Weekend of Two Brunches at Westville Chelsea

As much as I eat out every week, I am never really a regular anywhere.  I guess a pitfall of having so many restaurants to choose from and rarely revisiting the same restaurant.  That said, there are always exceptions to the rule and Westville is one of exceptions.  I look forward to their daily specials and plethora of market sides and always, their seasoned extra crunchy fries.  Only three blocks away, it is my go-to for a healthy, reliably delicious dinner or take-out.  Even though the Westville location is the biggest in terms of space of the little mini empire, there is always reliably also a crowded restaurant and a line waiting outside.

Despite the restaurant’s unwavering popularity, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this past weekend in two consecutive visits that it is actually quite easy to snag a seat at the bar for two during prime brunch hours.

Visit number one on Saturday with MD for a quick bite before working on installing my shelves in the apartment.   We found two seats at the bar right away albeit a tight squeeze.  A hearty plate of waffles with a side of scrambled eggs and fruit salad for MD.  The eggs were buttery and tender, perfectly fluffy.  Even though the waffles arrived a little on the colder side, they were still pretty darn good waffles.

I debated back and forth between my regular of the parmesan asparagus with a sunny side up egg and the healthier choice of an arugula salad with two poached eggs, avocado and soppressata.  This big  bowl of salad was served with a slice of their health bread.  Being healthy is so hard as I worked my way through the salad with a twinge of regret for choosing the salad over the fried eggs.

Good thing I had the fore sight to order a side of their pesto potato hash, just to make it feel a little more brunch like.  The hash at Westville is more like whipped potatoes with red peppers and onion than chunky hash browns.  That said, a name is just a name and what matters more is that this is delicious and so easy to eat an entire plate all by myself.

Visit number two was the next day with SB.  Still craving Westville’s sunny side up fried egg and parmesan asparagus, I didn’t mind the consecutive visit at all.  This time, we were actually able to snag a table right by the window instead of settling in at the bar.

Ah, finally, my fried eggs.  Bright yellow runny yolks with a crust of parmesan and tender stalks of asparagus, so simple yet satisfying.  Instead of fries, I opted for the salad and rewarded my restraint with a side of their Portuguese muffins, a sweet thin bun that’s been grilled slightly.  They made for a perfect way to sop up the egg yolks.

SB chose to go with the salmon burger,  one of the many daily specials on the menu.  A thick patty had that perfectly crunchy crust and held up well to the alfalfa sprouts, tartar and avocado.  The Portuguese muffin added a sweet touch, a hearty yet healthy brunch for us both, enough to keep us full for a busy day of errands.

Two weekend brunches in a row has never happened before but I think Westville Chelsea really has what it takes to be a regular.  The food is fresh and creative with lots of healthy options at a good price, almost like a New York version of a neighborhood diner/country cafe.  Let’s hope the brunch crowds don’t make it too difficult for me to grab a seat for a good bite!

Westville Chelsea | 246 West 18th Street  New York, NY 10011 | http://www.westvillenyc.com/