The Breslin

I was a big fan of The Spotted Pig so I walked into The Breslin expecting a good meal.  A good meal is just what I got.  Don't you just hate when things turn out just as you'd hoped?  

I liked the vibe from the moment I walked inside.  Even though it's located in the swanky Ace Hotel (a trendy hotel that thrives in a less than trendy neighborhood), The Breslin is anything but modern in appearance.  The paint on the tall ceilings is almost all chipped off and an old armoire has been re-purposed as the bar.  Though I'm sure every one of those details has been well planned, it seems off the cuff like they're not trying too hard.  The same goes for the food.  I understand the feeling because I, too, am awesome.  I was born that way.

As with The Spotted Pig, I had heard a lot about The Breslin's burger.  Though they already have an established recipe that draws people to The Spotted Pig daily, they challenged themselves to do the same thing but with a completely different flavor profile.  Instead of beef and roquefort, The Breslin's burger is made with lamb and feta.  It is fabulous.  It's served with plump fries and cumin mayo.  Eating it was truly a delightful experience.  We also tried the scotch egg, which was as good as I expected knowing chef April Bloomfield's skew toward fatty and fried foods.  I liked the flavor of the bombay mix snack but didn't like that it was basically fish food in terms of size and shape.  Not easy to eat.  I would skip it, though I think it would be nice to have it at home to sprinkle on top of salad or mashed potatoes.  You may see caesar salads everywhere, but I strongly recommend eating this one.  It has fried herbs and anchovy croutons.  It was probably the best caesar salad I've ever had.  We also tried the burrata salad and though I love burrata I would still go with the caesar.  Not that it was a bad salad, but the caesar can't be missed.