It's been a good long while since I've
written one of these. But I'm hoping to move past my rampant
laziness and do it more often this year. I like to eat. I like to
drink. I like the people I get to eat and drink with. And, as it
turns out, I still like to write sometimes. Hopefully, I still
remember where the ballgags go and what the safe words are. Hope
you're hungry.
First brunch of 2021. And it was a good one. My partner in brunch adventures, Rebecca and I checked out Ainslie in Williamsburg. It's been what feels like a decade since we went out seeking a new brunch place. It felt like it was about time we got back on the horse...or some other cliché that means start doing something again.
I really liked the look and feel of Ainslie as soon as we walked in. There's a lot of greenery. It's all wood and brick. A very rustic feel. It looked like they had a nice outside set up as well. No waiting for our reservation despite being 15 minutes early and clearly being a bit busy. And they didn't rush us out when our 90 minutes were up. They definitely had reason to, there was a decent crowd outside waiting for a table. The hostess took our temperature, which is still weird, and off we went to our table.
The food that I got to eat was excellent. I'll start out by saying I didn't get a chance to try Rebecca's eggs benedict because she doesn't share. She's like Joey Tribbiani with red hair and a nicer butt. I did snag a fry, but right after I put it in my mouth she told me that if it was bacon, she'd have stabbed me. I've been stabbed a couple of times before over food, I'm not taking that chance again.
We had some of the best cooked arancini I've ever had. Not greasy in the least. Perfectly crispy, nice and cheesy inside. The tomato sauce had a nice taste. I could easily eat a dozen of these and have been a very happy man. As it was, I had two and was pretty pleased.
The burrata with tomatoes was delicious. The only complaint, and it's a tiny one, was it wasn't quite creamy enough. I'd gladly eat it again. But I love me some burrata and this just wasn't quite perfect. The taste was spot on, it just didn't quite nail the consistency.
Let me tell you, breakfast pizza is the fucking bomb. This was delicious. The Bongiorno Pizza was outstanding. Pancetta, red onions, mozzarella and sunny-side up eggs on a perfect pizza crust is what breakfasts should always aspire to be. The crust was tangy and chewy and wonderfully blistered. The pancetta was...it was tasty tasty pig, what else is there to say. The eggs were just barely over-medium, which is generally how I prefer them. They were just runny enough. The red onions though were the real star...their punch really tied everything together. I really want another one of these pizzas right now. I'm yearning.
All in all, an excellent return to brunching. I'm definitely going back for lunch or dinner to try other pizzas...or other foods that they serve. If brunch was any indication, I'm going to be happy to return.
76 Ainslie Street
Brooklyn, NY, 11211
347-725-3400
Reservations via Resy
