This past weekend, my We Heart Astoria colleagues and I brunched at Bear, which turned out to be a fabulous experience. After much admiration of the menu (scallops and eggs, the grizzly burger, beer battered fluke, etc.) we finally went in and gave it a try.
I must say, it was quite fabulous, as it had plenty of options and some pretty neat ones for vegetarians too, which was relevant to our party. Here's what we tried:
Scallops and Eggs - Naturally, this menu item just jumped out at me, since it's so different from what you'd see on traditional brunch menus. I couldn't be happier that I got it, as what arrived were 3 beautifully seared scallops (cooked to perfection) and embedded in to a sunny side up omelet. The dish was simple but really well executed, as the eggs were a little bit runny and coated the silky smooth scallops like a blanket. Further dressed with arugula, which gave the omelet a peppery bite, each ingredient complemented the other and overall produced a well-rounded dish. It's an absolute must!
Stuffed French Toast - We received a complimentary portion of Bear's stuffed French Toast, which looked a bit rustic, but tasted spectacular. As you can see from the above shot, the pieces of French toast sandwiched a filling of apricot-ricotta and honey. It almost tasted like a custard, which was very dessert-like and the French Toast itself was soft and resembled the texture of bread pudding. Simply put, it was some serious stuff, that I recommend splitting.
Meg, Mackenzi and Kellner also ordered other things, such as the tomato omelet you see above and also the grilled cheese sandwich. While I didn't taste these two things, they looked fabulous and the girls attested to its goodness. The tomato omelet especially looked attractive to me since it combined little cherry tomatoes with ricotta cheese. YUM!
One other thing I wanted to briefly touch upon is the crazy looking drink you see above. While we didn't try it, we admired it from afar, as it was a Bloody Mary on steroids if you will, with a giant piece of celery, broiled bacon and a whole hard boiled egg. Now that's what I call liquid brunch!
Service and Cost:
As always, the service was warm and friendly, and we were graciously greeted by Alex, Bear's co-owner as well as Natasha his sister and Bear's executive chef. We just loved how intimate and homey it all felt, and we were comfortable to just relax and hang out as long as we wanted. Think everyone felt the same, as we saw people comfortably sinking into their seats and enjoying their brunch.
Costs are inexpensive, given the awesomeness of the food:
$14 will buy you a main dish, unlimited coffee, and 1 mimosa or bloody Mary. You can't beat that!
3 Mmmms
I must say, it was quite fabulous, as it had plenty of options and some pretty neat ones for vegetarians too, which was relevant to our party. Here's what we tried:
Scallops and Eggs - Naturally, this menu item just jumped out at me, since it's so different from what you'd see on traditional brunch menus. I couldn't be happier that I got it, as what arrived were 3 beautifully seared scallops (cooked to perfection) and embedded in to a sunny side up omelet. The dish was simple but really well executed, as the eggs were a little bit runny and coated the silky smooth scallops like a blanket. Further dressed with arugula, which gave the omelet a peppery bite, each ingredient complemented the other and overall produced a well-rounded dish. It's an absolute must!
Stuffed French Toast - We received a complimentary portion of Bear's stuffed French Toast, which looked a bit rustic, but tasted spectacular. As you can see from the above shot, the pieces of French toast sandwiched a filling of apricot-ricotta and honey. It almost tasted like a custard, which was very dessert-like and the French Toast itself was soft and resembled the texture of bread pudding. Simply put, it was some serious stuff, that I recommend splitting.
Meg, Mackenzi and Kellner also ordered other things, such as the tomato omelet you see above and also the grilled cheese sandwich. While I didn't taste these two things, they looked fabulous and the girls attested to its goodness. The tomato omelet especially looked attractive to me since it combined little cherry tomatoes with ricotta cheese. YUM!
One other thing I wanted to briefly touch upon is the crazy looking drink you see above. While we didn't try it, we admired it from afar, as it was a Bloody Mary on steroids if you will, with a giant piece of celery, broiled bacon and a whole hard boiled egg. Now that's what I call liquid brunch!
Service and Cost:
As always, the service was warm and friendly, and we were graciously greeted by Alex, Bear's co-owner as well as Natasha his sister and Bear's executive chef. We just loved how intimate and homey it all felt, and we were comfortable to just relax and hang out as long as we wanted. Think everyone felt the same, as we saw people comfortably sinking into their seats and enjoying their brunch.
Costs are inexpensive, given the awesomeness of the food:
$14 will buy you a main dish, unlimited coffee, and 1 mimosa or bloody Mary. You can't beat that!
3 Mmmms
Bear - 12-14 31st Avenue, Long Island City NY 11106
917.396.4939
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bearnyc.com
917.396.4939
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bearnyc.com
We've never been to Bear in Long Island City. Taking a look at all of the brunch items that you enjoyed makes us think that we've certainly been missing out. We must try the stuffed French Toast. Looks amazing!
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