Stone Park Cafe 08-23-2009

Location: 324 5th Ave. Park Slope
Time: 2pm
People: PMont, The Boss, GB, Tm, RB and myself

Feelings: PMont and The Boss took us out to this lovely quintessential Park Slopian brunch spot. It is located right across from the park, and the decor was very elegant yet casual, creating the utterly perfect atmosphere for Park Slope Sunday brunch. Bookish and coquettish hostess? Check. Skinny waiters with beard? Check. Fancy baby strollers? Check. If I ever was kidnapped and dropped off at this very location, I would know right away that I was in Park Slope.

Despite a hint of pretentiousness from the atmosphere, both the service and food turned out to be extremely unpretentious and relaxed. Perhaps I had some certain prejudice against Park Slope.

My buttermilk pancakes ($12) with berry compote and Vermont maple syrup were light and fluffy. They were not overly bready or heavy, and they had the right amount of air and fluffiness to soak up all the delicious compote and syrup. This was truly the first time I was not overstuffed and sickened by pancakes.

RB ordered short rib hash and eggs ($14). He never had hash with such good quality meat before but didn't think it made much difference. The eggs, however, were too dry for his taste. He required yolky runny eggs to make the hash mushy-gushy. Although he ordered over-easy, they brought eggs with hardened yolks. Perhaps he should have ordered sunny side up. Just as a side note, in Japanese, sunny side eggs are known as "Medama Yaki" which is directly translated as "fried eyeballs." Do you like sunny side up or fried eyeballs?

They also had some traditional southern brunch menu items such as biscuit and gravy, grits, and eggs benedict around the price of $14. For the quality of food, it is quite reasonable, and I could see why this place was one of the popular brunch spots in the area.