Brown Cafe
61 Hester Street
New York, NY 10002
212.477.2427

The Scene
At first glance, this place looks like a gem: Peek in the warmly lit glass storefront on this dark street in a shabby neighborhood and you’ll likely see a roomful of posh-looking diners. (Isn’t that the definition of a “find”?) But the same attributes that make brown so attractive seem to get in the way of its success. That cozy interior is overheated by its overflow of well-dressed clientele engrossed in well-read conversation; those glazed vertical tree stumps in place of chairs might be innovative but they’re neither stable nor comfortable. The dinner menu—organic comfort food that changes daily and arrives on wood boards in case you didn’t clue in to the rusticity—is equally uneven: Braised fennel with roasted chicken may be tasty but tinny smelling bass seems an affront to the market-driven claims. — Alexandra Vallis, NYMag.com

I’m a bit behind my restaurant reviews please bear with me, two months back Matt Goias invited YM and me to have lunch to catch up. Matt suggested to eat at Brown Cafe, a spot that I’ve passed by a million times but never attempted to go in because it was always packed on the weekends. So finally on the weekday when we went the cafe was empty, it’s a cozy little spot with a pretty big menu. The food took awhile to prepare but it was well worth the wait, the food was AMAZING. The price is a bit expensive but again its definitely worth it, after the first time eating there back in May I’ve been there four other times its soooo good. I crave for the Roasted Rree Range Chicken Breast Sandwich all the time the bread is crispy and the sauce is yummy- it’s the best, YM likes it a lot too. Besides that the Brown’s Macaroni and Cheese is pretty good too, everytime I go I always order those two plus whatever my other friends want. Definitely one of my favorite spots now, go try it if you haven’t but just a headsup if you’re going on a Saturday (when I usually go) there’s a long wait!

More pics after the jump…

brown’s macaroni and cheese $12.00

roasted free range chicken breast, roasted red pepper aioli, vermont cheddar, marinated tomatoes and mixed greens on baguette $10.50

Forgot what Matt had…

Matt “fxxing” his food haha…