Quick Write-up – Whitehall Bar and Kitchen

By CS Hsia, on August 14th, 2012

I seldom need help selecting a restaurant for dinner, but I’m constantly reaching out for guidance when it comes to brunch. Brunch is all about great company, more so than any other meals. On a weekend morning, you’re expected to show up refreshed and ready for chatter. This is one meal when it seems people are willing to put down their phones and practice the ancient art of the conversation.

Whitehall in the West village.

The dining public at large already have a mental image of what brunch should be: eggs, waffles & pancakes, salad, or if you’ve had a good week, steak. As such, brunch menus tend to be exceedingly simple, trying to stand out is tricky.

The bar is quite spectacular.

Before we even look at the food, Whitehall checks off most of the boxes for what consititutes a great brunch place. Large windows letting in ample daylight, quiet comfortable environment, ease of transportation for friends, and taking reservations.

Arriving early is a treat, not only does Whitehall feature a nice cocktail program, the beer selection is also excellent. Each distinct type of beer gets its own glassware, and are also poured differently for the perfect amount of head.

The food started with a tiny, literally, surprise. The muffins were recommended by the waiter, and are actually the size of cookies. Nonetheless they were quite nice with the jam, though smearing on such small surfaces was slightly challenging.

Tiny Muffins.

After that came the poached egg and sausages. The food was solid, though the texture was on the harder side with the thick dry slice of bread and slightly overcooked beacon. I did not enjoy biting into the stiff artisan bread after enjoying the creamy avocado or nicely poached egg yolk. This amount of chewing was simply too much effort at 1PM. Though I did enjoy the roasted tomato wedge.

Poached eggs with bacon.

Scrambled eggs with mushrooms and tomatoes.

For the protein savvy, the Whitehall Burger is an excellent choice. Nice and flavorful (though not quite up to par against dry-aged burgers), and paired with a heaping portion of fries. Sir Kensignton’s ketchup makes an appearance, always welcomed.

The Whitehall Burger.

Perhaps I’m waiting for brunch to surprise me, to wow me with culinary chops that are not diluted during the daylight hours. Whitehall is good, though it can aspire to be better.

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