RestaurantPalaver: Danal

I can think of no better way to start a weekend morning in New York than with brunch at Danal.  The first time I went, many years ago, I had the tart, which, that morning, was made with roasted tomato and goat cheese.  It was possibly the best tart I've had there, or was it just that I was so taken with the place that it still sticks in my mind?  We were seated in the back of this slightly below-ground level French-country style restaurant in the east village, next to a woman loudly proclaiming to her dining companion that no great thinkers believe in God.

That's how every visit to Danal's has been:  a mix of good food, comfortable atmosphere, and interesting people watching/eavesdropping.  A guy used to always greet us there -- we thought he was Dan or Al (is that really the source of the name?) -- who looked like David Duchovny's artier brother.  One summer day MysteryWriter and I walked in and asked for a table and he said "Inside or outside?  Outside is full sun."  He looked at each of our pasty faces in turn and said, definitively, "Inside."  (We haven't seen him at Danal's in a while, though we did pass him on the street one Monday morning on our way to breakfast at Balthazar; I'm always running into people I know (or "know," in this case) in New York, in ways I'd find unrealistic if seen on an episode of Friends.)

The menu changes, but includes some standards, with variations.  As I mentioned, there's always a tart, with seasonal toppings.  There's usually an Eggs Benedict-like dish with chicken apple sausage -- even if I'm not in the mood for eggs this dish is tempting, the sausage is that good.  You can expect to find an omelet, a frittata, pancakes -- sometimes, decadently, with chocolate chips -- a couple of salads and sandwiches, and more substantial entrees.  And wonderful, creamy cafe au lait, served in large bowls, not to mention the unsweetened bowl of hot chocolate MysteryWriter is fond of and I always envy.  Coffee is served via French press.

The atmosphere is haphazard and cozy.  Potatoes and other produce are stored in baskets and servers retrieve the mismatched plates from rustic china cabinets.  When we first starting brunching there we often encountered a wait, at least once in cold rain on the sidewalk. In recent years -- after they opened a second floor -- we haven't had a problem getting a table on Saturday or Sunday morning.

[Edited 3/14/08 to add:  Danal's recently moved to 5th Avenue, so Sundaes & Cones and the Jillery are no longer its neighbors. I haven't been yet so can't comment on the new location first-hand, but mysterywriter and NorthernOutlaw came away happy from their first visit.]

After brunching at Danal's, you can satisfy your sweet tooth across the street at the newish location of Sundaes & Cones, an Asian-themed ice cream place (think lychee and ginger, as well as more common flavors) with benches out front that make you think you could be in Fairmont, West Virginia rather than the east village. 

Before or after, be sure to stop in the Jillery (see the purplish sign behind Danal's in the above photo) to shop for jewelry, retro handbags, housewares (including Judaica), and assorted tchotchkes.  The pill box in my purse is from the Jillery, as are the decorative magnetic clips that I use for appending mail and other important outgoing stuff to my (metal) door.  Pudding Man has been known to sport cufflinks from the Jillery -- though we're both Washingtonians, we independently found not only Danal's but the Jillery.  That's as random as running into David Duchovny on our way to Balthazar.

Danal
90 E 10th St. (between 3rd and 4th Ave.)
59 Fifth Ave. (between 12th and 13th Sts.)
New York NY 10003
(212) 982-6930

Comments

[NorthernOutlaw]

MysteryWriter takes me there on occasion and I'm only a halt hearted fan. I like it because it's not over run but I while I agree the food is good my expectations are never exceeded. I am curious enough to try the restaurant for dinner some night I remember. I suppose a reliable brunch place should get an extra star for just being reliable, brunch is such a fickle meal.