Outdoor brunch in New York, for all its plusses—people watching, quasi-fresh air—does have its downsides—exhaust fumes, the soundtrack of traffic. But New Leaf Café’s outdoor terrace is a tree- and flower-lined refuge of widely spaced tables and well-presented standards. It’s also A-train accessible and only a one-minute walk from a bird’s eye view of the Hudson and Palisades.
New Leaf, located in a 1930s limestone mansion designed by the Olmstead Brothers, opened in 2001 as part of the New York Restoration Project. Founded by Bette Midler in ’95, the NYRP works through a collaboration of public and private sectors to restore and create parks, community gardens and open spaces. Although the restaurant operates as a for-profit venture, all net proceeds support restoration and maintenance of Fort Tryon Park. So don’t be shy about that second fresh-squeezed orange juice mimosa ($7).
Though the dining room is ensorcelling with its dark wood, arched windows and stone walls, this time of year calls for walking right through it with nary a backward glance and heading for the bright slate and flagstone terrace. One thing immediately noticeable, especially if the weather is accommodating, is that the restaurant can readily elevate serotonin levels. When we first got there, we witnessed a New Leaf employee giggling by himself as he practically danced up a stone staircase carrying a crate of eggs.
Those eggs, it turns out, are organic and from upstate farms, and have a prominent place on the menu—in a Roasted Beet and Swiss Omelette, Eggs Benedict or Florentine, or Steak and Eggs—courtesy of chef James Bellicchi and sous-chef Lisa Nolasco. I had my Eggs Benedict two ways, the two bright orange-yolked honeys each on their own (insufficiently toasted) English muffin with a thin slice of smoked ham and also in a lovely, lemony sauce. This, like most of the dishes, comes with lightly dressed field greens and herb roasted potatoes. All brunch options are $17.95 with coffee and juice.
My girlfriend Rachel wavered between the Fontina Cheese Panini with basil aioli, tomato and field greens and the Roasted Beet and Swiss Omelette, then went for the omelet. The menu states, “No substitutions with the omelette, please.” So if you’ve got your heart set on an omelet but either hate beets or would just prefer something else, you won’t be satisfied. Whatever their reasoning might be, it turns out beets and Swiss are a perfectly fine combination, with the bonus that the beets seem inordinately good for you. At press time, the omelet option changed to Roasted Beet with Goat Cheese.
We also ordered sides of applewood smoked bacon ($3.50) and chicken and apple sausage ($3.50). On a previous trip to New Leaf, the bacon was barely greasy strips of delicious thick-sliced pig. This time, the bacon, while still thick, looked like limp, pink ovoids steeped in fat. The lesson here is to ask for slightly crispy bacon, I suppose. Meanwhile, the sausage, sliced length-wise and grilled, was bratwurst-esque with visible chunks of apple.
The house policy on dogs makes for an interesting aside: “Special tables for two can be set aside, outside, with reservations only.” Sure, some places let you sneak your dog in, but how many let you make a reservation for it? So you can take Spot or Esmerelda for a lovely brunch (canines probably wouldn’t mind the underdone bacon) and then go for a long walk (with views!) and even visit the Cloisters afterwards (provided they have the same laissez-faire attitude).
New Leaf Cafe
One Margaret Corbin Dr., Fort Tryon Park
212-568-5323
Brunch is served only on Sundays, reservations recommended.
