Brunch Is A Beach On Manhattan's Orchard Street
"It's never too early for pizza!" I found myself shouting one recent sunny Sunday around noon as we sat by the open French doors at Pizza Beach LES, the sister location to the original Pizza Beach uptown on East 81st Street, awaiting our first taste of the restaurant's new brunch menu.
And I was right — the truffled egg pizza with shaved fennel, grana padana, and truffle oil is delightfully savory and doesn't sit like a stone of yawn-inducing gluten in your stomach. You can also opt for the bacon, egg, and cheese pie, or the mushroom and stracciatella, among others.
And while you can (and should) start your day with pizza, there is also a variety of Italian-leaning egg dishes offered, like an egg white frittata with spring vegetables, fresh herbs, and Fontina cheese; poached eggs over polenta with spring vegetable ragu; and more.
Although the food is much better than anything I've ever munched on while lounging oceanside, the décor and cocktails deliver an ambiance that's true to the second half of the restaurant's name. Order a sparkling rose mimosa made with fresh orange juice or a Beach Juice comprising light and dark rum, tropical juices, vanilla, and nutmeg, and bask in the warm sunshine that the venue makes sure to use to its full advantage. Even on cloudy days, the robin's egg blue, fire engine red, and bright white interior affords diners the feeling that they just stepped off Orchard Street and into a breezy bistro in Malibu — the ideal place to start a lazy Saturday or Sunday.