Elephant and Castle, Greenwich Ave, New York , NY
212-243-1400
This Greenwich stalwart's sister restaurant in Temple Bar Dublin has always one of my favourite haunts in Ireland - good value, great food and relaxing atmosphere. So it had to be the first place I would review on moving to the Big Apple! Like it's Irish counterpart, Elephant and Castle doesn't take bookings - you have to show up and put your name on a list to get a seat. We arrived shortly after 12 midday for Sunday Brunch, and the place was full to capacity. We were told that it would be a 15 minute wait - in reality it was less than 10.
One of the biggest draws on the Dublin menu - the basket of chicken wings - are not available here. But some familiar favourites are on the menu, including the Elephant Burger (no, it's not made from elephants - it's a beef burger with curried mayonaisse, stilton, scallions, really good!).
Otherwise the brunch menu is dominated by eggs - whichever way you could want them. There are six different omelettes and an intriguing scrambled egg with guacamole and salsa served with a warm tortilla.
I opted for one of the Specials - Cod Cakes with Poached Eggs and a Chipotle sauce. From the regular menu, Fred took the Eggs and Apple Benedict on French toast, with Maple Syrup and Crispy Bacon.
The service was attentive, but the food took a little longer to serve than we would have liked.
The Cod Cakes were crispy and tasty - the poached egg cooked to perfection. The Chipotle sauce had just the right amount of kick to liven up what could have been a pretty bland combination, without overpowering the fish cakes. A delicious light start to the day.
Fred's dish was a little on the sweet side. Again the eggs were poached to perfection - but hollandaise, apple and maple syrup on the French toast? Maybe too much. Thank God for the salty crispy bacon (which was an optional add-on), which returned some balance to the plate.
The total bill, which included a freshly squeezed orange juice and a Mimosa, came to just under $40 including tax - not cheap, but not over the top either for the quality of the food.
Overall, we were very happy with the brunch. Is Elephant and Castle Greenwich as good as the one in Dublin? That's like asking which comes first - the chicken wings or the egg? The spicy wings in Dublin will always have a special place in my heart - but I can see no reason why we wouldn't return to Elephant and Castle Greenwich for brunch again.
The Bill:
Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice: $4.50
Mimosa: $6.50
Special: Cod Cakes with Poached Eggs and Chipotle Sauce: $11.75
Eggs and Apple Benedict on French Toast with Maple Syrup (+ Bacon) $13.75
Total (incl Tax) $39.74
Rating: **** (Four out of Five)
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