When my aunt and uncle came to town this weekend, they were kind enough to treat me to brunch downtown in the financial district at the Smorgas Chef. Smorgas Chef boasts Scandinavian cuisine and has four locations around town.
The restaurant down on Stone Street is fairly small and on a freezing Saturday morning, it was pretty cold inside – almost taking away from the dining experience. I ended up getting the eggs benedict with a side of potato salad. I know, potato salad seems weird for breakfast, but their home fries had a mild herring taste – and I wasn’t about to eat fish before noon. The waitress almost seemed annoyed with our questions about the menu and when my aunt requested a different side dish, I was sure we ruined her morning.
While the brunch was a little more than I’d like to spend on breakfast ($12), unfortunately, it wasn’t that memorable. The eggs benedict was okay, and while the potato salad was great, I felt like I should be eating it at a Memorial Day picnic instead of with my breakfast. The wilted salad on the side really did nothing for me, and we all left our salad untouched. I mean, c’mon – it’s a breakfast side – give me a fruit cup or hash browns or something.
With so many brunch places in New York, I think moving forward I’ll skip the Smorgas Chef and look forward to my weekend breakfasts somewhere else.
The Basics Name: Smorgas ChefLocation: 53 Stone Street,
(btw. Hanover Sq. and Broad Street) Who to take: Parents Price: Typical NYC. $$. Overall: I’d rather eat off the dollar menu. 2 Stars.
