WRINKLE OF THE NOSE.

Brunch in the city is one of those meals that you really have to carve out a whole day for. You never know how long the affair might take because it seems as if every notable brunch-ing restaurant REFUSES to accept reservations! Which is just what may add to its allure.

So for the past year, I have heard a lot of fuss about Prune. And I have also heard tales of 1-2 hour waits. Something that I am NOT in the mood to do if I am hungover on a Sunday afternoon. So that is why this past weekend was the PERFECT opportunity to finally taste my way through Prune. Why, you may ask?? DAYLIGHT SAVINGS, of course - the one weekend where New Yorkers will either forget to set their clocks an hour early, or grumble and simply wake up an hour late. Brunch at Prune, you are mine.

We arrived around 12:15pm and were promptly seated at the bar (the restaurant was actually already packed, so we were lucky these two spots were open - I guess people still do wake up, despite the curse of daylight savings). I personally liked sitting at the bar because I got to witness the magic behind Prune's famous Bloody Mary's! While the decor and vibe were comforting and lively, it is possible the reason why Prune has received so many RAVE reviews is because critics have been far too sloshed from the Bloody Mary's to realize that their food is actually quite mediocre.


Fried Oyster Omelette with Remoulade sauce. The dish was fine, but nothing out of this world. There was nothing to excite me beyond the two fried oysters within the omelette. Anything smeared with tartar sauce is bound to taste good. Hell, it even makes a McDonald's Filet o' Fish taste decent. My first half of the omelette was fine, until I began cutting into the second fried oyster. I'm pretty sure I was served a bad oyster (which can happen to anyone, at any restaurant) because it left a horrid taste in my mouth and I felt sick for the next few hours.


J and I shared the Fresh Ricotta dish, which was served with raspberries, dried figs, toasted pine nuts, and honey. The ricotta was almost a bit too dry and bland...if it weren't for the honey and the natural sweetness of the figs - it would have been completely tasteless. I would have lived without ordering this dish.

It is rare for me to not get excited about food or restaurants. And usually the hype is not what gets to me, it is the actual food that gets to me. So, Gabrielle Hamilton, thank you for your cute restaurant. But I'm glad I wasn't suckered into waiting over an hour for your meal.