PARK SLOPE — It’s not just for lazy Sundays anymore.
Three Park Slope restaurants are offering brunch on Fridays through the end of December. Talde, Thistle Hill Tavern and Pork Slope will serve up the hybrid repast from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.
The three restaurants are usually only open for dinner during the week, and all three have been "very successful" serving brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, said David Massoni, who co-owns all three restaurants with Chef Dale Talde and bartender John Bush.
They recently tried adding a weekday lunch service at the three establishments, but didn't get many takers, Massoni said. However, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Talde, Thistle Hill Tavern and Pork Slope all opened up during the day and did brisk business serving diners who were off work or school.
The experience inspired Massoni and his partners to try a Friday brunch service during December, when schedules relax as the holidays approach.
"During December a lot of people give themselves a half a day on Friday, or give themselves some time off to do errands," Massoni said. "It was just something we thought would be fun to do in the community."
While all three restaurants are owned by the same group of partners, each has a different look, feel and flavors.
Thistle Hill Tavern on Seventh Avenue and 15th Street is modeled after the "great old New York tavern," Massoni said. "It's the corner neighborhood bar where you want to be three or four nights a week. The food is simple and delicious."
The Thistle Hill brunch menu includes traditional fare like an $11 breakfast sandwich on a baguette with bacon, egg, fontina, lemon-basil ricotta, and spicy marinara. It also features an $11 omelette with three eggs, roasted red pepper, spinach, mushrooms, chives, and fontina, served with french fries.
Talde, on Seventh Avenue and 11th Street, is a larger Asian-American eatery where brunch is served "dim sum style," meaning that all the dishes are on small plates that are meant to be shared, Massoni said.
Brunch choices include lobster "bao buns" with chili mayo for $14; "Breakfast ramen" with "buttered toast" broth, honey-glazed bacon, and a "six minute" egg for $12; and Korean chicken wings and waffles served with coconut brown butter syrup for $14.
The newest of the bunch, Pork Slope, on Fifth Avenue and Garfield Place, has a casual "come as you are" roadhouse feel, Massoni said. The cash-only menu is packed with bar food favorites like nachos and wings. Prices range from a $5 grilled cheese to a $24 full rack of St. Louis-style ribs. There’s no separate brunch menu, but diners who want to add a touch of breakfast to their meal can add a fried egg on top of any main dish for $1, Massoni said.
