My brother decided to take us to one of his favourite spots in the Financial District for brunch, Smörgås Chef, a restaurant that specializes in Scandinavian dishes.
My brother's Bloody Mary
My freshly squeezed orange juice in lieu of alcohol
The only remotely Scandinavian food I've ever had is the Swedish meatballs at Ikea, so I was super-excited to try this place. They offer a brunch prix fixe deal for $18, that includes your dish of choice from the brunch menu, plus a cup of coffee and a cocktail. My brother is the only one "New York" enough in my family to have a cocktail before noon, so my mom and I got ours replaced with freshly squeezed orange juice instead. (Also because we don't drink.)
Ham & Jarlsberg skillet baked eggs with tomatoes and spinach
Norwegian Benedict: Poached eggs with smoked salmon and dill hollandaise
Coffee to start and finish
My brother and I shared his favourite dish: skillet baked eggs with ham, Jarlsberg cheese, tomatoes, and spinach, topped with hollandaise sauce. It's a pretty heavy dish to have by yourself for the first meal of the day, but it's so damn good that you'll wish you didn't have to share it. The second dish we shared was the Norwegian Benedict, which is basically Eggs Benedict with the peameal bacon replaced by smoked salmon. It's some of my favourite foods in one dish: smoked salmon, hollandaise sauce, English muffin, poached eggs. And it's served with a delightful Scandinavian-style potato gratin. So, obviously, I couldn't go wrong with this one. If all Scandinavian food is like this, I really need to eat more of it (and not at Ikea). And, you know, despite having to wake up before noon, brunch might be my new favourite meal.
Smörgås Chef
53 Stone Street
New York, NY 10004
(212) 422-3500
