Brunch at Gabrielle Hamilton’s Prune
The visceral confessional that was Gabrielle Hamilton’s memoir Blood, Bones, and Butter made me want to eat at her restaurant Prune in New York. I’d actually stayed near this beloved little place a few times—call me weird, I love Chinatown hotels—but had never made it in to dine.
It was a sunny morning, and the line at Prune was already a few groups deep when we arrived. The wait wasn’t as long as we’d anticipated, however, and soon we were sitting awkwardly at a table in the doorway.
Prune is tiny. But also adorable—unvarnished with a banged up Parisian elegance. The cheerfully bohemian atmosphere makes up for the fact that seating can be a tight squeeze.
In order to beat the crowd, we had arrived before noon—which in New York on Sundays means no alcohol. This was unfortunate as I’d wanted to try the Chicago Matchbox, a version of a Bloody Mary made with housemade lemon vodka, brussels sprouts, caperberries, radishes, and turnips.
Prune’s brunch menu has a few unusual twists. Both the spaghetti carbonara as well as the sausage and raw oyster plate are not typical omelette and benedict fare.
We settled on our choices of Egg “En Cocotte,” Spicy Stewed Chick Peas, and the Fresh Ricotta.
The egg was coddled with ‘savory chicken,’ and while it was delicious, it was also a touch unsettling. There’s just something a bit odd about having herbaceous chicken for breakfast.
The Ricotta arrived with raspberries, sun-dried figs, toasted pine nuts and honey. This was an elegant and simple not-too-sweet dish to start the day. The housemade ricotta was divine.
The plate of Stewed Chick Peas was the surprise of the morning. These two butter crumbed eggs swiftly made their way into the pantheon of most memorable egg preparations ever. Perfectly cooked with a slight crunch, and resting on a bed of chick peas with tomato and preserved lemon, they were magnificent. And it was a beautiful dish to behold as well as devour.
I had fretted that following the publication of Hamilton’s bestseller— in which Prune figures heavily—the restaurant would be overrun by looky-loos. But I didn’t feel this was the case. Brunch was stellar, despite the liquor law, and I’ll be back the next time I wake up in Chinatown.
andré darlington 