brooklyn

I’m a brunch kind of person. So when Jorge and I woke up this past Sunday morning, there was no doubt that we wanted to find a brunch place, and STAT.

After an intensive research of our neighborhood’s brunch spots (AKA a quick Google search), we found a place nearby that had chicken and waffles, one of Jorge’s favorites. Reviews on the restaurant, 983, said it was an affordable spot, so we were sold.

Affordable it was indeed. The menu ranged from classic sweet items like pancakes and french toast to more savory brunch items like breakfast sandwiches, scramblers and salads. The best part: everything was around $10, AND the coffee was cheap as well as delicious.

I settled on an order of strawberry pancakes and a coffee, while Jorge ordered his chicken and waffles and a coffee.

While waiting for our food, we couldn’t resist from people watching. The foodies at 983 are classic Bushwick hipsters with full beards and tasteful outfits. But even better than the foodies is 983’s ambiance. Trademarked as “Bushwick’s Living Room”, the ambiance is unexpectedly chic, with a bar that extends the length of the restaurant and a wide array of art strewn across the walls.

This spot is without a doubt a new favorite. Affordable and fun: it’s the perfect recipe for a Sunday brunch.

It’s hard to find restaurants that serve good Mexican food. And even after finding this nearby restaurant, La Lupe, I still have a long way to go to find something that tastes up to par with my old favorites from both Colorado and the hole-in-the-wall I loved in Madison, Wisconsin (#SO to Taqueria Guadalajara). When Jorge and I walked by this place on our first day in town after moving to Brooklyn, we were both excited to try it. The restaurant is a tiny but seemingly well respected joint on the corner of Jefferson and Myrtle Ave.

I ordered a margarita, two chicken tacos and one carne asada taco. Jorge ordered a beer and two of their chicken flautas. Together, we grabbed an order of elote and some chips and guac to share. All in all, it was a pretty expensive meal (for two young poor recent college grads), but we were able to get a really good feel for the food and what was the restaurant’s best to offer.

For starters, the tacos were delicious: a warm corn tortilla shell with fresh meat and a salad of veggies on top. The chips and guac, though, might have been my favorite of the bunch. It’s hard to mess up guacamole. Because really, it’s avocados. But this guacamole is fresh, creamy and full of cilantro flavor.

The elote was a new experience for both of us. Jorge grew up eating elote and introduced me to the Mexican street corn delicacy sometime last year. This elote was VERY different from the few kinds I’ve had in the past. For starters, it was grilled and sweet. There was more of a peppery spice to it rather than a chile kick. And although there was still a creamy mayo taste, there wasn’t any butter to give it that deep finish. Still, though, it wasn’t bad. It was just different.

Finally, I can’t forget to talk about the margs. I’ve been on a strange margarita kick for the past couple weeks, and this one was delightful. The tequila wasn’t overbearing, and the salt rim had different spices added on for extra flavor. I’m just regretting the fact that we chose to go to the restaurant on a Saturday evening instead of hitting it up during the weekday when they have $5 margaritas during happy hour (keeping that in mind for next time FOR SHORE).

Although I’m not one to put things on a rating system, I’d have to guess that I might give this restaurant a 3.325 out of 5 stars. But that’s just an estimate.