Prune

I'm not sure if we came on a great night or what - perhaps the stars were just aligned. The reviews seem mixed with everybody but I can honestly tell you - it was one of the most rewarding restaurant experiences I've have in a really really long time. Appetizers: Sweat Breads & the Bone Marrow. Entrees: Prawns & the lamb. Side: Hen of the woods mushrooms. Dessert: Chocolate semifreddo. Good wine list & beer list. All of the food was fantastic - and the portions were huge. Now that I know the portion sizes I think I'd prefer to split the appetizers. The sweet breads were OUT OF THIS WORLD.. as was the bone marrow (though as I said.. its a huge portion of marrow so next time I'll split the appetizers). Both the prawns & the lamb were good. The mushrooms were intense but awesome. The semifreddo was amazing - more bitter than sweet which is right up my alley. None of the food was over flavored - very gentle and appealing. Everything was paired with something that would complement it just so. Total bill was $140 including two glasses of wine. The restaurant is well lit and has a nice atmosphere. The waitresses seemed to be having a good time - and they were extremely attentive. We didn't seem to have a dedicated waitress - everybody would come to us to either replace a fork, fill up our water, ask us if we wanted anything else, etc. So basically - we never waited for more than a few minutes for anything. Oh.. and they cycled oldies on through the night - which I loved. My boyfriend & I were just really happy with the experience. So if you're reading negative reviews - at least give this place a shot prior to turning it down.

2 weeks in advance reservations. Showed up AFTER they confirmed my reservation only to find out they totally screwed it up. They had me and my wife down for a 6:15pm reservation. Who on earth eats dinner at a restaurant like this at 6:15p? No One. They seated us with severe attitude - like we will seat you but were knocking someone else off the list. Hey sorry, but your restaurant had 8 tables empty at 7:45pm on a Saturday night. Get a clue- times are tough - you should appreciate someone going out of their way to eat at your restaurant. Perhaps you should reconsider who you should have to represent your business when you walk in.

I thought this place was great. I got the pancake with the baked pears and loved it. I also had the Chicago Matchbox bloody mary which was amazing. I love all the garnishes. It's a tiny place, so it's hard to go with more than 2, 4 people at the most, but if you want a good bloody mary this is the place to go!

What first attracted me to Prune was the bloody mary menu. There arent too many brunch places that will offer that many varieties other than the classic. Food was good (ordered the fried oyster omelette), loved the bloody mary (got the Maria, which has tequila and has a nice spicy taste to it) and our waitstaff was patient and just-attentive-enough. The only drawback to this place is that you arent able to make reservations for brunch. We waited about 45 minutes at around noontime.

After hearing such fabulous things about this place for brunch, I decided to try it last weekend with a friend. First off I found the menu had some interesting choices, but very few vegetarian options besides a make your own omelette, with only a couple options of ingredients. Then I went to order a latte and asked for soy milk - they didn't have any. They also didn't have any skim milk or even cream, which my friend asked for. After hearing this we both ordered a cup of tea - just regular english breakfast tea. When the bill came, I thought, this will be a cheap breakfast, all I had was scarmbled eggs and toast. However, to both of our surprise, the bill was $40! So when I looked down the bill to see how that was possible, I noticed our 2 teas were $10!!! We were both shocked. Neither of us are people who don't spend money when we go out for a nice brunch or dinner, but $5 for a cup of regular tea??!! Please. Needless to say, I don't really think we'll be returning in a hurry. The food was ok, but I've had WAY better brunches in the city.

If you want to eat well in an authentic village eatery then look no further than Prune. I would arrive early for the brunch on the weekends because you will wait...it's that good. Try the coddled egg with chicken, it's exquisitely prepared and flavored, but not alot of food, so add a little garlic lamb sausage and stewed tomatoes, you will be jappy. It's noisy that's true but if you want quiet go eat in the library, this is the real village experience, sit at the bar and read while enjoying the food and you will make new friends, I swear it. I have it on good authority that the hamburger served only on weekdays is the best in New York, from a lovely stranger that struck up a conversation with me after we had finished our meal. It's a real slice of Bohemian life and if it's good for Anthony Bourdain...it's gotta be good for us too. Try it for Brunch, and by the way...they make awesome Bloody Mary's in about 15 different styles! Enjoy.

Prune was a great choice for a quiet lunch. The place was a lot smaller than I anticipated but only added to the quaint ambiance. I ordered the Tuna Club which was pretty good, though it could have had more Tuna in it for $14. My friend has the Beef Brisket which was also very good. Overall, I would recommend trying it out.