the brunch club? - fatty's cafe

an inventive menu riddled with latin flair... ostentatious 80's new wave on the stereo... b&w photos and abstract paintings hanging on the walls - priced to sell... wait, what stop off the L is this? --ah, even the most ironic of williamsburg hipsters would feel right at home at this funky astorian brunch hotspot. so put on your tightest t-shirt, oversized sunglasses and skip the shower, 'cause we are going over to fatty's cafe to indulge in the best brunch in astoria.

http://www.fattyscafenyc.com/

25-01 ditmars blvd astoria, ny 11105
718.267.7071

brunch will run you about $12, this includes your meal and one alcoholic libation; bloody mary, mimosa or limeade - your choice. all of the usual suspects you'd expect to find on a brunch menu are there; the eggs, omelets, pancakes, ect., but the hispanic influenced specialties are the stars of the show.

-- mofongo stuffed w/ queso blanco



mofongo is a dish of puerto rican descent and is very popular throughout the caribbean. a peculiar item to find on a brunch menu, but who am i to argue? fatty's mofongo was well seasoned and sufficiently moist; i've had mofongo as dry as british comedy, and it's not especially appetizing. mofongo is traditionally laced with chicharrón (deep fried pork fat), however, fatty's studs theirs with generous amounts of pancetta crunch, an acceptable substitution. chicken, ground beef, shrimp or queso blacno are the stuffing options. i was very please with my choice of queso blanco; melted by the heat, it oozed from the mofongo's open wounds as i attacked repeatedly with my knife and fork. pico de gallo and a fresh mesclun mix accompanied my meal. the dressing was light and delicious, however, i am unable to discern exactly what it consisted of. i would order this again in a second.

-- pancakes w/ fruit and berries



sandy, ever the adventurous eater, ordered the pancakes; she was very pleased with her order. they were griddle-crisped on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. the fruit mixture consisted mostly of blueberries with a few chunks of peach. the flavors were fresh and bright and definitely did not taste canned, i'd say it was made in house, but who knows?

the drinks were decent enough. sandy isn't much of a drinker to really care one way or the other, she had a pineapple mimosa. my bloody mary was more vodka than mary, that's never a bad thing.

there's much to try on fatty's menu. next time i come for brunch i am going to try to polenta cakes with provolone and ham. if that wins me over, i'll be back for dinner.

© 2008 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.blogspot.com/