  No beer for us.  I had a nice but somewhat boring rose’ and my son had the Kentucky  Porch Sipper. I had a sip of that sipper. Delish!

Kid Friendly:  Older kids – not toddlers and babies very noisy and crowded.

Prices:  Typical NYC,  but not crazy

Restrooms: On main level and downstairs


Disclaimer: I try for correct info on my posts, but no guarantees people.