I know it’s Friday, but due to a nasty sinus infection that has ruined my life (and New Year’s resolutions) all week, I will not be compiling a Fetch Friday, for the simple reason that there have been little to no fetch occurences in my life this week (although I must say, the combination of working from home in my pajamas, TIVOed Gossip Girl on mute–I’m just in it for the clothes–matzoh ball soup, and lemon ginger tea is preeeeetty fab).

Instead, I will look back at a better time–a time when wind chills didn’t make Manhattan feel like it was the uninhabitable surface of some faraway planet’s moon, a time when I could wear layers for the sake of fashion rather than warmth (Cute Outfits: silk top, big sweater, fur vest. Functional Outfits: cotton tanktop, long sleeve shirt, small sweater, big sweater, fur vest, large jacket, snood, large wool hat), a time when strolling down the street was a luxury rather than a chore and my diet consisted of goodies considerably more pleasurable than chai and Dayquil…several short weeks ago, this time was brunch.

I haven’t featured brunch on Sew Fetch yet and it perplexes me deeply. I love brunch. I would be perfectly happy with brunch, happy hour, and late night snack being my three daily meals. However, weekend brunch tends to find me either terribly tired or still drunk, and for whatever reason, I haven’t had the chance to photograph and analyze a mid-day meal for my adoring e-fans. In my time in New York, however,I have found that in many ways, brunch is better than dinner. Consider:

a) It is usually, if not always, cheaper.

b) It is an excuse to drink in the middle of the day

c) It is considerably easier to get a reservation

A few weeks ago, on a magically non-hungover Saturday morning, two of my best friends and college roommates and I gathered for brunch at The Tipsy Parson in Chelsea. Located on one of my favorite blocks in New York, the stretch of 9th Avenue between 20th and 14th streets, The Tipsy Parson was a place I had passed by on many occasions and regarded as impossibly cute. Glass windows lined with adorable shrubbery encompass a seemingly small venue that appears to be filled with books and obnoxiously cute couples sharing cappucinos. Needless to say, I’d written this place down in my ever-growing iPhone list of Restaurants To Try many months ago.

[Welcoming Exterior]

[Bookshelf wallpaper inside–I love this! If my apartment were more than 500 square feet I would certainly curl up in a nook with bookshelf wallpaper. Alas, we only have one non-bedroom room to decorate, and I’m pretty sure we’re not allowed to do anything to the walls]

After a short wait at the bar, where we watched tables in his and hers plaid shirts enjoy beautiful platters, we were seated in a large back room. The back room has a communal table in  the middle, and small booths lining the walls–perfect for a cozy and intimate meal. After settling in, drinks were in order. We opted for warm cider with bourbon–a cocktail I have been craving ever since.

[Perfect winter cocktails–warm cider with our choice of booze]

Bourbon-fueled, we set out to order massive plates of carbohydrates.

[The lemon cornmeal pancakes, served with bananas, blueberries, powdered sugar & maple syrup, were our favorite out of our dishes. As our waiter promised, they were not “too lemony,” and rather, fluffy, sweet, and delicious, with just a hit of tang]

[The baked crab cake with poached eggs,  chow chow relish & old bay aioli was a close second. The crab cake was perfect–it melted in our mouthes without feeling unhealthy (although, duh, it was), and the eggs were ideally poached– though we felt they could have used some sort of sauce or relish]

[The mushroom toast–served with grilled potato bread, herb ricotta, wild mushrooms and scrambled eggs was kind of like the Spiderman musical--an amazing idea in theory, and I guess some people liked it, but lacking in execution. Bread, ricotta, and mushrooms are three of my favorite ingredients in all food’s land. This should have been perfect, but it wasn’t]

Overall, our brunch was a great experience. Tipsy Parson is an excellent retreat from the cold, and I’d be back for the kitzchy and welcoming ambiance alone. And for the spiked cider. Lord knows my sore throat could use some spiked cider right now.

[L and I–truly Tipsy Parsons]

I will be spending my weekend napping and hydrating–truly hope yours is considerably more exciting!