Brunch Village

Sprouting all across New York City are restaurants that specialize in a very particular meal: brunch. Too late for breakfast, but too early for lunch, brunch is the perfect meal for anyone who loves sleeping in until noon on weekends and can't decide over the comfort of waking up to breakfast or the excitement of going out to lunch. Brunch has become extremely popular in NYC and it is nowhere out of the ordinary to be put on waiting lists hours long to get a meal at the hippest new brunch restaurant. 

Personally, I did not understand all the hype, so when my family and I went to eat at Sweet Chick (supposedly one of the best places to grab brunch in the entire city) and were told we would have to wait an hour and a half for a table, I can't say we didn't consider ditching the whole idea and getting McDonald's breakfast for just a dollar instead. But I am very glad to say we were tough enough to brave an hour and a half of stomach groans and got our hands on the brunch we had heard oh so much about.

Like many other restaurants specializing in brunch, Sweet Chick has one dish that is the staple of it's entire menu: Chicken and Waffles. In fact, the restaurant's actual full name is Sweet Chick: Chicken and Waffles.

Not surprisingly, this dish has only two elements to it: deep fried chicken and buttery-sweet waffles. Considering that Chicken and Waffles are raved about and sold in almost every brunch restaurant worth its oil, I was very curious how such a simple meal could be so popular. Once I tried it I got my answer. Chicken and Waffles, when you think about it, are the perfect brunch meal as they combine two favorites from breakfast and lunch to satisfy your cravings. Once I took my first bites I instantly was on board with the craze.

The chicken was deep-fried to perfection; it was crunchy on the outside and melted like butter on the inside. The deep-fried shell was delicately seasoned to perfection giving the the chicken a robust flavor like no other. Once I moved on to the waffles I was pleasantly surprised all over again. These waffles were the fluffiest waffles that I have ever eaten in my entire life. They were so airy that it literally felt like I was biting into cloud, except one soaked in sweet maple syrup and butter. I have never even liked waffles because they are usually much too hard and bland, but these waffles completely redefined waffles. The sweet fluffy waffles complemented the crisp savory chicken thighs perfectly.

Of course, the Chicken and Waffles were not the only treasure available. We also tried the Smoked Pork Hash, a very interesting take on corned beef hash. Sweet Chick also has a variety of exciting specials if nothing on the main menu seems enticing enough.

While I went to the location in Williamsburg, close to my home, there is also a great location in the lower east side of Manhattan in case your ever walking around Manhattan and must stop for some brunch!