Now I'm a Believer

In NYC, "What are you doing this weekend?" is code for "Where are you going to brunch?" Brunch is a verb, a sport, a ritual, a light at the end of the work week tunnel.

After going into new East Village territory Friday night, I brought Kathleen and Clark to a West Village brunch staple, Westville, on West 10th street, one of my favorite streets in all of Manhattan.

You could easily walk past Westville without noticing the small space holding 10 tables - but most nights and weekend afternoons you would not be able to ignore the crowds waiting outside for fresh market vegetables, hearty American entrees and sweet homemade desserts. The atmosphere is casual and laid back, walls decorated with chalkboards featuring specials and retro 1950's ads and soda bottles, packed with a combined hipster and neighborhood clientele.

Now let's get to the food: for brunch, I recommend the breakfast burrito or any egg dish with a side of brussels sprouts. Yes, brussels sprouts. I am not sure if I had ever eaten brussels sprouts before moving to New York, but thanks to my roommate, Emily, ordering the brussels sprouts at Westville 2 years ago, I am now a believer of brussels sprouts! I order them anywhere they are featured as a side dish, buy them at Trader Joe's, and will not allow anyone to go to Westville without eating the brussels sprouts cooked in butter, garlic and honey dijon dressing.

And if you are not in the mood for eggs - get any sandwich served on a portugese muffin. The grilled cheese is pictured below. For dinner, Westville serves Sloppy Joe's on a portugese muffin and it. is. incredible. Westville's use of the portugese muffin inspired my apartment to host a Sloppy Joe night using Thomas English muffins and I don't think I can have a Sloppy Joe any other way now. The muffins soak the juices while giving an extra crunch on the outside.

Side of brussels sprouts, special chorizo breakfast burrito topped with slices of avocado with potato and bell pepper hash, and the grilled cheddar and gouda blend melted on a portuguese muffin.

Truly, anything and everything at Westville is delicious - you cannot order wrong here. I do not normally finish brunch with a dessert, but after seeing the ice cream at the table two inches next to us (no privacy for any meal or conversation here), we decided to get a bowl of scoops of homemade chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Just like you remember it - creamy, cold, soothing and perfect in its simplicity. And when you are too lazy to walk or wait, do as my roommates do and call for delivery to turn your couch into a Westville table.

Westville
210 W 10th Street,
Between Bleecker and West 4th Street
212.741.7971, 212.741.4780
Monday-Friday: 11:30am - 11pm
Saturdays and Sundays: Brunch: 10 am - 4 pm, Dinner: 4pm -11pm
Delivery Info

The Saturday ritual of brunch leads to my other favorite Saturday tradition: aimlessly strolling. To see and experience the charms of the West Village, and try to walk off some of the brunch, the three of us leisurely walked the tree, brownstone, cafe, boutique and historical landmark lined streets of Bleeker, Charles, Perry, Grove, West 4th, Commerce, Barrow, Jane, and Cornelia for hours - converting Clark and Kathleen to believers of brussels sprouts and the West Village.