Breakfast Menu
Karisa: In order to celebrate VA Cider Week, we brunched at New York Deli before heading over to a cider tasting at Secco. I wish we'd skipped both. From the start of our experience at NY Deli, things didn't quite seem right. The hostess was nowhere to be seen, and then seemed confused as to what to do when there were more people than tables. Luckily we were seated relatively quickly, on the platform where people watching is at its prime. I ordered the Migas Cuadros, their supposedly "famous egg casserole." The piece I had looked like it was made several days before and reheated every day since. It was flavorless, lacked any discernible textures, and was hardly worth paying for. A good mimosa could have partially redeemed the experience, but it was also a waste of calories with too much made from concentrate OJ. With all the amazing brunch options we have in Richmond, do yourself a favor and skip this one.
Andrea: This week's brunch at New York Deli was so forgettable that I almost forgot to write my review. I wasn't feeling very egg-y so I switched my attention to the more standard lunch part of the menu. It may be blasphemous for some traditional brunchers, but I think it may have been a wise choice, considering the options chosen by my brunching buddies and boyfriend. I had the Yard Byrd, a chicken salad sandwich with bacon, red onion, lettuce, and tomato. The best part of the sandwich was by far the roll - like a traditional Amoroso hoagie roll from Pennsylvania - pillowy and delicious. The bacon was cooked well and had a nice smoky flavor. My major complaint was the chicken salad itself was blah. The server said that it was a little spicy but I tasted little to no spice at all. My boyfriend's feta, mushroom, and red pepper omelette luckily didn't suffer from the dryness that we sometimes complain about, but the vegetables were a bit underdone for his taste and the home fries really weren't anything to write home about. All in all, a lackluster meal that was saved in some respects by the people watching and general charm of the space. I'll come back for drinks or some evening fun, I'm sure, but with so many other places to eat close by, I won't be proclaiming how much I <3 NY and recommending this establishment for brunchers looking to grab a bite in the area.
Michele: I've been to the NY Deli countless times for drinks and once for an underwhelming dinner. I walked in for brunch this week not expecting much, and I was not disappointed.
I ordered the standard Bloody Mary and coffee. The first sip of my Bloody Mary was disgusting. It tasted like cocktail sauce infused vodka. I stirred it up and it tasted better. However, it got gross again as I drank it down to the bottom. The coffee was ok, I was most disappointed that I got my coffee in a plain stained mug while everyone else had a stained mug that at least had "I heart NY Deli" on it.
For my meal I decided on the Eggs Florentine, a Benedict with ham and spinach. Again, the disappointment was not surprising. First of all, the hollandaise sauce was super yellow. I know that yellow is an acceptable color for hollandaise, but it grosses me out. Underneath that sauce, the eggs were overcooked. There was a lot of ham in there too, bit it was dry and not especially flavorful. It was nice to have spinach in there, and that was probably my favorite part of the dish. The grits were quick cook, again nothing special.
Am I surprised at all by this meal? No! I do not plan on coming back to the NY Deli for any meal. However, I will most likely be back for drinks. The NY Deli does a fine job with the nightlife scene. And hopefully they'll get the photo booth repaired soon!
Rating: 2
Food - Fair. Vegetables in Derek's omelette were under cooked and the mushrooms were overwhelming; Karisa's migas tasted like it was made several days ago and reheated; Michele's eggs were overcooked and the hollandaise was bordering on sketchy-looking. The sandwich selection is extensive but the breakfast options are pretty ordinary.
Service - Good. Our server had beautiful eye makeup (+) and stains all over her shirt (-). She was fairly attentive and pleasant to chat with.
Atmosphere - Good. Excellent people watching; photo booth in the back; exposed brick; and nice tunes. Major drawback is it gets very loud.
Coffee - Fair. A little thin and a little bitter. Coffee mugs were stained on the inside but we did think their I <3 NY Deli logo was cute.
Mimosa - Fair. Poor champagne-to-oj ratio and sub-par orange juice quality as well.
Bloody Mary - Fair. Bordered on the undrinkable. First sip was gross, maybe the bartender didn't stir it? A bit heavy on the cocktail sauce for Michele.
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