Tasty Delights from Colicchio and Sons

Collin Murray and I went for brunch today at his new workplace, Colicchio and Sons. Now I'm not going to get all restaurant review-y or anything because that's not really my thing at the moment. Instead, I will tell you how delightfully delicious it was and how lovely the room was and how satisfactory the service was.

For brunch, I had the Ricotta and Spring Vegetable Frittata with Truffle Honey and Arugula and it was verra tasty. It was made in an 8 inch cast iron pan (it helps to know someone who works in the kitchen) and served whole on a white plate. Inside the frittata was a selection of fava beans, peas and ricotta and it was topped with arugula, honey and a little fleur de sel. When I first tasted it, I was a little worried because there was no real taste but the chalk-y flavor of the beans. Dear me. However, I kept eating and it kept getting more and more delicious. The sweetness of the honey and the peppery-ness of the arugula played really well together and the ricotta provided a wonderful creaminess too. I also had a side of bacon which Collin told me is made in the kitchen -- how cool is that?!

Collin Murray had Carolina Johnny Cakes with Duck Confit, Poached Eggs and Red-Eye Gravy. He was delighted by the dish but it really didn't do anything for me visually. There were three cornmeal pancakes (johnny cakes) and then there was a heap of brownish gravy that held the duck confit. The two poached eggs -- poached to perfection said Collin -- were atop the gravy. Like I said, he loved it but I didn't taste it so I cannot account for the flavors.

As for the space, Colicchio and Sons occupies Tom Colicchio's old restaurant, Craftsteak but it looks to me like it has been slightly updated to support a new concept. In the Tap Room, which is the room that we had brunch in and is sort of the more casual room of the two that comprise the restaurant, there is a large dividing wall that is made of glass and holds the wine collection. It is a really neat feature, especially if you sit at the bar because it faces the wine wall. The floor is wood but it has a really neat kind of patchwork rug on it. There are a variety of sizes of tables and a bunch of different kinds of seating -- benches, chairs and stools. Also, there are giant windows all around the room which let in a lot of great light during the day and at night, the ceiling, which has a super cool geometric design, lights the room very nicely Collin says.

It was a fun brunch and it was very neat to see where Collin works and see a couple of the chefs that he works with. We think we will probably go back soon and try another couple things -- the Brioche Pain Perdu with Smoked Maple Syrup is calling my name.

Wish me luck on my tests tomorrow. I'm very nervy about them and find that the idea of not being able to make any mistakes is a rather nerve-wracking one. Until then, to keep the picture mongers happy, here are a couple pictures of a cupcake that I took yesterday. It is from Eleni's in Chelsea Market and though the cupcake itself wasn't that good (too sugar-y and too dry for my liking), it sure did photograph pretty.