Bottom line:  A fun, unique brunch experience - especially when friends visit NYC for the first time.

Tips:

• Seasonal brunching only: Sundays April 8 - Oct 28, 2012.
• $68 (after taxes/fees) gets you a full buffet of breakfast and lunch food and one free drink.
• Expect a touristy crowd.
  

About:  Of all the brunch options in NYC, brunch on a boat never really came to mind.  But why not? What better way to see the skyline and get up close and personal with Lady Liberty than cruising the Hudson while sipping mimosas!  My good friend Chioke recently went on the World Yacht brunch cruise and shared his experience with me.

Food:  The brunch package includes all-you-can-eat and one beverage.  The food was buffet style, with a mix of breakfast and lunch food items (from baked goods, fresh fruit and salads, to breakfast dishes, lunch dishes and desserts).  The food wasn't spectacular, but none of us had anything negative to say about it.   

Atmosphere:  Best part for me was the music - having a piano playing gently in the background while getting breakfast is always a welcome change.  Worst part, the linty cloth napkins on my black dress pants.

The overall atmosphere on the boat was nice - the dress code was business casual and the waiters were very nice and polite.  The boat, as to be expected, was filled with tourists and their families.

Was it worth the price...? I probably won't do it again. It was fun, but if I have friends in town I would probably do brunch somewhere in the city and do a sightseeing cruise separately.

Also to note, the cruise doesn't go around Manhattan - just from Pier 81 to the Statue of Liberty and turn back, so you don't get to see the full downtown Manhattan 'cruise' experience.

World Yacht Brunch Cruise:  Pier 81 on West 41st Street
Brunch cruises available Sundays early April through end of October

Special thanks to our friend Chioke for documenting his experience so we can share it on BrunchUponATime!

Bottom line:  An NYC gem behind a dingy front door, with a hidden rooftop and live music.

Tips:

• The menu is somewhat limited - salads and crepes only
• You won't find any mention of brunch or its menu on the Hotel Chantelle website, so scroll down on this page for a full menu!
• Not an actual hotel...

About:  Don't be deterred by the restaurant's drab exterior - this is a winning brunch spot in the popular Lower East Side of Manhattan.  Who doesn't love a semi-secret rooftop brunch with live music and quality food? 

Food:  The petite menu offers a few specialty salads and a variety of sweet and savory crepes.  

• Banana crepe - It's like eating dessert (and some of us did share it as dessert) - filled with hazelnuts, nutella, and acacia honey creme fraiche and topped with bananas.
  
• Smoked salmon crepe - Very tasty and made with fresh salmon (not 'lox'), asparagus, fresh dill and lemon creme fraiche.  Love that it comes topped with a small piece of hash brown - adds a nice flavor and texture to the savory crepe.
  
• Wild mushroom crepe - Another savory crepe that is a great substitute for those who tend to order omelets, this one is filled with wild mushrooms, fresh baby spinach, applewood smoked bacon, and goat cheese.
  

Drink:  Overall the cocktails were very tasty, and the coffee was good as well.  Note there is no skim milk and no Splenda (when will these restaurants learn!?).

• Mimosa - Good taste, small glass!
  
• Bloody Mary - Not so great to be honest.  Tasted like tomato juice - not spicy, couldn't taste the alcohol, just overall lack of flavor.  Go for one of the other drinks.
  
• South of Delancey - While the first two sips were too sweet for me, that quickly wore off and this was actually a favorite.  It is made with citrus vodka, sweet tea vodka, peach schnapps, and lime juice.
  
• Mint Julep - Looks (and tastes) a bit like a mojito, the mint julep is a refreshing cocktail that complements the lighter fare.
  

Atmosphere:  While the view from Ludlow street is less than attractive (simply a grey brick wall and a single neon sign with the venue's name), after walking inside and upstairs it is a different story.  The tile floor is a bit diner-esque, but the delicate design of the chair legs and bar add a nice feel.  The table is a shadow box filled with fake flowers and green, fuzzy moss-like things that nobody could figure out... but we didn't mind. 

We love the live jazz music by Dandy Wellington, fronted by a college classmate and friend of mine!  The music is relaxing and totally takes you out of your busy NY state of mind.  They play every Saturday during brunch!

Hotel Chantelle:  92 Ludlow Street, 212.254.9100

About:  Garage is one of the best places to go for live jazz, right in the heart of Greenwich Village.  In addition to nightly performances, they have a band playing every Saturday and Sunday to spice up your brunch from 11:30AM - 3:30PM. 

Food:  The diverse menu has a mix of breakfasty and lunchy items as part of a great special.  For $16.95 you get an entree and a cocktail, and for $6 more you get unlimited cocktails!  Also, the huge portions will keep you nibbling throughout the jazz performance!

I'm showing the dessert first because it was sooo good!  This was a special on the day we went, glazed donuts filled with vanilla ice cream, topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce, a strawberry and a cookie!  Similar to Holey Cream in Hell's Kitchen, with a more gourmet twist, this donut ice cream sandwich was out of this world!  One order was enough for a table of nine (nobody felt guilty having a couple of bites).

Most of us got egg dishes and overall we were very pleased with our brunch.  The omelets are huge and come with a nice assortment of extras including a mini watermelon slice and orange slice to cleanse the palate.  The one negative of the entire meal from a food perspective was the potato scoop.  Our table was fifty-fifty about it, and I was on the 'not a fan' side.  it comes as a mashed potato scoop that has pieces of potato skin and something like bread crumbs inside.  Not a traditional breakfast potato and I didn't really know what to do with it. 

Aside from the potato ... thing... the omelets were spectacular:

• Caprese omelet: with diced beefsteak tomatoes, fresh basil and grated mozzarella.  Flavorful and garden-fresh.  The fresh taste makes you feel like you are in the Italian countryside! Definitely a favorite dish at Garage.
• Bacon and cheese omelet:  with applewood smoked bacon and Vermont cheddar cheese.  This omelet was delicious!  There were quite a bit of full pieces of bacon in this omelet (not little cut up bits like you may find elsewhere).  The white cheddar was very tasty as well and was a good complement to the bacon.
• Farmer's market omelet:  eggs filled with fresh roasted zucchini, tomatoes, asparagus, eggplant, and yellow squash tossed with goat cheese.  (We didn't have it with the goat cheese).  Pretty standard veggie omelet with some more exotic veggies that you don't normally see in an omelet.
• Spinach and mushroom omelet: with fresh spinach, cremini mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and a slice of brie.  The brie adds an interesting twist to a traditional omelet and literally melts in your mouth.  The sun-dried tomatoes also added a nice flavor to the great mix of ingredients.
  

The non-omelet items were also winners at Garage:

• Garage Benedict:  One of the restaurant's specialty benedicts, the Garage Benedict has lightly poached farm fresh eggs with Nova Scotia smoked salmon, asparagus and homemade hollandaise.  ($3 additional to the $16.95 brunch special).  This was a favorite dish at Garage, and the salmon was described as "delicately scrumptious".  the eggs were very tasty and the whole dish was awesome.
  
• Garage chicken cobb salad:  A standard cobb salad with the nice surprise of having a healthier greens (spinach) mixed into the salad.  The applewood bacon was divine and went well with the tarragon ginger dressing.  Other dressings are available as well, but the tarragon was delicious.  The salad is giant and a great pick if you are looking for more of a lunch-brunch. ($2 additional to the $16.95 brunch special).
  

Drinks:  As part of the $16.95 brunch special, a bloody Mary, screwdriver, mimosa, or juice is included with your entree.  For an additional $6, you can get unlimited drinks for one hour.  Note:  everyone at your table must participate in order to get the bottomless special.

The bloodies were not too salty or strong, they had a good spicy kick with a lot of black pepper at the bottom.

The screwdrivers and mimosas were pretty standard.

Coffee is not included in your brunch special.

Atmosphere:  A bi-level brunch spot with a lot of open space.  There is a big bar that you can sit at, or you can sit in the main dining room or upstairs overlooking the customers and the band.  The jazz band is lovely and definitely created a nice soundtrack to our meal, but it was a bit too loud and was hard to hear the people at our table.  So while it is a fun activity for groups, don't expect to enjoy a deep conversation here!

The band is also in a little corner of the restaurant so it is a bit hard to see them perform from the upstairs seating.

The service was decent, it seemed like our waiter was handling too many tables at once as he didn't give us all that much attention.  But he was polite and efficient.  Overall, a nice casual atmosphere, great for music enthusiasts or couples who want to experience a unique brunch activity.

More photos:

Food:  The brunch menu - which includes Latin Breakfast Empanadas, Eggs Benedictowitz and Tacos - is crafted to represent the melting pot of cultures that are found in the Lower East Side.  The Benedictowitz was great in theory with a unique spin on the Benedict (potato pancake, smoked salmon, poached egg, and hollandaise), but we think the potato pancake was too thick and took away from the other flavors.  The Empanadas were delicious - especially with the special salsa they come with.

Drinks:  $20 bottomless drink special (which makes sense if you are getting more than 2 cocktails).  Be sure to check out the smaller menu on your table - that is full of specialty brunch cocktails including a coffee drink with patron, absolut vanilia and nutmeg!

Atmosphere:  While not so secret with a big sign out front, Sons of Essex appears to be a deli/bakery upon first glance.  Go through a door on the left and voila: a rather large bar/restaurant with and old-school feel, dim lighting to set the mood and a three piece jazz band.  Check out the beautiful wood-paneled ceiling and the paintings and old books lining the walls throughout the restaurant.  Overall, a casual atmosphere, though the dim lighting and live music are perfect for setting a more romantic mood.

Sons of Essex:  133 Essex Street, 212.674.7100
Brunch:  11AM - 4PM