The Kosher Critic: Brunch at Va Bene

The Kosher Critic

By Zechariah Mehler

Issue of June 18, 2010/ 6 Tammuz 5770

In the United States, it’s a rich and time-honored tradition to better convey ideas through the blending of two words. As a result, we have found our language peppered with colloquialisms like motel, spork, and Brangelina. This has also lead to the garish use in the food industry of words like Croisandwich. There is, however, one such colloquialism that is not only inoffensive, but also almost musical to the ear. That word is Brunch.

Brunch is amazing. It allows us to eat pancakes and eggs at 11:30 in the morning while we guiltlessly drink alcohol mixed with either tomato juice or OJ. Drinking before noon anywhere else would be cause for alarm, but at Brunch it is no problem because, after all, we are eating lunch... sort of. Going to Brunch creates a feeling of something magical that warms the spirit, and because of this, couples all over the country spend their Sunday mornings partaking in this wonderful ritual. However, despite the overall popularity of this amalgam meal, in the kosher world Brunch has not managed to fully catch on. Which is why I am thankful for restaurants like Va Bene, where Brunch is a weekly, kosher occurrence.

Va Bene, at 82nd Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan, prepares a special brunch menu every Sunday between 11:00 in the morning and 4:00 in the afternoon. Once seated, Va Bene places a basket of home-baked bread in front of you. Far above the standard restaurant pre-meal bread, Va Bene’s basket of artisan breads is worth every calorie they add to your meal. Keeping in mind that Va Bene is a dairy restaurant, and that you are served this bread with real butter, you have more then just a basket of bread but a first course in and of itself.

My wife and I, after much debate, chose to start with the buttermilk pancakes served with fresh fruit and syrup. The pancakes were dense and cakey but still light in flavor. When eaten with the accompanying strawberries, powdered sugar and syrup, they are spectacular, and evoked a nostalgia that made eating them all the more enjoyable. We had Eggs Benedict, a poached egg served on an English muffin and given a generous dollop of Béarnaise sauce. The Eggs Benedict was rich, creamy, and texturally perfect. We split an order of Ravioli alla Giudia, homemade ravioli stuffed with artichoke in a delectable cream sauce. The ravioli was cooked perfectly, just a little al dente, and the artichoke filling was the perfect complement to the rich, creamy white sauce covering the ravioli. While sipping iced tea, we ate a light and refreshing salad called the Azzurra that comes with avocado, grilled salmon and tuna. It’s dressed nicely with lemon and olive oil and helps to reduce the abundant richness of the other dishes.

The desert was a very fine Tiramisu. It was delicious but stood second fiddle to Va Bene’s Zabaglione, custard made from egg yolks and prosecco wine. The Zabaglione (a dessert I still find myself dreaming about) was light, flavorful and an absolutely perfect end to a spectacular meal.

Other dishes we tried did not work quite as well as the ones mentioned above. This is because in Va Bene’s attempt to swing for the fences with every dish, sometimes they strike out. The tilapia for example, though very tasty, was overly heavy for such a delicate fish. However, this should not detract from the fact that the vast majority of the food served at Va Bene is exceptional. If it takes a few swings and misses to come up with a home run like the Eggs Benedict, the Ravioli, or the Zabaglione, then I will happily return to Va Bene and sit through several quiet innings, eagerly awaiting the course that sends one out of the park.

Zechariah Mehler works in Kosher

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