The Charm of Zoe



Zoe's enticing take on Middle Eastern shakshuka

Zoe is a ray of sunshine on a tiny, quiet block of Eldridge St. I stumbled upon it a few weekends ago while taking a midday shortcut through the Lower East Side.

I heard it first. Windows open, the place was bustling with chatter, people spilling onto the street. Then I noticed the chalkboard sidewalk sign: fried chicken and blueberry pancakes. Ultimate sweet-salty. My kinda brunch.

Homemade creamy labne with granola and apricots

Readers know I am not a fan of the average boozy, prix fixe brunch - cheap drinks, forgettable eggs. Nothing tastes duller.

Chef-owner Zoe Feigenbaum must agree. Everything on her globally inspired a la carte brunch menu competes for attention. Over a fresh ginger lemonade, I agonized between the Mexican shrimp and eggs ($15), the full Irish breakfast ($16), and aforementioned pancakes and fried chicken (which is not actually listed on the brunch menu but always available). On a whim, I settled for the hearty Moroccan poached eggs ($15), a surprisingly mild shakshuka livened with grilled haloumi, eggplant and merguez.

My friend Barbara gushed over her homemade labne (strained yogurt) with granola and cooked apricots. From the flowers down to the cocktail garnishes lining the bar, everything looks fresh and sunny. Service can be scattered, but on a lazy Sunday, nothing should feel rushed anyway.

Zoe

345 Eldridge Street
Between E. Houston + Stanton Sts.
646 559 5962



 

Manhattan on Dwellable

Food Rules at Hester Street Fair

Hungry for the Brooklyn Flea? Not so fast.

Hester Street Fair organizers kicked off Year Two with a spotlight on food and it's working. The Saturday-only market boasts nearly two dozen food vendors selling top-notch tacos, saucy veggie meatball sliders, and international treats such as poffertjes (mini Dutch pancakes) and Taiwanese shaved ice.

Speaking of ice, The Shaved Ice Factory was creating quite a stir with its mile high signature treat ($6). It's a mountain of shaved ice, drizzled with condensed milk, and a variety of popular Asian toppings including sweetened red beans, coconut jelly and fruit.

It's eye catching for sure. Not sure if my taste buds were up for it just yet. A NY Times photographer was busy shooting the sundaes on a recent Saturday. Let's see if the Taiwanese treat catches on.

A perfect lunch: brisket taco and Mexican corn

I opted for something savory to start. That meant a fine brisket taco ($4) and Mexican corn rolled in cotija cheese ($3) from Brooklyn Taco. That's the taco in Time Out's recent best 26 tacos in NYC. It's goooood. So's the corn. If all goes as planned, BK Taco will soon be a permanent fixture in nearby Essex Market.

The excellent empanadas ($3.50) from La Sonrisa are back again this year. It's exciting to see new temptations in the mix too. Standouts included Mighty Balls meatballs (and veggieballs), La Newyorkina fruity ice pops ($3) and Melt Bakery's red velvet whoopie pies ($4).

I loved meeting Mackenzie Smith of Herbin' Spoonful. She transformed her love of caramel into a handmade line of luscious sauce infused with herbs and spices like lavender and habanero. Ingenious. And she happily offers tastes.

Get your caramel fix at Herbin' Spoonful

What I really admire about the fair is that it's succeeding in being part of the community. It's surrounded by a buzzing playground, tennis courts and even a little lawn for relaxed picnicking. It fits right in without overwhelming. And the carefully curated offerings - edible and otherwise - make you yearn for Saturday even more now. There's even a ping-pong table.

Corner of Hester St + Essex, LES 

Saturdays 10 am - 6 pm through October 2011