The Best-Valued Bread Basket in NYC

Perhaps we were inspired by the welcomed Spring-like weather, or perhaps we just needed a change from our ritual Sunday morning scrambled eggs; either way, this morning, something provoked Gus and I to embark on our first official Manhattan brunch. That's right, we've been living in the city since August and the closest we've come to "brunch" was walking to the end of our block in search of a hangover cure at Moonstruck diner.

This morning, we walked a little further--all the way to Gramercy in fact. Our destination? Friend of a Farmer, a country farmhouse-style café decidedly at odds with the rest of Manhattan. Designed to replicate the owner's upbringing in a small farming town in upstate New York, Friend of a Farmer exudes old-fashioned warmth and coziness--to the point where it wouldn't surprise me to learn that a set designer from Universal Studios had a hand in decorating the restaurant space.
From the stone hearth to the yellowing flowered wallpaper, Friend of a Farmer has put careful consideration into making its customers forget that they're in fact sitting in the heart of one of the world's largest cities. Hanging antique kitchenware. Wooden paneling lined with rows of jarred grains. A thoughtfully placed rooster here and there. While such a bold venture has the potential to go terribly awry, the genuine quality of their food keeps Friend of a Farmer from becoming too hokey; Once you bite into your first square of complimentary cornbread, you start growing fond of your waiter's flannel uniform, and you decide to try the apple butter after all. Suddenly, you find your New York City skepticism giving way to good humor, and you melt into the ambiance; you see, it's the food that binds everything together.
And while Friend of a Farmer isn't cheap, the portion-sizes, richness, and unique-factor of their meals make eating there a good value. My recommendation for ordering on a budget? If you're going there for breakfast or brunch, start with a french-press coffee ($3.75). Robust and velvety, it's the perfect morning caffeine jolt. And your own personal press will yield about three mugs full.
I also highly recommend sharing the assorted bread basket with a couple of friends. This is perhaps one of the best deals the restaurant has to offer: You get two pieces each of banana, zucchini, honey whole-wheat, and the richly dense and sweet iced lemon loaf (can you tell that one was my favorite?) all for $7.95. The bread has that wholesome, homemade taste; the smell alone convinces you it was certainly kneaded by a grandmother's practiced hands and baked in a stone hearth. It is also extremely filling, and the leftovers would make for a nice afternoon treat or convenient breakfast.

Would I go back to Friend of a Farmer? You bet. It's a nice retreat from the modern sleekness of the city, and it promises to have a nostalgic quality, even for those who never lived in the country or visited a farm. The food is comforting and hearty, and where else can you get omelets served in a skillet? It's an experience, and a tasty one at that.

Location: 77 Irving Place (btw 18th & 19th)
Price Range: $4.95- $15.95 (brunch)
Full Menu