Champagne Goes With Everything

Started the day getting lost trying to find Five Points, a brunch place near the West Village. There were six of us eating together for brunch, and only two of us claimed we wanted mimosas, me being one of them. We were able to convince one more member of the table to be indulgent with us, which meant we could order the full pitcher of mimosa, which at this place consisted of orange juice, champagne, and triple sec. Thirty dollars bought us so much mimosa that all six of us each had two glasses. The food around the table all looked good, but I was totally engaged in my brioche french toast that was soft like delicate little pillows on my plate. It came with pecans and a side of whipped mascarpone cheese with shredded basil on top. I left the restaurant feeling luxurious, sated, and, I’ll admit, a little tipsy.

After spending the afternoon watching They Might Be Giants in Prospect Park, Sandra and I headed back to Hilary’s apartment so the three of us could go to Pinto, a classy Thai restaurant. Deciding that prosecco would be appropriate for a girl’s night out in an area known for being the setting of Sex and the City, we ordered a bottle and toasted. The green papaya salad and crunchy fried mushroom rolls with dipping sauce were a good start, but the basil and tofu main course I got really filled me up without feeling weighted down. It was a nice mix of tofu, veggies, and lots of basil. Although, for a dish named “Basil”, I was actually expecting just a bit more basil. Can you have too much basil? Okay, you probably can, but nonetheless I was expecting a dish that was primarily green.

Continuing the Sex and the City theme, I stopped at Magnolia for a cupcake. Now, I have never actually watched an episode of Sex and the City, but that did not make the cupcake any less yummy. The type of cupcake was called “hummingbird” and had cream cheese frosting with nuts. Unbeknownst to me, while I was in the store my two friends were buying me a present at the bookstore across the way. Back at my sublet I opened the present on the pretense that since it had been pouring rain on the ten block walk from the subway I should really make sure it hadn’t gotten too wet. The New York Restaurant Cookbook: Recipes from the Dining Capital of the World. Thank you!

Pinto (you can tell it's classy from the sign):

"Basil":

Cheers: