Baby's First Brunch at The Half King

New Yorkers and the weekend brunch are as instinctual as a moth to a flame. Or, in the case of this blog, Baby S to my boob (too much information?) Husband and I were brunch pros long before Baby S came along. We had our standard neighborhood haunts, knew when to arrive to avoid a crowd and could spot a 'prix-fixe with drink included' sign a mile away. Looking back on those erstwhile days, I'm fairly sure we took each culinary outing for granted.

photo credit: www.kellyinthecity.com

For the past few months, mimosas and eggs benedict have been on the *ahem* back burner. Between the arrival of winter and a certain bambina, we've rediscovered our oven and Menupages. The results haven't been half bad, despite a little something we're calling The Blackened Waffle Incident.

This past weekend, we decided to venture out for our first sit-down meal with Baby S in NYC. We didn't go far, and yet, for some reason, it felt like we were miles away. The Half King is a block from our apartment and on the weekends serves a hearty brunch with included alchoholic beverage (after 12 due to NY state law). Getting through the front door with a stroller is simple as there are no steps. Hurrah! The main dining room is large and the two aisles are big enough to get a stroller through without attracting a lot of attention. We arrived at 11am and there were probably less than 10 people in the restaurant at that time. While that may be a bad sign to some, it's more likely that the neighborhood hadn't woken up yet. We noticed at least two other families dining while we were there, which added to the comfort level for us. (Side note: weather-permitting, there is an adorable outdoor garden with tables, though it's considerably smaller than the main dining area).

While we chowed down, Baby S sat comfortably in her stroller. Eventually falling asleep, she awoke only when the bill arrived at our table. Too bad she's too young to pick up the check...

2 thumbs up for The Half King.