Something New at Public

Over the weekend, my husband and I went out to NYC to do some furniture shopping (furniture stores are somewhat limited here in our area in CT). Sadly, we did not have enough time to stop by any of the participating bakeries for Macaron Day 2010, as mostly all of them were located in Midtown. On the bright side, we stopped by Public, one of our favorite restaurants, for brunch. I had always depended on Public for their bloody marys and something different & tasty. While the former had slipped in quality, I still enjoy their refreshing approach to food.

I always get their delicious Tea Smoked Salmon Benedict for brunch, so I thought I would try something different this time around. I ordered their Ginger Spiced Lychee French Toast, a relatively new item on their menu. The golden brown french toast sat on a lemongrass dark palm caramel that resembled chocolate sauce. Although I did not taste ginger or lemongrass, I thought it was nicely done dish. I've never had lychee with french toast before, and I'd say it added a needed lightness to french toast that's often rich and heavy.


The highlight of brunch was the Quinoa Hash. I'm relatively new to quinoa, so being introduced to this grain-like crop in such a way made me see its many possibilities. The hash had a wonderful mild falafel-like spice. I especially loved the crispy exterior that was enhanced by the crunchy little grains, a perfect contrast to the soft and slightly moist interior.


I really hope the bloody marys at Public go back to the way they were. For now, I'm fully inspired and will definitely be attempting the quinoa hash at home in the future.