Pounds & Ounces

I need to remember how many great restaurants are in Chelsea.  Lindsay gets credit for finding my most recent Chelsea spot, Pounds & Ounces.  Once I got past the overly heavy front doors (I recommend lifting weights before holding them open for anyone), the first thing to catch my eye was the long, curved table that snaked down the middle of the restaurant.  Lindsay and I ended up sitting at our own two-top so we didn't get to mingle with random table neighbors, but we still benefited from the lighthearted mood it set in the restaurant.

We decided not to have drinks, but they looked delicious and came by the glass or pitcher.  They already have great music going so if they only had deals on the beverages, this place would be the perfect spot for party brunch.  Though I can't attest to whether or not the drinks tasted as good as they looked, I can tell you the food was as tasty as described on the menu.

Lindsay is a benedict connoisseur so I would guess that their version was good based on her clean plate.  They call it the classic but I would say it strays far enough from the original to earn a new name.  Porchetta, asparagus, and smoked tomato hollandaise make for an original brunch specialty.  I went with the huevos rancheros pizza.  Spicy roasted tomatoes, black beans, guanciale, avocado, and a sunny side up egg made up the toppings for homemade flatbread.  Using a sunny side up egg instead of scrambled felt lighter and rejuvenated from the heavy breakfast burrito version.  My only complaint was that the middle was too soggy to pick up and it was sitting on top of thin parchment paper that ripped when I cut my pizza.  All they need to do is switch it from the [albeit] cute pizza pan to a regular plate and that one tiny problem is solved.   If my primary complaint is plate selection, I think they're doing more than a fine job.