Craftbar – Colicchio Experience with the Littles

Craftbar – Colicchio Experience with the Littles

(Gramercy)

Craftbar

900 Broadway, New York, NY 10003

Tel. 212-461-4300

High Chair/ Stroller Parking

Weekend brunching is always a delicate balance between finding the right spot for littles and seeking the most optimal culinary experience for grown-ups.  Lucky for us establishments for Craftbar exists (e.g., just enough sophistication for grown-ups, but without so much fanfare that you need to worry about toting around a mini-me, or two, or three!!).  For info: there are Craft locations in New York, Dallas, and Los Angeles, and Craftbars in New York and Los Angeles.

As it happened… we were a party of seven (four adults, three little ones under the age of three… yeep! That’s right, there were two two-year olds, and one miniature munchkin who’s just about four months old, nutso right, it’s a wonder we even left the house.

That said, the dining experience at Craftbar, fun by the celebrity-TV chef Tom Colicchio à la Tom Chef struck all of the right notes – the food was the right blend of up-market cuisine creativity suitable for your typical foodie, the ambience was slightly upscale/sophisticated but definitely casual, the space was open and very bright (it helped too that we were seated right next to the windows), and the price point was just suitably affordable so as to not scare away your dining companions (though calibrated much higher it might just turn away some!).

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Early Brunching at Prune

Early Brunching at Prune

(East Village)

Prune

54 East 1st Street, New York, NY 10003

Tel. 212-667-6221

I can’t even tell you how many foodie magazines and bespoke travel guides have raved about brunch at Prune, on 1st and 1st in the East Village.  Suffice to say, it seemed absolutely criminal to not check it out  ourselves, given that it’s just a few blocks from where we live.

So how about the experience, you ask?

For one – I would definitely go for brunch only, skip dinner (unless it’s super early and even then – chances are it might get too packed for a rambunctious and fatigued little one).

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Antique Garage – Lunch and Lounge

Antique Garage – Lunch and Lounge

(SoHo)

Antique Garage

41 Mercer Street, New York, NY 10013

Tel. 212-219-1019

High Chair

Antique Garage, located on 41 Mercer street (between Broome and Grand), is situated in the heart of SoHo and possibly one of my favorite “afternoon lounging” spots. 

My first encounter was with a few girlfriends for a leisurely weekend “bachelorette brunch.”  Suffice to say, it was très packed and très  oh-so-very-very (also, we may have gone there right about noon, which was prime brunch time). 

On the other hand, as I discovered two years later… if you just go a little bit on the later side (say, right after munchkin’s nap time), you’ll find that it’s a fabulous place to bring the little ones! 

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