NYC Brunch Spots: Where To Take Your Bitches

Ken & Cook: The Atmosphere

Atmosphere: It’s a small, quaint, open-air bistro, like something you would find in a seaside town in Southern France. The small, circular wooden tables and chairs spread from inside out onto the front patio, shaded by a striped awning that is traditional in the best way possible. There’s a chalk board heralding the latest specials on the sidewalk and a seafood counter by the doorway, where oysters and shellfish sit on ice, tempting seafood lovers upon entry. We sat at a wooden table at the edge of the open-air restaurant. Even the windows are an exercise in bistro meets masculinity: the garage style enormous windows are adorned with traditional white lace curtains. Ken & Cook pays attention to detail, with tiny details being oh-so-slightly-European. There are old fashioned, functioning phone booths by the bathroom. When you order coffee, it is a full coffee service, with the mugs arriving on a silver tray, with small carafes of cream and sugar cubes in silver serving dishes. The menu is printed on the paper placemat, which, again, is very much in the vein of a European bistro.The busboy shows up alongside you with a bread basket, filled with portion-size loaves of fresh French bread, placing them on your bread plate for you.