Wednesday, July 20, 2011

You Never Forget Your First.....Brunch That Is....


Whether it is the 1st time you moved into an apartment, 1st time you become a parent, or 1st time you do something extravagant, those moments are always cherished dearly. Well, these babes will NEVER forget the 1st time we ever BRUNCHED thanks to CALLE OCHO or THE OCHO as we like to refer to it. You just never forget your 1st...


Calle Ocho located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Columbus Ave btw 81st and 82nd St. will always hold a special place in our hearts. So many great brunches were had here whether to celebrate a birthday, reunions, solo brunches, group brunches, etc. Never let us down. They recently closed their doors on June 26th and the babes were lucky enough to enjoy their last brunch (how bittersweet!) by hosting a birthday party for a good friend. Calle Ocho is not closing its doors forever but they are moving to a new location across the street inside the Excelsior Hotel on 45 West 81st, so don't fret my friends you can still have an opportunity to check out what the fuss is all about.


We recently mentioned Calle Ocho in one of our weekend hit list as one of the best Latin brunches in NYC and we are not lying! Calle Ocho offers UNLIMITED sangria with their brunch. Many delicious brunch entree options on their menu and with 8 different flavors of sangria to choose from, you are bound to come back. The decor is very "Miami Meets Manhattan" with vibrant colors and hues inspired by Latin America. Calle Ocho's vibe is like no other. With subtle salsa music playing in the background, they have created an ambiance which makes you feel like you are in the Caribbean with a New York twist. We can't wait to see what the new place will look like!









The waiters are very attentive to your needs at The Ocho and make you feel welcome. They bring you a basket of assorted breads with strawberry butter in a Cuban Cigar box. These breads were seriously made in heaven! From the moment you walk in til you are ready to tap out you can enjoy the bottomless sangria but make sure you follow The Rules of the Sangria Bar!




We were lucky enough to arrive early and secure the entire top section of the lounge area which is a cute area with smaller tables, couches and very intimate setting. The sangrias began to roll in and soon it was time to order our entrees.



One of the most popular dishes at Calle Ocho is the VACA FRITA (one of the babes FAVES) which is a Cuban skirt steak with Latin fried rice, tomato escabeche and avocado topped with two eggs. This was a popular entree among our guests. The picture below will prove why....



They say "when in Rome do as the Romans", well when at Calle Ocho you have to try their Cubano right? Check out how The Ocho does the Cubano.


If you are a vegetarian, no worries, Calle Ocho offers the VEGETARIANO: wild mushroom paella, Guatemalan green bean salad and sweet pea vinaigrette. Very tasty!




Another popular dish among our guest was the FRITA CUBANA, a Cuban style burger, seasoned beef and pork patty, red onions and chimichurri fries.


Here we have the QUESADILLA DE EL SALVADADOR, soft tortillas, chipotle chicken, asadero cheese, curtido, avocado and crema nata.

For under $20 you can get any of the above entrees with unlimited sangria! Now that is a BRUNCH deal you cannot turn down!

We look forward to the new Calle Ocho opening at the end of this month (July). The babes have been invited to get a sneak peak of the new place and we hear it will look a lot more modern than the old spot. They have already started taking reservations so we suggest you move quickly because we are certain reservations will fill up!

We would like to thank all of the workers, managers, waiters and Chef Alex Garcia for all of the great memories at THE OCHO. We look forward to making more memories at the new spot. You better believe we will be there to cover the new and improved Calle Ocho!

Here is to NEW beginnings!

Cheers,
-The Brunching Babes :)




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