Brosia Lunch

Now that the weather has cooled down Brosia's spacious patio is a very attractive lunch destination in the Design District. I camped out with my laptop there recently (oh outdoor wifi, how I adore thee!) and had a leisurely lunch, very fitting given the restaurant's casual Mediterranean fare.

Started off with a roasted beet salad and babaganoush for the mezze course. Both were refreshing starters with the red and yellow hunks of lightly-dressed beets given a nice tangy kick by the goat cheese. The baba's garlic was kept firmly in check, no easy feat when it comes to the wily eggplant dip.

Moved on to a smoked salmon tart with caramelized onions and arugula and the buccatini with roasted peppers, mushrooms and eggplant. The tart had a delicate flaky crust and was not as heavy or rich as anticipated which was a good thing, given our desire for a light lunch. The buccatini, while not an extremely exciting dish was nonetheless well-executed with al-dente pasta, fresh ingredients and a punchy white wine-garlic sauce. Couldn't resist adding a side of polenta since I remembered loving it the last time I was at Brosia and it was still very good - thick and cheesy, and I managed to polish off the bowl. Capped it with a strong cappucino underneath the oak trees and thought to myself, This is November? This is why I live here.
Address: 163 NE 39th St. (305) 572-1400