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Essex is a fun room, but a real surprise at first when you walk in. The room looks enormous in the photos, doesn't it? But it is not. It's a good size and if you never saw the photo, you would not be disappointed. The height of the camera does wonderful things for a photo: lesson learned.
The peach martini and the pomegranate martini are both well done and went down nicely. Calamari appetizer was perfectly done but not enough habanero-avocado dip. I knew it the minute the calamari came, 'That's not gonna be enough.'
Duck breast with Israeli Cous Cous were flavorful and perfectly done. The Red Reviewer wrestles with salt and salty food. RR loves salty food but wonders if salt is a chef's excuse for bad food or a lack of confidence in the food's flavors. So, yes, the meal was salty and I liked it. (RR is not a pro reviewer, just a person.)
Companions both opted for the filet mignon and sweet potato fries. Not a single item was left on any of our plates.
A soaring ceiling is one of the hallmarks of Essex, this wild
and raucous restaurant on the lower east side. Opened for
dinner during the week and brunch on the weekends. The generous
alcohol policy (three drinks included with the $15 price for
brunch), makes this one of the best brunch values in the city.
Even if you make a reservation, be prepared to wait. People
line up and wait on Sundays for a chance to have the Essex
Brunch Experience. It's loud during brunch and the wait staff
can be very busy, making the thin skinned customer think they
are being mistreated. No, its just wildly popular and that
comes with the territory.
Essex has a lot of things right -- one of them is that the
times, they are a changing. Their menu is a fusion of Jewish
and Latin food. The old Jewish neighborhood has left and in
its place is a large Hispanic population.
Don't believe us, read the citysearch reviews here.
Of course, the menupages people chime in too! Here.
Even the gothamist
was seduced by the charms of Essex. Review. |
