FoodMayhem

Wow, trying to get reservations for brunch on the Upper West Side is harder than it sounds. Nearly every reputable place is just first come first serve. So if you’re not down for long lines, one option we found is The Neptune Room The Neptune Room. Between Sara, Winnie, and I, we got a nice array of dishes.

Sara’s Vanilla Bean French Toast was humongous. The crispy edges give way to the soft fluffy insides wonderfully, but I don’t taste vanilla bean, and it’s under-sweet for me. This can be easily corrected with the maple syrup but I prefer a lightly sweetened French Toast that doesn’t need the syrup.

My “Paella” and Eggs was generous with the shrimp but severely under-seasoned, again correctable as there’s salt and pepper on the table but still points get taken off. I only noticed looking at the menu now that the paella is in quotes, which explains why it wasn’t really a paella, more of a fried rice using strips of chorizo, shrimp, and peas. The sunny side up eggs were standard.

Winnie’s Steak and Eggs was the winner and best bang for the buck. The large portion of steak was cooked as ordered, medium rare (ok, actually slightly under, but that’s so much better than getting over-cooked), and just tasty, well seasoned meat. Add the sunny side up egg and some crispy potatoes, and you’ve got a satisfying meal.

The prices are extremely reasonable at $12-$18 per order, which comes with a cocktail (a strong one) or a freshly squeezed juice. You won’t find any mind-blowing food here, but it’s a good safety place that takes reservations.