Keep It Au (Spring Street) Naturale

I met up with a friend for brunch one Saturday in SoHo on a beautiful spring day. And then, I did something I almost never do...roamed around til a restaurant caught our eye. As Miss Menu, I've become so accustomed to reading up on new restaurants and seeking out unusual places online. It's been a while since I went out for any meal without a predetermined spot in mind.

As I've mentioned before, I'm really not into the whole health/organic food or restaurant craze, so I'm always a little skeptical to try them out. My friend reassured me that I'd like Spring Street Natural, so I figured I'd be daring and give it a shot.

Since it was such a beautiful day and it was prime brunch time, we knew there would be a wait. Judging by the crowd waiting on the sidewalk and in the entry area, I was just hoping for a wait under 30 minutes. I was really hungry, so I was thrilled when the hostess said it would only be 10 minutes for a party of two.

We were seated in a little section of two-top tables that were so close together that when the girl behind me moved around, her hair would touch me...not OK. I’m pretty sure that area was made for 2 tables, but they tried to get away with squeezing in another one. We asked to move to an open table along the huge wrap-around windows. Much better. It was much more spacious, great for people-watching, and great for enjoying the sun on such a nice day.

We were given both the brunch and the lunch menus. I perused them both, and even when overlooking all the tofu and tempeh items, there were still multiple dishes that caught my eye. I was very tempted to get an omelette, but my friend reminded me that the past few brunches we’ve had together I’ve ordered omelettes. Apparently, I love my eggs on the weekends!

Between not wanting to bore you, my loyal readers, or myself, I decided to order something else, and ended up with the Grilled Free Range Chicken Burger. It was served on a toasted brioche bun with melted pepper jack cheese and chipotle mayonnaise, and came with hand-cut French fries. Not being into the free range/au naturale thing, I can’t really say if I could taste a difference between the chicken used in this burger and a chicken burger anywhere else. But, I can say that this one was delicious. It almost had the flavor of a meatloaf, with chopped onions and oregano mixed in. The pepper jack gave it a nice kick, and the chipotle mayonnaise added great flavor too.

The hand-cut fries were really tasty…fresh and crispy. The only complaint I have about them is that they were served with what I’m guessing to be an organic ketchup. Now, I’m sure it’s healthier without preservatives and partially hydrogenated whatever, but I was longing for some good ol’ Heinz to accompany these great fries.

On a negative note, I have to point out that I felt like we were being rushed the entire time. The waiter hounded us to order, and then again to pay our check. I know there was still a huge wait, but I wanted to enjoy a nice Saturday brunch and not feel like I needed to scarf down my food. To avoid this, I’d definitely recommend going here at off-peak hours on the weekend or maybe for dinner during the week. I have a feeling that the experience would be much more relaxed.

On a positive note, there were definitely a few good things to be said about Spring Street Natural. The menu is pretty extensive and offers a little something for everyone…green eaters and not. The prices are also pretty reasonable. It’s nice to see sandwiches (especially organic ones) under $10. Seems outrageous to those outside New York, I’m sure…but it’s pretty commonplace in this crazy city. Overall, I really enjoyed this meal, and think I may have turned a new leaf (no pun intended!) on this whole organic food thing.

Spring Street Natural
62 Spring Street
@ Lafayette Street
website
Menu Pages listing

Feel at Peace with Josie's

To me, there are two kinds of brunch experiences. One is a greasy spoon (usually a diner) serving massive portions of eggs, bacon, pancakes, and french fries. The other is a exact opposite, serving egg whites with low fat cheese, fruit, and whole wheat bread. On most weekend mornings (or should I say early afternoons), I head to the first option, the diner, especially after a late night out. But, sometimes it's nice to change it up and go the healthier route.

Yesterday I had a late lunch at Josie's with a friend and her mom. While Miss Menu didn't pick out the restaurant, it definitely was a good choice. Josie's is definitely a much more appropriate atmosphere for lunch with a mom than a diner filled with hungover 20-somethings!

For those of you who aren't familiar with Josie's, it's basically a health nut or vegetarian's dream. Almost everything on the menu is all-natural/organic, and many items have a "vegetarian" designation on it. Low fat is always an option, as is whole wheat and brown rice. The dishes is interesting (I've been for dinner as well), and allows you to leave not feeling the least bit guilty about cleaning your plate.

For lunch, I had an egg white omelette with feta cheese, roasted red peppers, vidalia onions, and baby arugula, served with a side of roasted regular and sweet potatoes. It was pretty good, even though it was a little heavy on the arugula. They also bring around bread that falls somewhere between a crumb cake and whole grain muffin...very tasty though.

Some guys joke that this is a total "chick" restaurant. And, admittedly, I have to agree completely. I can't really imagine guys deciding to dine there, unless being taken by their girlfriends/wives/mothers! It has a modern decor that I would be willing to guess is some how feng shui. Would only seem fitting for this healthy zen-like restaurant.

Josie's
565 3rd Avenue
b/t 37th & 38th Streets
website
Menu Pages listing